Galantamine improves sustained attention in chronic cocaine users.
Author(s): Sofuoglu M, Waters AJ, Poling J, Carroll KM.
Affiliation(s): Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, VA Connecticut
Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, Bldg. 36/116A4, West Haven, CT 06516,
USA. mehmet.sofuoglu@yale.edu
Publication date & source: 2011, Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. , 19(1):11-9
Chronic cocaine users are known to have cognitive deficits that are predictive of
poor treatment response. Whether these deficits improve with medications
targeting specific cognitive functions has not been examined in previous studies.
The goal of this study was to evaluate galantamine's efficacy on selected
cognitive outcomes, including measures of sustained attention, response
inhibition, and attentional bias in recently abstinent cocaine users.
Galantamine, a reversible and competitive inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, is
used clinically in the treatment of Alzheimer's dementia. In a randomized,
double-blind, parallel-group study, 34 participants were randomized to
galantamine (8 mg/day) or placebo treatment for 10 days. Cognitive and
self-report mood measures were obtained at baseline and on Days 5 and 10 after
the initiation of treatment. Galantamine treatment, compared to placebo, improved
the reaction time, F(2, 50) = 8.6, p < .01, detection sensitivity (A'), F(2, 50)
= 4.9, p < .03, number of hits, F(2, 50) = 4.2, p < .04, and number of correct
rejections, F(2, 50) = 5.6, p < .02, on the Rapid Visual Information Processing
task. With the exception of speeding the reaction time on the Stroop, galantamine
did not affect performance on other tasks, (p > .05). These results demonstrate
that medications can enhance cognitive function (e.g., sustained attention) in
abstinent cocaine users. The potential efficacy of galantamine as a treatment for
cocaine abuse needs to be further evaluated in clinical trials.
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