Should “methylphenidate” be banned for people recovering from cocaine addiction?
- More and more French people are using cocaine, very often falling into addiction.
- Weaning yourself off this hard drug is extremely difficult.
- According to a new study, methylphenidate could cause former cocaine users to relapse into addiction.
Methylphenidate could cause former regular cocaine users to relapse into addiction, according to a new investigation.
Cocaine addiction: what is methylphenidate?
Methylphenidate (also known as Ritalin) is a medication prescribed primarily for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It works by increasing the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain (dopamine and norepinephrine), which helps improve concentration, attention and behavioral control.
While its medical benefits are well documented, methylphenidate is also known for its misuse. Students, for example, often take it as a cognitive enhancer to improve concentration and stay awake for long periods during their exams.
Cocaine addiction: methylphenidate tested on rats
To study the effects of methylphenidate on cocaine addiction, researchers conducted experiments on male Sprague Dawley rats. These animals were chosen because their biological and behavioral responses make it possible to effectively model addiction patterns in humans.
The rats were first trained to consume cocaine regularly. They then underwent a withdrawal phase, followed by a “extinction phase”. During “the extinction phase”, cocaine was no longer available and its search gradually declined in animals.
After “the extinction phase”, the rats were subjected to further tests. They were given a high dose of methylphenidate or a combination of methylphenidate and fluoxetine to see if these drugs would trigger cocaine seeking again.
Cocaine addiction: a single dose of methylphenidate is enough to get back on track
Results: Rats given a large dose of methylphenidate showed a marked increase in their seeking of cocaine, suggesting that the drug can restore addictive behaviors even after a period of abstinence.
However, the addition of fluoxetine did not significantly modify the effects of methylphenidate on relapse. “We were surprised to find that adding an SSRI (fluoxetine) to methylphenidate did not exacerbate the effects of the latter,” said the study author.
Cocaine consumption increases in France
In France, cocaine use has exploded throughout the country in recent years. “In two decades, the number of cocaine users has continued to increase: 1.6% of 18-64 year olds are affected in 2017 compared to 0.3% in 2000. This is especially among adults from the 1970 generations in 1990 that drugs took hold”, noted the OFDT in its latest report on the issue.
