Remarkable Reduction of Cocaine Use in Dual Disorder (Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder/Cocaine Use Disorder) Patients Treated with Medications for ADHD.

Background

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a growing public health concern, but so far no effective pharmacotherapies have been demonstrated. Stimulant medications have proved to be promising in CUD treatment. The self-medication hypothesis (SMH) can help to explain this phenomenon better, especially in cases where CUD co-occurs with adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (A-ADHD).

Methods

In the present retrospective study, a sample of 20 consecutive patients (aged from 18 to 65 years) with dual disorder (A-ADHD/CUD), under treatment with methylphenidate (MPH) or atomoxetine (ATM) medications, was followed to study the effects of A-ADHD treatment on cocaine use. Patients were followed for a mean period of 7 months (minimum 1, maximum 30 months). All individuals were assessed with standardized questionnaires to evaluate diagnosis, treatment efficacy, and clinical improvement.

Results

the results showed that behaviors reflecting cocaine addiction were sharply reduced during the stimulant treatment of A-ADHD, and were not correlated with age, gender, familiarity, length of treatment, or medication used. CUD improvement was closely correlated with the A-ADHD improvement. This study supports the validity of the SMH in ADHD patients with co-occurring CUD.