Effects of acute detoxification of the herbal blend ‘Spice Gold’ on dopamine D2/3 receptor availability: A [18F]fallypride PET study

• Published in: European neuropsychopharmacology Vol. 23; no. 11; pp. 1606 - 1610
• Main Authors: Rominger, Axel, Cumming, Paul, Xiong, Guoming, Koller, Gabriele, Förster, Stefan, Zwergal, Andreas, Karamatskos, Evangelos, Bartenstein, Peter, La Fougère, Christian, Pogarell, Oliver
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Addiction; Benzamides; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - metabolism; Cannabinoid; Case-Control Studies; Dopamine D2/3 receptor; Fluorine Radioisotopes; Functional Neuroimaging; Humans; Inactivation, Metabolic; Internal Medicine; Male; PET; Plant Preparations - administration & dosage; Plant Preparations - adverse effects; Psychiatry; Radionuclide Imaging; Receptors, Dopamine D2 - metabolism; Receptors, Dopamine D3 - metabolism; Spice; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - diagnostic imaging; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - metabolism; Young Adult; Spice; Dopamine D2/3 receptor; Addiction; Cannabinoid; PET; Dopamine D 2/3 receptor; Dopamine D(2/3) receptor

We carried out dynamic [18F]fallypride PET scans to measure cerebral dopamine D2/3 receptor availability in a 23-year old patient experiencing a severe withdrawal syndrome upon voluntary abstinence from “Spice”, a pre-packaged herbal smoking thought to contain synthetic cannabinoids. Upon admission...