title: Depot naltrexone decreases rewarding properties of sugar in patients with opioid dependence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Opioid neurotransmission mediates hedonic value of sweet tastants; their intake may be exaggerated by the consumption of exogenous opioids (e.g., opioid dependence). Sweet Taste Test (STT) is a validated quantitative instrument assessing taste perception and hedonic features of sugar (sucrose) using a randomized and double-blind administration at five different sucrose concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 0.83 M.
  
  
  METHODS
  The STT and cue-induced craving procedure were administered to opioid-dependent patients (n = 15) before and 1 week after the injection of a long-acting depot naltrexone (XRNT) preparation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses of covariance, employing sucrose concentration and its perceived taste as covariates, showed that XRNT therapy significantly reduced the self-reported hedonic and motivational characteristics of sucrose. Greater reductions in both these characteristics were associated with more diminution in the cue-induced opioid craving.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Opioid antagonism in opioid-dependent subjects leads to a smaller sweet taste reward, which, in turn, may be proportional to decreased opioid craving. These pilot results support the heuristic value of the STT as a potential marker of the XRNT treatment response and call for further inquiry into potential clinical applications of the test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA. langlebe@upenn.edu
authors.forename: Daniel D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Langleben
authors.forename: Elliot L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Charles P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Elman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003463:Cues; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012201:Reward; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055697:Taste Perception
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D013395:Sucrose; D009271:Naltrexone