A case of methamphetamine use disorder treated with the antibiotic drug minocycline☆
Received 2 June 2009; accepted 16 December 2009. published online 22 January 2010. Corrected Proof
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) use is one of the major public health concerns worldwide. Long-term use of METH induces not only dependence but also psychosis which is associated with METH-induced brain damage, including neuroinflammation produced by activated microglia. We report the case of a female patient whose psychotic symptoms in METH use disorder were successfully improved by anti-inflammatory drug minocycline therapy. Although the precise mechanism(s) underlying the efficacy of minocycline in METH use disorder are currently unclear, minocycline appears to be a good candidate for future investigation clinical trials for medication development in METH using populations.
aDepartment of Psychiatry, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
cDivision of Medical Treatment and Rehabilitation, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan
dDivision of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan
Corresponding author. Department of Psychiatry, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Tel.: +81 43 226 2149; fax: +81 43 226 2150.