Cognitive and neuroanatomical impairments associated with chronic exposure to levamisole-contaminated cocaine.

ABSTRACT: Currently, levamisole is the most common cocaine adulterant worldwide and it is known to induce a variety of adverse side effects. Animal studies and human case reports suggest potential neurotoxicity of the compound but neither neuroanatomical nor cognitive effects of levamisole have been systematically investigated in cocaine users so far. We examined cognitive performance and cortical structural differences between chronic cocaine users with low and high recent exposure to levamisole objectively determined by quantitative toxicological hair analyses. In Study 1, we compared 26 chronic cocaine users with low levamisole exposure (lowLevCU), 49 matched cocaine users with high levamisole exposure (highLevCU), and 78 matched stimulant-naive controls regarding cognitive functioning employing

SUBMITTER: Vonmoos M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6204136 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature