Remarkable Reduction of Cocaine Use in Dual Disorder (Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder/Cocaine Use Disorder) Patients Treated with Medications for ADHD

Corrado Manni, Giada Cipollone, Alessandro Pallucchini, Angelo G. I. Maremmani, Giulio Perugi and Icro Maremmani
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Corrado Manni: School of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, 56100 Pisa, Italy
Giada Cipollone: School of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, 56100 Pisa, Italy
Alessandro Pallucchini: School of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, 56100 Pisa, Italy
Angelo G. I. Maremmani: Department of Psychiatry, North-Western Tuscany Region NHS Local Health Unit, Versilia Zone, 55049 Viareggio, Italy
Giulio Perugi: Second Psychiatric Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56100 Pisa, Italy
Icro Maremmani: Association for the Application of Neuroscientific Knowledge to Social Aims (AU-CNS), 55045 Pietrasanta, Lucca, Italy

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-12

Abstract: Background : Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a growing public health concern, but so far no effective pharmacotherapies have been demonstrated. Stimulant medications have proved to be promising in CUD treatment. The self-medication hypothesis (SMH) can help to explain this phenomenon better, especially in cases where CUD co-occurs with adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (A-ADHD). Methods : In the present retrospective study, a sample of 20 consecutive patients (aged from 18 to 65 years) with dual disorder (A-ADHD/CUD), under treatment with methylphenidate (MPH) or atomoxetine (ATM) medications, was followed to study the effects of A-ADHD treatment on cocaine use. Patients were followed for a mean period of 7 months (minimum 1, maximum 30 months). All individuals were assessed with standardized questionnaires to evaluate diagnosis, treatment efficacy, and clinical improvement. Results : the results showed that behaviors reflecting cocaine addiction were sharply reduced during the stimulant treatment of A-ADHD, and were not correlated with age, gender, familiarity, length of treatment, or medication used. CUD improvement was closely correlated with the A-ADHD improvement. This study supports the validity of the SMH in ADHD patients with co-occurring CUD.

Keywords: cocaine use disorder; stimulant medication; atomoxetine; methylphenidate; recovery from cocaine dependence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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