The Efficacy of Lidocaine in Disrupting Cocaine Cue-Induced Memory Reconsolidation

• Published in: Drug and alcohol dependence Vol. 212; p. 108062
• Main Authors: Becker, Josh E., Price, Julianne L., Leonard, David, Suris, Alina, Kandil, Enas, Shaw, Meredith, Kroener, Sven, Brown, E Sherwood, Adinoff, Bryon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01.07.2020; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Activation; Adult; Animals; Blocking; Cocaine; Cocaine - administration & dosage; Cocaine - adverse effects; Cocaine-Related Disorders - drug therapy; Cocaine-Related Disorders - psychology; Craving; Cues; Double-Blind Method; Drug abuse; Drug-Seeking Behavior - drug effects; Drug-Seeking Behavior - physiology; Efficacy; Female; Glutamic acid receptors (ionotropic); Health services utilization; Help seeking behavior; Humans; Induced; Induction; Intravenous administration; Lidocaine; Lidocaine - therapeutic use; Male; Memories; Memory; Memory Consolidation - drug effects; Memory Consolidation - physiology; Memory reconsolidation; Men; Middle Aged; N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors; Nitric oxide; Receptor mechanisms; Relaxation; Scripts; Sodium; Treatment Outcome; Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Blockers - therapeutic use; Cocaine; Lidocaine; Memory reconsolidation; Craving
• ISSN: 0376-8716; 1879-0046; 1879-0046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108062

•Lidocaine, a sodium channel blocker, inhibits NMDA receptor activation and suppresses nitric oxide and ERK production, which are crucial for memory reconsolidation.•Treatment-seeking cocaine-dependent participants were randomly assigned in a double-blind design to either receive intravenous lidocaine immediately following a cocaine craving script (lidocaine/craving), saline following a craving script (saline/craving), or lidocaine following a relaxation script (lidocaine/relax).•One week following the infusion, cue-induced craving was assessed in the same paradigm without an infusion.•Lidocaine administered following craving induction did not decrease subsequent cue-induced craving or cocaine use.•Blocking the reconsolidation of craving-related memories with pharmacological agents remains an important area of investigation. Cue-induced craving memories, linked to drug-seeking behaviors, require key molecular processes for memory reconsolidation. Lidocaine, a sodium channel blocker, inhibits NMDA receptor activation and suppresses nitric oxide and ERK production. These processes are required for memory re-consolidation; inhibiting them may reduce cue-related craving memories in cocaine dependent subjects. To assess the efficacy of lidocaine in decreasing cue-induced cocaine craving and cocaine use. Treatment-seeking cocaine-dependent participants (n = 33, 25 men) were recruited. Personalized craving and relaxation scripts were developed. Participants were then randomly assigned in a double-blind design to either receive intravenous lidocaine immediately following a cocaine craving script (lidocaine/craving), saline following a craving script (saline/craving), or lidocaine following a relaxation script (lidocaine/relax). One week following the infusion, cue-induced craving was assessed in the same paradigm without an infusion. Cocaine use and craving were assessed for 4 weeks following infusion. The administration of lidocaine during craving induction (lidocaine/craving) did not decrease cue-induced craving during craving reactivation one week later or craving and cocaine use over the 4-week follow-up period compared to the saline/craving group. There were no significant differences in craving and cocaine use between the lidocaine/relax and saline/craving groups. Lidocaine administered following craving induction did not decrease subsequent cue-induced craving or cocaine use. Blocking the reconsolidation of craving-related memories with pharmacological agents remains an important area of investigation.