Possible Interaction: Baclofen and Cocaine

“Confirming the GEE model, longitudinal analyses showed that participants assigned to receive baclofen demonstrated significant and stepwise increases in the probability of providing benzoylecgonine-free urine samples throughout the trial as the number of benzoylecgonine-positive samples increased during baseline (chi(2) = 10.63, df = 1, p =.001).”

“This brief review summarizes self-administration studies in rats which show that baclofen and other GABA(B) agonists may have specific effects on the reinforcing effects of cocaine.”

“An extensive series of studies in rats has demonstrated that baclofen and other GABA(B) agonists reduce cocaine self-administration in an apparently specific manner.”

“Direct intracerebral injections of baclofen into the ventral tegmental area also produce a specific reduction in cocaine self-administration, suggesting that an inhibition of dopaminergic neurons may be responsible for the effect.”

“In the methadone group, baclofen decreased craving for cocaine.”

“The results from this laboratory study appear consistent with clinical evidence showing that baclofen decreases cocaine use in nonopioid-dependent patients seeking treatment for cocaine dependence.”

“The results show that in the nonmethadone group, baclofen (60 mg) decreased self-administration of a low cocaine dose (12 mg).”

“An intra-ventral tegmental area (VTA) injection of a cocktail of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)B and GABAA receptor agonists baclofen and muscimol, respectively) immediately before the posttest inhibited the expression of cocaine CPP.”

“ Baclofen dose-dependently and selectively decreased reinstatement of cocaine self-administration.”

“Despite the tolerance to the locomotor and functional effects of baclofen following repeated treatment, these persistent … functional activity in the caudate putamen and septum may provide insights into the way in which baclofen alters the reinforcing effects … substances such as cocaine , alcohol, and methamphetamine both … humans and animal models.”

“Both GS39783 (30 and 100 mg/kg) and baclofen (2.5 mg/kg) significantly decreased responding for the cocaine cue ; however, only GS39783 (30 mg/kg) reduced lever pressing responding without interfering with locomotor activity.”

“Either baclofen (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) or SKF 97541 (0.1 mg/kg) decreased sensitization to cocaine.”

“Both picrotoxin and baclofen reduced responding maintained by cocaine , whereas muscimol had no effect on responding.”