Psychobiological responses to drug cues before and after methadone intake in heroin-dependent patients: a pilot study.
Craving and stress frequently drive compulsive heroin use. Although methadone attenuates craving, drug-conditioned stimuli can trigger craving and possibly stress arousal in heroin-dependent patients receiving methadone maintenance. This study investigated drug cue-related craving, affectivity, and cortisol reactivity in 16 methadone-maintained patients before and after daily methadone. Unexpectedly, drug cues significantly increased craving after (t[15]=-4.27, p=0.001), but not before methadone intake. Patients displayed blunted cortisol response after post-methadone drug cues (t[15]=3.05, p=0.008) suggesting dissociated craving and cortisol reactivity after methadone intake of possible clinical relevance.
Walter
Marc
M
Psychiatric University Clinics, Division of Substance Use Disorders, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. marc.walter@upkbs.ch
Wiesbeck
Gerhard A
GA
Bloch
Nicole
N
Aeschbach
Sacha
S
Olbrich
Hans M
HM
Seifritz
Erich
E
Dürsteler-MacFarland
Kenneth M
KM
D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012463:Saliva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D009294:Narcotics; D008691:Methadone; D006854:Hydrocortisone