Development Of New Pharmacologic And Biologic Treatments For Drug Dependence

该项目探索药效学方法，以开发治疗药物依赖和减少艾滋病毒传播危险行为的新方法，目前的重点是可卡因、大麻和尼古丁依赖。许多受试者感染和传播艾滋病毒的风险很高。正在研究的药效学方法包括与马里兰精神病学研究中心合作，使用经颅磁刺激(TMS)调节脑神经回路和神经递质活动。TMS包括通过头骨向大脑投射脉冲磁场，在那里它们改变神经元的放电和改变神经递质的水平。TMS是一种耐受性很好的、非侵入性的方式，调节大脑回路中的活动，调节药物渴望和奖励，从而提供一种潜在的药物成瘾治疗方法。目前正在进行试点研究，以评估单次脉冲或低频重复TMS对大麻、可卡因和尼古丁使用者的安全性和有效性。一项初步研究表明，功能磁共振成像(FMRI)可以成功地将TMS脉冲定向到所需的大脑区域。

This project explores pharmacodynamic approaches to developing new treatments for drug dependence and reduction of HIV transmission risk behaviors, with a current focus on cocaine, marijuana, and nicotine dependence. Many subjects are at high risk for contracting and spreading HIV infection. Pharmacodynamic approaches being studied include modulation of brain neural circuits and neurotransmitter activity using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), in collaboration with the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. TMS involves projecting pulsed magnetic fields through the skull into the brain, where they alter neuronal firing and change levels of neurotransmitters. TMS is a well tolerated, non-invasive way of modulating activity in brain circuits that mediate drug craving and reward, thus offering a potential treatment for drug addiction. Pilot studies are being conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of either single-pulse or low-frequency repetitive TMS in users of cannabis, cocaine, and nicotine. A pilot study showed that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) could be successfully used to target TMS pulses to a desired brain region.