Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0012833 (dizziness)
 9,689 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

There is considerable interest in blocking the dopamine D3 receptor (DRD3) versus the D2 receptor (DRD2) to treat drug addiction. However, there are currently no selective DRD3 antagonists available in the clinic. The anxiolytic drug buspirone has been proposed as a potential strategy as findings suggest that this drug has high in vitro affinity for DRD3, binds to DRD3 in brain of living non-human primate, and also disrupts psychostimulant self-administration in preclinical models. No study has explored the occupancy of DRD3 by buspirone in humans. Here, we used positron emission tomography (PET) and the D3-preferring probe, [(11)C]-(+)-PHNO, to test the hypothesis that buspirone will occupy (decreases [(11)C]-(+)-PHNO binding) the DRD3 more readily than the DRD2. Eight healthy participants underwent [(11)C]-(+)-PHNO scans after single oral dose administration of placebo and 30, 60, and 120 mg of buspirone in a single-blind within-subjects design. [(11)C]-(+)-PHNO binding in DRD2- and DRD3-rich areas was decreased by the highest (60-120 mg), but not the lowest (30 mg), doses of buspirone. The maximal occupancy obtained was ~25% in both areas. Plasma levels of prolactin (a DRD2 marker) correlated with percentage occupancy after orally administered buspirone. Self-reported dizziness and drowsiness increased after buspirone but that did not correlate with receptor occupancy in any region. Overall, the modest occupancy of DRD2 and DRD3 even at high acute doses of buspirone, yielding high levels of metabolites, suggests that buspirone may not be a good drug to preferentially block DRD3 in humans.
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PMID:Occupancy of Dopamine D3 and D2 Receptors by Buspirone: A [11C]-(+)-PHNO PET Study in Humans. 2608 82

During the last decade a number of studies have been conducted in order to examine if virtual reality exposure therapy can be an alternative form of therapy for the treatment of mental disorders and particularly for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Imaginal exposure therapy, which is one of the components of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, cannot be easily applied to all patients and in cases like those virtual reality can be used as an alternative or a supportive psychotherapeutic technique. Most studies using virtual reality have focused on anxiety disorders, mainly in specific phobias, but some extend to other disorders such as eating disorders, drug dependence, pain control and palliative care and rehabilitation. Main characteristics of virtual reality therapy are: "interaction", "immersion", and "presence". High levels of "immersion" and "presence" are associated with increased response to exposure therapy in virtual environments, as well as better therapeutic outcomes and sustained therapeutic gains. Typical devices that are used in order patient's immersion to be achieved are the Head-Mounted Displays (HMD), which are only for individual use, and the computer automatic virtual environment (CAVE), which is a multiuser. Virtual reality therapy's disadvantages lie in the difficulties that arise due to the demanded specialized technology skills, devices' cost and side effects. Therapists' training is necessary in order for them to be able to manipulate the software and the hardware and to adjust it to each case's needs. Devices' cost is high but as technology continuously improves it constantly decreases. Immersion during virtual reality therapy can induce mild and temporary side effects such as nausea, dizziness or headache. Until today, however, experience shows that virtual reality offers several advantages. Patient's avoidance to be exposed in phobic stimuli is reduced via the use of virtual reality since the patient is exposed to them as many times as he wishes and under the supervision of the therapist. The technique takes place in the therapist's office which ensures confidentiality and privacy. The therapist is able to control unpredicted events that can occur during patient's exposure in real environments. Mainly the therapist can control the intensity of exposure and adapt it to the patient's needs. Virtual reality can be proven particularly useful in some specific psychological states. For instance, patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who prone to avoid the reminders of the traumatic events. Exposure in virtual reality can solve this problem providing to the patient a large number of stimuli that activate the senses causing the necessary physiological and psychological anxiety reactions, regardless of his willingness or ability to recall in his imagination the traumatic event.
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PMID:[Virtual reality therapy in anxiety disorders]. 2811 91

Opioid misuse, including the use of heroin and the overprescribing, misuse, and diversion of opioid pain medications, has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. As a result, there has been a dramatic increase in opioid use disorder and associated overdoses and deaths. Addiction is a chronic brain disease with a genetic component that affects motivation, inhibition, and cognition. Patient characteristics associated with successful buprenorphine maintenance treatment include stable or controlled medical or psychiatric comorbidities and a safe, substance-free environment. As a partial opioid agonist, buprenorphine has a ceiling effect that limits respiratory depression and adds to its safety in accidental or intentional overdose. Buprenorphine and combinations of buprenorphine and naloxone are generally well tolerated; adverse effects include anxiety, constipation, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, nausea, and sedation. Family physicians who meet specific requirements can obtain a Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 waiver by notifying the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of their intent to begin dispensing and/or prescribing buprenorphine. Medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine is as effective as methadone in terms of treatment retention and decreased opioid use when prescribed at fixed dosages of at least 7 mg per day; dosages of 16 mg per day are clearly superior to placebo. Sporadic opioid use is not uncommon in the first few months of medication-assisted treatment and should be addressed by increased visit frequency and more intensive engagement with behavioral therapies. Follow-up visits should include documentation of any relapses, reemergence of cravings or withdrawal, random urine drug testing, pill or wrapper counts, and checks of state prescription drug database records.
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PMID:Buprenorphine Therapy for Opioid Use Disorder. 2967 4