title: Do drug treatment variables predict cognitive performance in multidrug-treated opioid-dependent patients? A regression analysis study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cognitive deficits and multiple psychoactive drug regimens are both common in patients treated for opioid-dependence. Therefore, we examined whether the cognitive performance of patients in opioid-substitution treatment (OST) is associated with their drug treatment variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Opioid-dependent patients (N = 104) who were treated either with buprenorphine or methadone (n = 52 in both groups) were given attention, working memory, verbal, and visual memory tests after they had been a minimum of six months in treatment. Group-wise results were analysed by analysis of variance. Predictors of cognitive performance were examined by hierarchical regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Buprenorphine-treated patients performed statistically significantly better in a simple reaction time test than methadone-treated ones. No other significant differences between groups in cognitive performance were found. In each OST drug group, approximately 10% of the attention performance could be predicted by drug treatment variables. Use of benzodiazepine medication predicted about 10% of performance variance in working memory. Treatment with more than one other psychoactive drug (than opioid or BZD) and frequent substance abuse during the past month predicted about 20% of verbal memory performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although this study does not prove a causal relationship between multiple prescription drug use and poor cognitive functioning, the results are relevant for psychosocial recovery, vocational rehabilitation, and psychological treatment of OST patients. Especially for patients with BZD treatment, other treatment options should be actively sought.
authors.affiliation: Unit for Drug Dependence, Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. pekka.rapeli@hus.fi
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rapeli
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabritius
authors.forename: Hely
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalska
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D008691:Methadone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D002047:Buprenorphine; D008691:Methadone