Beta-blockade Effects on Memory for Cocaine Craving

This study will employ cocaine-dependent individuals to investigate the acute effects of
propranolol vs. placebo, administered immediately after a retrieval session of cocaine cue
exposure, on the subjective and physiological responses occurring during a subsequent test
session of cocaine cue exposure. Participants (N=52) will be randomly assigned to receive 40
mg propranolol or placebo immediately after the first of two cocaine cue exposure sessions
scheduled to occur on consecutive days of an inpatient stay at MUSC's General Clinical
Research Center (GCRC). The first session will serve as a retrieval session where cocaine
cue exposure will putatively elicit retrieval and reconsolidation of memories about the
association between the cues and cocaine administration; the second session of cocaine cue
exposure will be a test session to examine the potential modulatory role of propranolol on
the reconsolidated memories putatively elicited during the previous cue exposure session. It
is assumed that changes in craving and physiological reactivity during the test session will
reflect propranolol's effects on memory reconsolidation processes elicited by cue exposure
during the retrieval session. Medications will be administered in a double-blind fashion.
Craving and physiological arousal (heart rate, skin conductance, blood pressure) will be
obtained at baseline and at regular intervals during and after both cue exposure sessions.
Approximately 7 days following discharge from the inpatient stay at the GCRC, participants
will return to the GCRC to undergo a 1-week follow-up cue exposure session that will be
identical to the previous two sessions (no medications will be administered). The goal of
the follow-up will be to examine if any craving and/or physiological reactivity differences
identified during the test session were sustained and to assess if the groups differed in
their cocaine use during the intervening 7-day period.