ISAP Research Projects
Name of Project: Human Behavioral Pharmacology
of GHB
Principal Investigator: John Roll, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigator: Thomas Newton, M.D.
Project Director: Joy Chudzynski, M.A.
Funding Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
(NIDA)
Funding Period: September 2001-August 2004
Scope of Project: This project is a series of
rigorous, laboratory-based, placebo-controlled, experimental evaluations
of the subjective, reinforcing, pharmacokinetic, and physiological
properties of several doses of GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate). We
will assess the effects of GHB on several aspects of cognition
and motor function as well as the degree to which volunteers will
self-administer GHB. These assessments will be made in a group
of regular GHB users who are not seeking treatment. Participants
will be housed in the General Clinical Research Center for three
weeks. During this time, participants will receive different doses
of orally delivered GHB or placebo. Blood samples will be drawn
after drug administration in order to facilitate pharmacokinetic
analysis of GHB absorption and elimination kinetics. Participants
will complete a series of subjective effects questionnaires and
cognitive tasks to assess the effect of the drug on their mood
and cognition. Also, participants will take part in a Multiple
Procedure Task, which is designed to assess the reinforcing potential
of a drug. During the final phase of the study, participants will
sample Drug A and Drug B (placebo or a dose of GHB) for four sessions.
In the subsequent sessions, they will choose which drug they wish
to have. This choice procedure is to assess the extent to which
participants will self-administer GHB due to its reinforcing qualities.
For more information, contact John
Roll.
Last updated - 08/14/2003
Last reviewed - 08/13/2003