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Growing use of valproic acid in substance use disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

J. Romão ,
M. Gonçalves ,
M. Ribeiro ,
R. André ,
R. Saraiva  and
M. Abreu
J. Romão*
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Psychiatry, Lisboa, Portugal
M. Gonçalves
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Psychiatry, Lisboa, Portugal
M. Ribeiro
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, Psychiatry, Lisboa, Portugal
R. André
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Psychiatry, Lisboa, Portugal
R. Saraiva
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Psychiatry, Lisboa, Portugal
M. Abreu
Affiliation:
Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Psychiatry, Lisboa, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Valproic acid is an antiepileptic drug used in different fields of Psychiatry. It is known mostly for its use in managing patients with bipolar affective disorder. In psychiatry of addiction, there is still no approved indications for its usage, but it is widely prescribed in treating alcohol and cocaine abuse, due to the existence of studies in these addictions.

Objectives

This review aims to clarify the relation between valproic acid and dependences, particularly cocaine.

Methods

Non-systematic literature review using a PubMed search, using the following key words: “valproate”; “cocaine use”.

Results

Cocaine dependence can decrease GABA levels in humans. Valproic acid has multiple mechanisms that favour the synthesis of GABA, potentiating its release and postsynaptic GABAergic response. Because of this, valproic acid was found effective in promoting abstinence and in reducing the use of cocaine. There are studies that support the valproic acid’s use in alcohol and cocaine dependences. Valproic acid has been shown to be promising in relapse prevention. It has also showed efficacy in the management of impulsivity and irritability, what makes it useful in managing patients with borderline personality disorder – patients at higher risk for alcohol or substance use disorders.

Conclusions

Cocaine addiction involves different phenomena and may respond to distinct pharmacologic approaches. Although some studies need to be confirmed by larger clinical trials, valproic acid seems a promising agent as one of some potential treatments for cocaine dependence. Further studies are required in this field to come to more reliable conclusions.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

substance use disordercocainevalproate
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S243 - S244
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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