http://www.nitrc.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=2992 <table border="0" width="100%"><tr><td align="left"/></tr></table> <p><b>Acute baclofen diminishes resting baseline blood flow to limbic structures: A perfusion fMRI study.</b></p> <p>Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012 Apr 16;</p> <p>Authors: Franklin TR, Shin J, Jagannathan K, Suh JJ, Detre JA, O'Brien CP, Childress AR</p> <p>Abstract<br/> BACKGROUND: Preclinical and clinical evidence show that the GABA B agonist, baclofen is a promising treatment for addictive disorders; however, until recently its mechanism of action in the human brain was unknown. In previous work we utilized a laboratory model that included a medication versus placebo regimen to examine baclofen's actions on brain circuitry. Perfusion fMRI [measure of cerebral blood flow (CBF)] data acquired 'at rest' before and on the last day of the 21-day medication regimen showed that baclofen diminished CBF bilaterally in the VS, insula and medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC). In the present study, we hypothesized that a single dose of baclofen would have effects similar to repeated dosing. METHODS: To test our hypothesis, in a crossover design, CBF data were acquired using pseudo continuous arterial spin labeled (pCASL) perfusion fMRI. Subjects were either un-medicated or were administered a 20mg dose of baclofen approximately 110min prior to scanning. RESULTS: Acute baclofen diminished mOFC, amygdala, and ventral anterior insula CBF without causing sedation (family-wise error corrected at p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate that similar to repeated dosing, an acute dose of baclofen blunts the 'limbic' substrate that is hyper-responsive to drugs and drug cues. Smokers often manage their craving and can remain abstinent for extended periods after quitting, however the risk of eventual relapse approaches 90%. Given that chronic medication may not be a practical solution to the long-term risk of relapse, acute baclofen may be useful on an 'as-needed' basis to block craving during 'at risk' situations.<br/> </p><p>PMID: 22513380 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]</p> en-us Copyright 2000-2026 NITRC OSI Mon, 27 Apr 2026 5:35:32 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss NITRC RSS generator