A Contribution to the Analysis of the Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Crack/Cocaine Addiction : a Case Control Study

A Case Control Study on Contribution to the Analysis of the Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Crack/Cocaine Addiction

The purpose of this study is to assess the phenotypic candidates symptoms, in patients with crack/cocaine addiction, in terms of clinical comorbidities, dimensions of personality, and neuropsychological evaluations apt to be associated with genetic and genotypic characterisations, notably on the polymorphisms of the genes coding or regulating dopaminergic, norepinephrine and serotoninergic systems.

Genetic studies show an association between drug addiction and the dopaminergic system and its modulators. Nonetheless, results are contradictory, partially due to the heterogeneity of the phenotype addiction. Placed on the trafficking route of cocaine, and homogeneously populated, Martinique is of particular interest for the study of the vulnerability of the crack/cocaine addiction. In a precedent study, supported by a grant MILDT / INSERM 2000, on 155 men dependent to crack/cocaine and characterised with three clinical dimensions -sensation seeking, impulsivity and childhood ADHD- we found an association between each dimension and polymorphisms of DRD2 and DRD4 genes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of cocaine abuse/dependence according to DSM-IV-TR criteria
• Come from French West Indies (3 grandparents are African-Caribbean)
• Sign a written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Minor
• Men with no cocaine abuse/dependence according to DSM-IV-TR criteria

For the control:

Inclusion Criteria:

• Platelets donor
• No substance abuse/dependence according to DSM-IV-TR criteria
• Come from French West Indies (3 grandparents are African-Caribbean)
• Sign a written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Minor
• Men refusing a genetic study