title: Effects of length of abstinence on decision-making and craving in methamphetamine abusers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The majority of drug abusers are incapable of sustaining abstinence over any length of time. Accumulating evidence has linked intense and involuntary craving, Impulsive decision-making and mood disturbances to risk for relapse. However, little is known about temporal changes of these neuropsychological functions in methamphetamine (METH)-dependent individuals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of length of abstinence on decision-making, craving (baseline and cue-induced), and emotional state in METH-addicted individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, 183 adult METH-dependent patients at an addiction rehabilitation center who were abstinent for 6 days (n = 37), 14 days (n = 33), 1 month (n = 31), 3 months (n = 30), 6 months (n = 26), or 1 year (n = 30) and 39 healthy subjects were administered the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to assess decision-making performance. Depression, anxiety, and impulsivity were also examined. One hundred thirty-nine METH abusers who were abstinent for the aforementioned times then underwent a cue session, and subjective and physiological measures were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  METH dependent individuals who were abstinent for longer periods of time exhibited better decision-making than those who were abstinent for shorter periods of time. And self-reported emotional symptoms improved with abstinence. METH abusers' ratings of craving decreased with the duration of abstinence, while cue-induced craving increased until 3 months of abstinence and decreased at 6 months and 1 year of abstinence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We present time-dependent alterations in decision-making, emotional state, and the incubation of cue-induced craving in METH-dependent individuals, which might have significant clinical implications for the prevention of relapse.
authors.affiliation: National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China. wangguibin@bjmu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Guibin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lingzhi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jiali
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003463:Cues; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D008694:Methamphetamine
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 2005 Jan 31;84(1):73-9
references.pmid: 15642609
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2001 Dec 1;21(23):9414-8
references.pmid: 11717374
references.citation: Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007 Jun;31(6):928-38
references.pmid: 17403069
references.citation: Addiction. 2012 Jan;107(1):131-41
references.pmid: 21707811
references.citation: Nature. 2001 Jul 12;412(6843):141-2
references.pmid: 11449260
references.citation: Cognition. 1994 Apr-Jun;50(1-3):7-15
references.pmid: 8039375
references.citation: Neuropsychol Rev. 2007 Sep;17(3):275-97
references.pmid: 17694436
references.citation: Br J Med Psychol. 1959;32(1):50-5
references.pmid: 13638508
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Apr 1;69(7):708-11
references.pmid: 20817135
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2001 Jun;156(1):98-107
references.pmid: 11465640
references.citation: J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2010 Aug;32(7):704-18
references.pmid: 20198527
references.citation: J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2007 Feb;29(2):155-9
references.pmid: 17365250
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2005 Jun;26(2):480-92
references.pmid: 15907305
references.citation: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013 Jan;38(2):259-74
references.pmid: 22948978
references.citation: CMAJ. 2008 Jun 3;178(12):1537-9
references.pmid: 18519899
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Sep 1;60(5):515-22
references.pmid: 16448627
references.citation: J Subst Abuse Treat. 2009 Oct;37(3):292-7
references.pmid: 19339145
references.citation: Drug Alcohol Rev. 2008 May;27(3):253-62
references.pmid: 18368606
references.citation: Trends Neurosci. 2011 Aug;34(8):411-20
references.pmid: 21764143
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1992 Jun 28;654:400-15
references.pmid: 1632593
references.citation: Am J Addict. 2008 Sep-Oct;17(5):441-6
references.pmid: 18770088
references.citation: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2002 May 1;66(3):265-73
references.pmid: 12062461
references.citation: Addict Behav. 2007 May;32(5):950-66
references.pmid: 16876962
references.citation: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2009 Apr;34(5):1112-22
references.pmid: 18496524
references.citation: Addiction. 2004 Jun;99(6):708-17
references.pmid: 15139869
references.citation: Subst Abus. 2008;29(3):31-49
references.pmid: 19042205
references.citation: Am J Psychiatry. 2004 Feb;161(2):242-8
references.pmid: 14754772
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Oct 15;70(8):720-727
references.pmid: 21741031
references.citation: Am J Addict. 2008 May-Jun;17(3):218-23
references.pmid: 18463999
references.citation: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2008 May;33(6):1441-52
references.pmid: 17625500
references.citation: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2002 Sep 1;68(1):105-11
references.pmid: 12167556
references.citation: Neuropharmacology. 2004;47 Suppl 1:214-26
references.pmid: 15464139
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2010 Feb;31(4):733-41
references.pmid: 20384816
references.citation: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2006 Apr 28;82(2):177-81
references.pmid: 16253441
references.citation: Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2006 Apr;9(2):221-8
references.pmid: 15982446
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2004 Jun 1;55(11):1082-9
references.pmid: 15158427
references.citation: Am J Psychiatry. 2011 Jun;168(6):610-6
references.pmid: 21406465
references.citation: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007 Jan 12;86(2-3):139-46
references.pmid: 16806737
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2001 Dec;158(4):343-59
references.pmid: 11797055
references.citation: J Ethn Subst Abuse. 2011;10(2):162-79
references.pmid: 21678148
references.citation: Am J Addict. 2004 May-Jun;13(3):248-55
references.pmid: 15370944
references.citation: Addiction. 2005 Sep;100(9):1320-9
references.pmid: 16128721
references.citation: J Clin Psychol. 1995 Nov;51(6):768-74
references.pmid: 8778124
references.citation: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004 Jan;61(1):73-84
references.pmid: 14706946
references.citation: Addiction. 2010 Oct;105(10):1809-18
references.pmid: 20840201