Abstract

Cocaine dependence and violence are serious public health problems that are often related. There are many biological features of these behaviors that are poorly understood. Further research will elucidate mechanisms and contribute to the development of more effective treatments for impulsive behaviors including cocaine use and the associated violence. Low serotonin (5-HT) function is associated with increased aggressive and impulsive behavior in individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASP). These same individuals have a high probability of substance dependence. Thus, the association between substance abuse and impulsive and aggressive behavior is complex and may be influenced both by the pharmacologic effects of drugs themselves and the fact that individuals who abuse drugs are also more prone to these behaviors. Although some studies find that cocaine increases aggressive behavior in laboratory animals most animal studies do not find an increase in aggression after cocaine administration. Epidemiological studies find an association between cocaine and violence, but few laboratory studies have examined this issue in humans. In preliminary studies by our group, we have found evidence that some individuals (with ASP) may be more prone to aggression induced by chronic cocaine use. Thus, it is possible that preexisting characteristics of an individual (such as low 5-HT function) interact with the pharmacologic effects of chronic cocaine use to increase impulsive and aggressive behavior.
The specific aims of this proposal are:
Aim : 1. To determine the effects of recent chronic cocaine use and cocaine abstinence/withdrawal on impulsive and aggressive responding in female and male cocaine dependent subjects with ASP, and in matched cocaine dependent subjects without ASP and to compare this responding to matched healthy controls.
Aim 2. To measure 5-HT function using a neuroendocrine challenge and relate this measure to impulsive and aggressive responding in the same groups of subjects studied in Aim 1.
Aim 3. To determine if chronic administration of the 5-HT agonist buspirone decreases impulsive and aggressive responding and cocaine use in subjects with ASP.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA008425-03
Application #
2770088
Study Section
Human Development Research Subcommittee (NIDA)
Project Start
1996-09-20
Project End
2000-04-09
Budget Start
1998-09-01
Budget End
2000-04-09
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
Houston
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
77225

  Publications

Lijffijt, Marijn; Cox, Blake; Acas, Michelle D et al. (2012) Differential relationships of impulsivity or antisocial symptoms on P50, N100, or P200 auditory sensory gating in controls and antisocial personality disorder. J Psychiatr Res 46:743-50
Swann, Alan C; Lijffijt, Marijn; Lane, Scott D et al. (2011) Interacting mechanisms of impulsivity in bipolar disorder and antisocial personality disorder. J Psychiatr Res 45:1477-82
Swann, Alan C; Lijffijt, Marijn; Lane, Scott D et al. (2011) Criminal conviction, impulsivity, and course of illness in bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord 13:173-81
Swann, A C; Lijffijt, M; Lane, S D et al. (2010) Interactions between bipolar disorder and antisocial personality disorder in trait impulsivity and severity of illness. Acta Psychiatr Scand 121:453-61
Green, C E; Moeller, F G; Schmitz, J M et al. (2009) Evaluation of heterogeneity in pharmacotherapy trials for drug dependence: a Bayesian approach. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 35:95-102
Lijffijt, Marijn; Moeller, F Gerard; Boutros, Nash N et al. (2009) Diminished P50, N100 and P200 auditory sensory gating in bipolar I disorder. Psychiatry Res 167:191-201
Lijffijt, Marijn; Moeller, F Gerard; Boutros, Nash N et al. (2009) The Role of Age, Gender, Education, and Intelligence in P50, N100, and P200 Auditory Sensory Gating. J Psychophysiol 23:52-62
Swann, Alan C; Lijffijt, Marijn; Lane, Scott D et al. (2009) Severity of bipolar disorder is associated with impairment of response inhibition. J Affect Disord 116:30-6
Lijffijt, Marijn; Moeller, F Gerard; Boutros, Nash N et al. (2009) A pilot study revealing impaired P50 gating in antisocial personality disorder. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 21:328-31
Schmitz, Joy M; Mooney, Marc E; Green, Charles E et al. (2009) Baseline neurocognitive profiles differentiate abstainers and non-abstainers in a cocaine clinical trial. J Addict Dis 28:250-7

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