Psychopathology, craving, and mood during heroin acquisition: an experimental study.
Six detoxified addict volunteers were allowed to self-administer intravenous heroin on an essentially self-determined schedule. Two periods of heroin acquisition were compared: an unmodified cycle in which patients could become intoxicated and a later cycle in which the effects of heroin were blocked with a narcotic antagonist. In the unblocked condition, patients initially experienced an increase in positive mood, but with chronic administration there was a significant rise in psychopathology and the development of a generalized dysphoric state. Similar changes did not occur when the same patients took heroin while blocked with a narcotic antagonist. Drug craving rose dramatically when "unblocked" heroin was available, but gradually fell during methadone detoxification. Following treatment with a narcotic antagonist, the presence of heroin failed to elicit any sustained rise in craving and drug taking was dramatically reduced.
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced; D004328:Drive; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects*; D003932:Heroin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006791:Hostility / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012647:Self-Assessment; D014040:Token Economy
D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D003932:Heroin; D008691:Methadone