title: Former heroin addicts with or without a history of cocaine dependence are more impulsive than controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Personality traits such as impulsivity and sensation seeking may contribute to the initiation and maintenance of illicit drug use. Since studies have reported higher impulsivity and sensation seeking traits in cocaine dependent subjects, we were interested in determining whether former heroin addicts in methadone pharmacotherapy with comorbid cocaine addiction have greater impulsivity than those without.
  
  
  METHODS
  Instruments to assess impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11) and sensation seeking (Sensation Seeking Scale version V) were administered to former severe heroin addicts meeting Federal criteria for methadone maintenance pharmacotherapy with (n = 71) or without cocaine dependence (n = 31) and to 145 normal healthy (non-methadone-maintained) volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The methadone-maintained without cocaine dependence and the methadone-maintained with cocaine dependence groups, both scored higher than did the normal volunteer group on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale total score (p<0.001). On the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Attentional, Nonplanning, and Motor subscales, the methadone-maintained and methadone-maintained with cocaine dependence groups scored higher than did normal volunteers with no history of drug abuse or dependence (p<0.001). There was no difference among groups on total score or any subscale of the Sensation Seeking Scale. However, males in all groups overall scored higher than did females on Disinhibition and Thrill and Adventure seeking subscales of the Sensation Seeking Scale version V (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates higher impulsivity in former severe heroin addicts meeting criteria for or currently in stable methadone maintenance pharmacotherapy, irrespective of a positive or negative history of cocaine dependence.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bahl
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kellogg
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.forename: Mary Jeanne
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kreek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D008691:Methadone