title: [Six-month follow-up study of drug treatment for cannabis addiction: comparison study of four drugs].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Marijuana addiction is one of the most common forms of addiction worldwide. A variety of reasons for use exist, however, there are only a few tested treatments with frequent relapses. In this study, we examined the efficacy of four pharmacotherapy agents for the treatment of marijuana addiction: naltrexone, bupropion, escitalopram and bromazepam.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 59 patients were randomly assigned into four groups. Each group received one of the pharmacological agents for 120 days. Four types of questionnaires were employed: The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression--21 items, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety, the Global Assessment of Functioning and a Visual Analogue Scale for perceived need of the drug. In addition, random urine tests were performed to detect tetrahydrocannabinol [THC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Naltrexone proved to be the most efficacious of the four agents, with only four dropouts. Other agents proved less efficacious with six, seven and eights dropouts for bupropion, bromazepam and escitalopram, respectively. In addition, naltrexone was most efficacious in reducing anxiety and depression rates, and increasing functioning and perceived need for drug use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Out of four pharmacological agents, naltrexone proved to be most efficacious in treating marijuana addiction and related disorders. Further studies are needed to confirm our results.
authors.affiliation: Research Department, Beer Yaakov Mental Health Hospital, Beer Yaakov, Israel.
authors.forename: Netta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bodnik
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kotler
authors.forename: Pinhas
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dannon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001960:Bromazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016642:Bupropion / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018757:GABA Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001960:Bromazepam; D016642:Bupropion; D015283:Citalopram; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D018757:GABA Modulators; D009271:Naltrexone; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors