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Effects of isradipine on methamphetamine-induced changes in attentional and perceptual-motor skills of cognition

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Abstract

Rationale

While the effects of d-amphetamine in increasing performance have been established, there is a paucity of information on the effects of methamphetamine on cognition in drug-naive subjects, and no published information on the effects of intravenous methamphetamine administration in dependent individuals. The dihydropyridine-class calcium channel antagonist, isradipine, has been posited as a putative treatment to prevent methamphetamine-associated hypertensive crisis and its sequelae. Yet, isradipine’s effects on cognitive performance in methamphetamine-dependent individuals are not known.

Objective

Since individuals whose dependence on methamphetamine is attributable to the need to enhance performance may be loath to take a cognition-impairing medication, even for the treatment of life-threatening hypertensive crisis, it would be important to determine isradipine’s effects on performance.

Methods

We therefore examined in a blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover design the cognitive effects of low and high doses of intravenous methamphetamine (15 mg and 30 mg, respectively) in both the presence and absence of isradipine.

Results

Intravenous d-methamphetamine produced dose-dependent increases in attention, concentration, and psychomotor performance. Isradipine, both with and without methamphetamine, had a modest effect to decrease attention.

Conclusion

Our results do not support the further testing of isradipine as a medication for improving the cognitive impairments that have been associated with chronic methamphetamine use.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the National Institute on Drug Abuse for its support through Grant R01 DA 12969-04. We would like to thank Robert H. Cormier, Jr, for his technical assistance with preparation of the manuscript. We also appreciate the staff of the University Clinical Psychopharmacology Laboratory and the South Texas Addiction Research and Technology Center for their skilled work and dedication to this project. The experiment described in this article complies with the current laws of the United States.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA

    Bankole A. Johnson, John D. Roache, Nassima Ait-Daoud, Christopher Wallace & Yanmei Wang

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA

    Lynda T. Wells

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  1. Bankole A. Johnson
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  2. John D. Roache
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  3. Nassima Ait-Daoud
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  4. Christopher Wallace
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  5. Lynda T. Wells
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  6. Yanmei Wang
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Correspondence to Bankole A. Johnson.

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Johnson, B.A., Roache, J.D., Ait-Daoud, N. et al. Effects of isradipine on methamphetamine-induced changes in attentional and perceptual-motor skills of cognition. Psychopharmacology 178, 296–302 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1998-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1998-0

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