The journey of recovery from addiction marks a wide range of obstacles, including significant risks of relapse. Interestingly, medications designed for other health issues may inadvertently increase this risk. For example, a brief encounter with irritating drugs evokes people’s desires and triggers relapse, a process called “starting.” Although the role of cocaine initiation is well recognized, the implications of methylphenidate use (mainly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)) are uncertain. In addition to its therapeutic applications, methylbenzoate (also known as Ritalin®) is often used for recreational or as a “cognitive enhancer”, especially among college students. Furthermore, the role of methylbenzoate as a potential treatment for cocaine addiction is under review, and its effectiveness is mixed with the risk of causing cocaine cravings. The combination of methylphenidate with drugs such as fluoxetine (provisions for simultaneous ADHD and depression) complicates the problem further, possibly mimicking the neurochemical effects of cocaine and people recovering from stimulant use.
In a groundbreaking study led by Professor Michela Marinelli of the University of Texas and Professor Heinz Steiner of Rosalind Franklin University, their Team member Joel Beverley also comes from Rosalind Franklin University’s methylphenidate alone or in combination with fluoxetine, which may be reborn in cocaine in rats. This finding has attracted significant attention to the risk of recurrence among former cocaine users taking this type of drug.
Professor Marinelli said: “It is often prescribed for the treatment of ADHD and is used for non-medical purposes as recreational drugs or “cognitive enhancers.” Exposure to methylphenidate and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may also occur, such as Fluoxetine, for example, in patients with ADHD with comorbidities of depression or who take fluoxetine for non-medical purposes. “She further explains the key need for human investigations,” It is unclear whether this exposure will subsequently increase the risk of recurrence among former cocaine users.”
This study carefully tested the behavior of cocaine in rats that had previously regulated cocaine and were then withdrawn. These conditions simulate potential human recurrence scenarios in former cocaine users.
For the experimental procedure, the team introduced rats to cocaine and self-management, and then exterminated cocaine from cocaine, mimicking the withdrawal phase. They then tested the behavior of recovering cocaine seeking cocaine, which was composed of a combination of acute intraperitoneal injection of vehicle, fluoxetine, methylbenzoate, methylbenzoate and fluoxetine or cocaine. The dose of methylphenidate used reflects the treatment level and the possible abuse of treatment for recreational or cognitive enhancement purposes, while the dose of fluoxetine is selected based on known effects to reduce depression behavior sign. This approach allows researchers to explore potential risks associated with the treatment and non-medical use of these drugs in triggering cocaine relapse.
Professor Steiner elaborated on this finding: “Our main finding is self-management of cocaine, followed by withdrawal and cocaine seeking the extinction, showing challenges to cocaine in methylphthalate or methylbenzoic acid Fluoride benzoate + fluorescent ethyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline + methyl aniline Recovery behavior after ylaniline + methylaniline + methylaniline + methylaniline. Those that can be seen after cocaine injection challenge.”
These results highlight the complex interactions between therapeutic drugs and their potential to activate potential drug-seeking tendencies, especially in individuals with a history of mental stimulus use. It highlights the need for careful consideration and monitoring of these medications when prescribing them in persons at risk of recurrence. The implications of this study go beyond the clinical setting, urging reevaluation of how drugs for ADHD and depression are performed on people who use cocaine. This study not only elucidates the biological basis of drug relapse, but also calls for a more nuanced approach to treating mental health problems in former drug users.
Journal Reference
L. Lamoureux, J. Beverley, H. Steiner, M. Marinelli, “Methylbenzoate with or without fluoxetine triggering cocaine seeking behavior”, Neuropsychopharmacology.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-017777-z.
About the Author
Dr. Michela Marinelli He is an associate professor of neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin, serving in the Department of Neurology, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Dr. Marinelli received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” (Italy) and his Ph.D. Doctor of Neuroscience and Pharmacology from the University of Bordeaux 2 (France). After her postdoctoral training in the United States, she was hired as an assistant professor by Inserm (the French equals the US NIH). Three years later in 2003, she was recruited by the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at Rosalind Franklin University of Medical and Science in North Chicago. After working at that university for a decade, she moved to the University of Texas at Austin where she currently works. Dr. Marinelli’s main research aims to understand the neurobiological basis of drug addiction. Teams use the “system approach”, which means they examine and integrate different levels of information to understand how the system works and interacts. These variables were studied in rodent models and they range from cellular and molecular levels to the entire animal level. Dr. Marinelli has published more than 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and her work has been cited more than 8,000 times.
Dr. Heinz Steiner He is a professor of cell and molecular pharmacology at the Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, and lead investigator at the Stanson Toshok Center for Brain Function and Repair at Rosalind Franklin University. Dr. Steiner received his Master of Biology from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland and his Ph.D. PhD in Physiological Psychology from the University of Düsseldorf, Germany. After working at the Bethesda National Institute of Mental Health, he was an assistant professor of research in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Tennessee, School of Medicine, and the Memphis Neuroscience Center. He joined the faculty member of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical College in 2000 and served as department chair from 2011 to 2022. Dr. Steiner’s research focuses on the functional organization of the basal ganglia and related brain systems, especially the role of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin in the regulation of basal ganglia-cortical interactions. One of his main goals in his work is to understand how treatments for dopaminergic and serotonergic drugs lead to changes in gene regulation of genes and their consequences for drug addiction and other brain diseases. Dr. Steiner is the senior editor of the Basal Gangular Structure and Function Manual and co-editor of Elsevier’s Behavioral Neuroscience Manual series.
