Aripiprazole in schizophrenia with cocaine dependence - A pilot study

The debilitation of schizophrenia (SCHZ) worsens markedly with comorbid cocaine dependence (CD) and alcohol abuse. To date, no medications have conclusively demonstrated effects against both SCHZ and CD (SCHZ + CD) simultaneously. Because of its dopamine-modulating properties, we hypothesized that aripiprazole would alleviate cocaine craving in patients with SCHZ + CD. We conducted a prospective, 8-week, open-label trial in poorly compliant SCHZ + CD subjects. Each received aripiprazole as their sole neuroleptic agent at a maximum dose of 15 mg/d. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Brief Substance Craving Scale (BSCS) measured psychosis and subjective cocaine and alcohol cravings. Urine tests for cocaine provided data on actual use. Of 10 male subjects entered, 6 (60%) completed the 8-week trial. In those cases, positive urine tests dropped significantly (P < 0.001) after 2 weeks, when aripiprazole had reached steady state. Mean cocaine craving scores declined significantly (P = 0.026) as did mean alcohol craving scores (P = 0.006). Declining psychosis scores were associated with declining cocaine craving (r = 0.87, P < 0.01) and alcohol craving (r = 0.88, P < 0.01), respectively. This experience suggests possible aripiprazole effects in lowering both desire for and the use of cocaine in comorbid SCHZ subjects. These data suggest double-blind, randomized, comparison study in this severely ill, comorbid patient group.