Cognizin citicoline shows promise in patients with bipolar disorder and cocaine dependence

Jul 7 2015

The results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial showed that Cognizin^® citicoline (Jarrow^® Formulas) was effective at reducing cocaine use, based on urine drug screens, in patients with bipolar disorder and cocaine dependence. The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in Advance, included a total of 130 outpatients with bipolar I disorder and cocaine dependence, who received either Cognizin^® citicoline or placebo add-on therapy for 12 weeks. Not only was citicoline well-tolerated for the duration of the study, but cocaine use was significantly reduced in the citicoline group. The positive treatment effects suggest that Cognizin^® citicoline could be used as part of an augmentation strategy for the treatment of cocaine dependence in bipolar patients.

Substance abuse has a well-documented, negative impact on bipolar disorder, but little research has been conducted on the treatment of patients with both bipolar disorder and substance dependence. Several studies report increased hospitalizations and other complications in patients with bipolar disorder who also have substance abuse disorders. The positive results of this study were similar to a previous pilot study of citicoline in patients with bipolar disorder and cocaine dependence, although notably, the studies used different designs.

"The study results show that Cognizin^® citicoline supplementation can offer additional support for patients undergoing treatment, particularly in the critical, early stages when Cognizin^® supplementation proved most effective," said E. Sherwood Brown, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and lead researcher of the study. "In addition, citicoline has a favorable safety profile and no known drug-drug interactions, which make it even more useful as a treatment option for dual-diagnosis patients."

"Citicoline has several mechanisms of action, and based on results of previous studies, it's possible that citicoline can impact dopamine levels in the brain," said Danielle Citrolo, registered pharmacist and manager of technical services for Kyowa Hakko USA. "Previous research has shown that Cognizin^® citicoline supplementation works in the brain to support focus and attention, increase the synthesis of brain cell membranes, and restore brain energy by 13 percent in associated study groups, meaning it has far-reaching potential for those who are looking to make a positive impact on their own brain health."

In this study, both the placebo and citicoline groups submitted to three weekly urine drug screens. Mood was assessed by the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Young Mania Rating Scale.

This study's authors noted that Cognizin^® citicoline is the only treatment with positive findings in reducing cocaine use as assessed by urine drug screens in patients with bipolar disorder and cocaine dependence. Consistent with previous studies, the citicoline group in this study saw no significant group differences in manic or depressive symptoms following supplementation. At the same time, Cognizin^® citicoline decreased cocaine use without impacting mood, meaning the efficacy of citicoline for reducing cocaine use not only holds promise as a treatment in this population, but could potentially hold true for other patients.