Methods of and Compositions For the Prevention of Anxiety, Substance Abuse, and Dependence

Abstract

Compositions for reducing dependency and addiction to substances of abuse are provided. Chloride channels such as the GABAA receptors are altered under conditions of dependency and withdrawal such that the electrophysiological properties of the GABAA receptor containing neurons are altered thereby providing a pathophysiological condition resulting in symptoms of dependency and withdrawal such as anxiety. Specifically, under conditions of withdrawal the relative ratio of the a1 receptor subunit decreases relative to the a4 receptor subunit. Endogenous neurosteroid production is also associated with the molecular changes underlying the alterations of GABA-gated chloride channels. Compositions of at least two compounds including at least one inhibitor of neurosteroid production are useful for treating the pathophysiology of addiction, dependency and substance abuse withdrawal.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present invention relies on, for priority, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 669,033, entitled “Improved Method for the Treatment of Substance Abuse”, filed on Apr. 7, 2005, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 728,979 entitled “Methods for the Treatment of Substance Abuse and Dependence”, filed on Oct. 21, 2005, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 729,013 entitled “Methods for Treating Anxiety-Related Diseases”, filed on Oct. 21, 2005.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to improved methods of, and compositions for, preventing psychological addiction to and physiological dependence upon exogenous and endogenous substances. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods of, and compositions for, administering a pharmaceutical compound in combination with an inhibitor of neurosteroid production to prevent endogenous neurosteroid production. The present invention also relates t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]In one embodiment, the present invention is directed towards compositions of a therapeutically effective dose of a pharmaceutical compound in combination with a therapeutically effective dose of an inhibitor of endogenous neurosteroid production to prevent addiction to, or dependence on, a substance of abuse.

[0018]It is therefore an object of the invention to provide compositions and methods for reducing dependence on or addiction to substances of abuse.

[0021]Another object of the invention is to provide for the use of a neurosteroid production inhibitor in the preparation of a medicament to prevent addition or dependence on a substance of abuse.

Problems solved by technology

While addiction is generally thought to apply to illegal narcotics, legal substances, such as prescription and over-the-counter medications, may also cause addiction.

While there are many useful, legal prescription and over-the-counter medications that have a positive therapeutic effect, they are limited in use in that there is a tendency of addiction in patients who use these medications.

While the common perception underlying addiction is that of a “reward circuit”, pleasure may not necessarily be a strong enough impetus to drive people towards their addictions.

Conventional methods of treatment fail, however, in that they do not address the physiochemical changes that occur with addiction and dependence.

In addition, conventional methods for treating substance abuse require waiting until a patient is addicted to a substance and experiences withdrawal symptoms.

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