Is there Epidemiological Evidence to Support the Idea that a Cocaine Dependence Syndrome Emerges Soon after Onset of Cocaine Use?

Abstract

The present study uses latent class methods and multiple regression to shed light on hypothesized cocaine dependence syndromes experienced by community residents, who initiated cocaine use within 24 months of survey assessment, and explores possible variation in risk. Identified within public use data files from the United States National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), and with assessments completed between 1995 and 1998, the study sample consists of 927 recent-onset cocaine users, defined as having initiated cocaine use no more than 24 months prior to assessment (approximate median elapsed time since onset of use B12-13 months). The NHSDA included items to assess seven clinical features often associated with cocaine dependence, which were used in latent class modeling. Empirically derived latent classes, in conjunction with prior theory, tend to support a three-class solution, according to which 4% of recent-onset users are members of a class that resembles the DSM-IV cocaine dependence syndrome (mean: 5.4 clinical features (CF)); 16% might be in a cocaine dependence prodrome (mean: 2.4 CF); 80% of recent-onset cocaine users had few or no clinical features (meano1 CF). Results from latent class regressions indicate that susceptibility to rapid transition from first cocaine use to onset of the LCA-assigned cocaine dependence syndrome might depend upon whether the user starts smoking crack-cocaine and, independently, age at first cocaine use.

Transitioning from First Drug Use to Dependence Onset: Illustration of a Multiparametric Approach for Comparative Epidemiology

“…For cocaine, our estimate for the probability of cocaine dependence being seen among newly incident users with low DU frequency is 5%, not too distant from the 5%-6% estimate observed elsewhere in the first 1-2 years after first cocaine use, but substantially lower than the estimated 16%-20% value observed when cocaine users are studied many years after first cocaine use, irrespective of DU frequency (Reboussin and Anthony, 2006;Wagner and Anthony, 2002). Studying more recent epidemiological samples of cocaine users, Lopez-Quintero et al, (2011) produced a 13 corresponding estimate of 20%-21% for ever-users of cocaine, but that study"s approach failed to include lower frequency cocaine users.…”

Differential effects of self-administered cocaine in adolescent and adult rats on stimulus–reward learning

“…Epidemiological studies indicate that adolescents are more likely to progress faster from recreational cocaine use to dependence than adults (Chen et al 1997;Reboussin and Anthony 2006), suggesting that the consequences of cocaine consumption may be different for individuals at distinct developmental stages. Presented here is preclinical evidence showing that although adult and adolescent male rats self-administered similar amounts of cocaine, the consequences of cocaine consumption on stimulus-reward learning were strikingly different.…”

Towards an Animal Model of Food Addiction

“…Highly addictive drugs like cocaine are used on a regular basis in certain environments, but not all involved individuals become addicted [27,28]. The same is, of course, true for palatable food.…”

“…Second, there is substantial variability in the susceptibility to addictive behavior in animals and humans. Thus, even after extended access to a reward, only a subgroup of the exposed individuals (humans or animals) will lose control over intake [28,77,78,84,85]. Several studies have tried to identify neural or behavioral traits that predict whether or not an individual is likely to lose control over intake and become addicted.…”