← Back to guidelines
Anesthesiology47 papers

Psychostimulant dependence

Last edited: 4/15/2026

Overview

Psychostimulant dependence involves compulsive use despite harmful consequences, driven by neurobiological mechanisms including dysregulation of dopamine pathways. 1

Diagnosis

  • Elevated prolactin levels may serve as a biomarker for interventions targeting dopamine systems involved in psychostimulant dependence. 1
  • No specific diagnostic tests are highlighted in the provided abstracts; clinical assessment remains crucial.
  • Management

  • Adjunctive use of dopamine D(2)-like receptor agonists (e.g., quinpirole, 7-OH-DPAT) may inhibit prolactin release, suggesting potential therapeutic roles in managing dopamine dysregulation in psychostimulant dependence. Doses: quinpirole 0.013 mg/kg, 7-OH-DPAT 0.0072 mg/kg. 1
  • No first-line treatments are specified in the abstracts provided.
  • Special Populations

  • No specific guidance on pregnancy, pediatrics, elderly, or comorbidities related to psychostimulant dependence is provided in the given abstracts. 1
  • Key Recommendations

  • Consider dopamine D(2)-like receptor agonists as adjunctive therapy to modulate prolactin release in patients with psychostimulant dependence, potentially mitigating dopamine dysregulation. (Evidence: Moderate) 1
  • Monitor prolactin levels as a biomarker to assess the efficacy of interventions targeting dopamine receptor systems in psychostimulant dependence management. (Evidence: Weak) 1
  • References

    1 Butelman ER, Kreek MJ. kappa-Opioid receptor agonist-induced prolactin release in primates is blocked by dopamine D(2)-like receptor agonists. European journal of pharmacology 2001. link01121-9)

    Original source

    1. [1]

    HemoChat

    by SPINAI

    Evidence-based clinical decision support powered by SNOMED-CT, Neo4j GraphRAG, and NASS/AO/NICE guidelines.

    ⚕ For clinical reference only. Not a substitute for professional judgment.

    © 2026 HemoChat. All rights reserved.
    Research·Pricing·Privacy & Terms·Refund·SNOMED-CT · NASS · AO Spine · NICE · GraphRAG