Applications of hair analysis


  • Establishing a history of chronic drug use
  • Revealing drug abstinence
  • Demonstrating tolerance or lack of it
  • Compliance with medication
  • Deaths due to long-term cocaine use and its role in depression and suicide, sudden unexplained death and excited delirium
  • Drug investigations to show whether or not an individual was a drug user

Hair is a unique specimen. It is the only sample which can provide a reliable drug history for the weeks and months prior to sample collection. The innovative method used at the Toxicology Unit was developed by Dr Rosa Cordero, a leading expert in the field of hair analysis and interpretation of the results. Analysis of hair is now a well-established technique. It is being used increasingly in crime investigation and Coroner's toxicology.


Method

  • Uses Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (the gold-standard identification technique in the forensic profession)
  • Identifies and quantitates specific drugs of abuse
  • The quantitative results of 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) and morphine can be used to estimate heroin use as low or occasional use, regular or habitual use and heavy or excessive drug use
  • Simultaneously detects other drugs including antipsychotics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants and analgesics
  • The reported results are of a standard suitable for use in court

The method has been fully validated and published in a peer-reviewed journal:

Cordero R, Paterson S. Simultaneous quantification of opiates, amphetamines, cocaine and metabolites and diazepam and metabolite in a single hair sample using GC-MS. Journal of Chromatography B, 2007; 850: 423-431.


Provides evidence for long-term drug use in cases including

  • Establishing a history of chronic drug use
  • Revealing drug abstinence
  • Demonstrating tolerance or lack of it
  • Compliance with medication
  • Deaths due to long-term cocaine use and its role in depression and suicide, sudden unexplained death and excited delirium
  • Drug investigations: to show whether or not an individual was a drug user

Extra information

List of drugs detected

Targeted drugs

Amphetamines

  • Amphetamine
  • Methamphetamine
  • MDMA (known as ecstasy)
  • MDMA metabolite: MDA

(There is no indicative metabolite for amphetamine, but methamphetamine is metabolised to amphetamine).

Cocaine group (cocainics)

  • Cocaine
  • Cocaine metabolites:Benzoylecgonine (BE),EME (EME) and Cocaethylene

(Cocaethylene is formed when cocaine is co-ingested with ethanol).

Opioids

  • Morphine
  • Codeine
  • Dihydrocodeine (DHC)
  • Methadone (a synthetic opioid).
  • Methadone metabolites: EDDP , DDP and EMDP .

Heroin determination

  • Diamorphine (known as heroin)
  • Heroin metabolites: 6-MAM * and morphine
  • Papaverine **

*6-MAM is the definitive marker for heroin use, but cannot distinguish between licit (clinical grade) and illicit heroin.

**Papaverine is a marker for street heroin.

Benzodiazepines

  • Diazepam
  • Diazepam metabolites: Nordiazepam , Oxazepam and Temazepam

Other drugs detected (parent drug and some metabolites detected)

Antidepressants

  • Amitriptyline
  • Citalopram
  • Dothiepin
  • Fluoxetine
  • Mirtazapine
  • Paroxetine
  • Sertraline
  • Venlafaxine

Antipsychotics

  • Clozapine
  • Levomepromazine
  • Olanzapine
  • Quetiapine
  • Thioridazine

Anticonvulsants

  • Carbamazepine
  • Lamotrigine
  • Phenytoin

Analgesics

  • Paracetamol
  • Propoxyphene
  • Tramadol

Others

  • Cannabinol - cannabis component
  • Cyclizine - antihistamine
  • Diltiazem - antianginal
  • Diphenhydramine - antihistamine
  • Ketamine - anaesthetic
  • Lignocaine - local anaesthetic
  • Nevirapine - antiviral
  • Orphenadrine - antimuscarinic