Opioid dependence in ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (PAG) neurons was studied by using intracellular recordings from brain slices. In slices from morphine-dependent rats maintained in morphine (5 microM) in vitro, action potential frequencies of opioid-sensitive neurons did not differ from untreated control neurons but were greater than in control neurons maintained in morphine in vitro, ind...

CONTEXT The prevalence of heroin and other opioid use has markedly increased among adolescents in the last decade; however, virtually no research has been conducted to identify effective treatments for this population. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relative efficacy of 2 pharmacotherapies, the partial opioid agonist buprenorphine hydrochloride and the centrally active alpha(2)-adrenergic blocker ...

gabapentin seems to be a safe and well tolerated medication for treating heroine dependence. this study examined the efficacy of gabapentin for relieving withdrawal-related pain due to heroin use.sixty men were recruited from an inpatient psychiatric ward of fatemieh hospital in semnan and randomized to receive either placebo (n = 30) or gabapentin (1800 mg/day) (n = 30) for 7 days. subjective ...

OBJECTIVE The iboga alkaloids are a class of small molecules defined structurally on the basis of a common ibogamine skeleton, some of which modify opioid withdrawal and drug self-administration in humans and preclinical models. These compounds may represent an innovative approach to neurobiological investigation and development of addiction pharmacotherapy. In particular, the use of the protot...

The current practice in the United States is to maintain patients with opioid dependence on opioids. A case series approach was used to investigate the results of outpatient detoxification/opioid-free treatment using a neuropsychoanalytic paradigm. Detoxification involved a single dose of buprenorphine, adjunctive medications, and intensive neuropsychoanalytic psychotherapy. Depression, attenti...

Norcocaine dose-dependently attenuates abrupt morphine withdrawal in rhesus monkeys. These results suggest a possible role for this metabolite in the interaction of cocaine with the opioid system.

GABA release from interneurons in VTA, projections from the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) was selectively activated in rat brain slices. The inhibition induced by μ-opioid agonists was pathway dependent. Morphine induced a 46% inhibition of IPSCs evoked from the RMTg, 18% from NAc, and IPSCs evoked from VTA interneurons were almost insensitive (11% inhibitio...

introduction: methadone has been used as a drug to detoxify opioid tolerance. naloxane precipitated morphine withdrawal behaviours were attenuated by venlafaxine as an antidepressant. on the contrary, after detoxifying the opioids, spontaneous withdrawal syndrome may occur with pain sensitivity. therefore the present study aimed to examine the effects of chronic methadone (70 mg/kg, in drinking...