Differential effects of ibogaine on local cerebral glucose utilization in drug-naive and morphine-dependent rats.
Brain research April 2, 2004 Beth Levant, Thomas L Pazdernik 17 citations
Ibogaine, a hallucinogenic alkaloid proposed for treating opioid addiction, alters brain energy use differently in drug-naive versus morphine-dependent rats. In drug-naive rats, ibogaine increased glucose utilization in the parietal, cingulate, and occipital cortices and cerebellum, consistent with its hallucinogenic and tremor-inducing effects. In morphine-dependent rats, ibogaine caused a global decrease in brain glucose utilization, most notably in regions including the preoptic areas, nucleus accumbens shell, locus coeruleus, and flocculus. These distinct patterns suggest that ibogaine's hallucinogenic and anti-addictive effects may involve different brain mechanisms.