Psychomotor stimulant drugs of abuse cause brain damage that is dependent on elevated body temperature. This year, we continued to examine brain and body temperature changes during exposure to meth-amphetamine and MDMA and modulation of these changes by adverse environmental conditions that mimic human drug use. We found that both drugs strongly increase brain and body temperatures and these effects are powerfully modulated in warm conditions, often resulting in over-heating fatalities. We also established the role of venous blood outflow in brain temperature homeostasis. Finally, we continue our studies of the central mechanisms underlying addictive properties of cocaine and its physiological effects. Particularly, we established the role of central dopamine mechanisms in movement stimulatory effects of cocaine and its activating effects on brain metabolism. Regional temperature measurements may offer an index of local metabolic activity that parallels some of the indices drawn from brain imaging studies. This approach appears to be an important tool for the study of central mechanisms of action of various drugs of abuse and drug-taking behavior. It provides novel information to examine the role of environmental factors in adverse health effects of addictive drug use.
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