Abstract
Cocaine has substantial effects on cerebral hemodynamics which may partly underlie both its euphorigenic and toxic effects. Dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC–MRI) was used to determine whether a dose-effect relationship could be detected between cocaine administration and cerebral blood volume reduction in human brain. Twenty-three healthy and neurologically normal adult males with a history of recreational cocaine use (3–40 lifetime exposures) participated. Subjects underwent DSC-MRI measurements of relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) at baseline and 10min after IV double-blind placebo or cocaine (0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg) administration. Placebo administration resulted in superimposable rCBV curves with post-placebo CBV averaging 104 ± 4% (mean ± SE) of baseline, indicating no CBV change. Both cocaine doses induced CBV decreases which were statistically equivalent and post-cocaine CBV averaged 77 ± 4% of baseline (P < 0.002), when measured 10 min following drug administration. These data suggest that DSC-MRI can detect cocaine-induced CBV reductions indicative of vasoconstriction, and that it may be useful for evaluating treatments designed to reduce the cerebrovascular effects of cocaine.
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Received: 25 September 1997 / Final version: 30 December 1997
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Kaufman, M., Levin, J., Maas, L. et al. Cocaine decreases relative cerebral blood volume in humans: a dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging study. Psychopharmacology 138, 76–81 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002130050647
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002130050647