Cited by 406Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorSchizophrenia research and treatmentAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Prediction of Reinforcing Responses to Psychostimulants in Humans by Brain Dopamine D2 Receptor Levels

Volkow, Nora D., Wang, Gene-Jack, Fowler, Joanna S., Logan, Jean, Gatley, Samuel J., Gifford, Andrew, Hitzemann, Robert, Ding, Yu-Shin +1 more·1999·American Journal of Psychiatry

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed whether brain dopamine D2 receptor levels, which show significant intersubject variability, predict reinforcing responses to psychostimulants in humans. METHOD: [11C]Raclopride and positron emission tomography were used to measure D2 receptor levels in 23 healthy men (mean age = 34 years, SD = 7) who had no drug abuse histories in order to assess if there were differences between the subjects who liked and those who disliked the effects of intravenous methylphenidate (0.5 mg/kg). RESULTS: Subjects who liked the effects of methylphenidate had significantly lower D2 receptor levels (mean = 2.72 Bmax/Kd, SD = 0.3) than subjects who disliked its effects (mean = 3.16, SD = 0.3). Moreover, the higher the D2 levels found, the more intense were methylphenidate's unpleasant effects. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide preliminary evidence that D2 receptor levels predict response to psychostimulants in humans and that low D2 receptors may contribute to psychostimulant abuse by favoring pleasant response.

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Crossref · 10.1176/ajp.156.9.1440

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  • Imaging studies of non-addicted individuals show low striatal D2 receptor availability is predictive of a pleasurable response to intravenous stimulant administration, while high binding is associated with an aversive experience.

    “Imaging studies of non-addicted individuals show that low striatal D2 receptor availability is predictive of a pleasurable response to intravenous stimulant administration, while high binding was associated with an aversive experience (Volkow et al., 1999; Volkow et al., 2002a).”

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Authors
Volkow, N. D., Wang, G.-J., Fowler, J. S., Logan, J., Gatley, S. J., Gifford, A., Hitzemann, R., Ding, Y.-S., & Pappas, N.
Affiliations
Brookhaven National Laboratory (US)
Venue
American Journal of Psychiatry
Published
1999-09-01
Volume
156
Issue
9
Pages
1440-1443
ISSN
  • 0002-953X (ISSN-L)
  • 1535-7228
OpenAlex
W2139591064
Cited by
406
References
20
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 28
FWCI
4.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • American Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA-06891, R01DA006891)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Keywords
dopamine D2 receptor, psychostimulants, methylphenidate, drug reinforcement, [11C]raclopride, individual differences, drug liking, drug abuse vulnerability
MeSH terms
Adult, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Carbon Radioisotopes, Corpus Striatum, Humans, Male, Methylphenidate, Reinforcement, Psychology, Reward, Salicylamides, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Receptors, Dopamine D2, Dopamine Antagonists, Substance-Related Disorders, Raclopride

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