BACKGROUND: Low serotonin transmission is thought to increase susceptibility to a wide range of substance use disorders and impulsive traits. AIMS: To investigate the effects of lowered serotonin on cocaine-induced (1.0 mg/kg cocaine, self-administered intranasally) dopamine responses and drug craving. METHOD: In non-dependent cocaine users, serotonin transmission was reduced using the acute tryptophan depletion method. Striatal dopamine responses were measured using positron emission tomography with [(11)C]raclopride. RESULTS: Acute tryptophan depletion increased drug craving and striatal dopamine responses to cocaine. These acute tryptophan depletion-induced increases did not occur in the absence of cocaine. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that low serotonin transmission can increase dopaminergic and appetitive responses to cocaine. These findings might identify a mechanism by which individuals with low serotonin are at elevated risk for both substance use disorders and comorbid conditions.
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Cox et al. (2011) studied this question.
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