Cocaine and Schizophrenia

[z0ma]

I don't know much at all about the brains' structure, the chemicals inside or cocaine for that matter.

But I do know it's believe that schizophrenia is caused when there is an over-production of dopamine in the braind, thus causing 'hallucinations' and a very over active imagination.

Cocaine use depletes dopamine from the brain doesn't it? In much the same way MDMA depletes serotonin (or it might be completely different, I'm not sure, never used cocaine, just understand it uses dopamine). So in theory, if you had controlled doses of cocaine at set times if you were thought to to be schizophernic, could this help? In the way that the mental illness is causing an over-production of dopamine, but the controlled doses of cocaine are 'using up' the extra dopamine.

Also on the point of dopamine, is this where the hallucinations from LSD come from? Do they speed up the production of dopamine, and therefore causing a risk of bringing out a schizophrenic problem?

Hmm...I'm full of questions today :chin:

[Susie]

ah, dual diagnosis (http://www.thesite.org/magazine/specials_mental_health/drugs/dual_diagnosis.html)

[morrocan roll]

Originally posted by z0ma

Also on the point of dopamine, is this where the hallucinations from LSD come from?
no one to this day is sure how lsd works its magic.
lots of research and lots of theories but few concrete facts.

[budda]

LSD effects the seratonin receptors, but only for the first few hours of the trip, after that, well who knows.

As for schizophrenia, I'm not sure its purely a dopamine issue, I have heard theories that place an unbalance of naturaly occuring DMT and 5-meo-dmt in the brain, also the action of DIPT is interesting because is almost simulates some of schizophrenias effects.

As for cocaines effects, yes it does deplete dopamine, but most of its negatives effects come from the pleasure reflex, which is the something cortex. Basicaly it changes the scale which should have sex at the top, with food somewhere in the middle. In this way you end up only getting pleasure from coke. Sorry I dont know more.