Nicotine, donepezil, and other drugs that act on the same brain pathways may one day help treat craving symptoms in individuals who are dependent on methamphetamine, research by a team of Japanese researchers suggests.
The scientists, who were studying the molecular and neurological basis of methamphetamine craving, found that nicotine and donepezil suppress cravinglike behavior in methamphetamine-dependent rats by reactivating brain activity that had been inactivated by repeated use of the drug (Hiranita T et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006;103:8523-8527). The findings suggest that donepezil (used to treat Alzheimer disease) and nicotine replacement therapies might help control craving in patients being treated for drug addiction.