title: Biofeedback combined with cue-exposure as a treatment for heroin addicts.
abstract: The aim of this study was to test if cue-exposure therapy (CET) combined with biofeedback therapy (BT) could decrease craving and physiological reactivity to drug-related cues in heroin dependents. Forty-five participants were randomly assigned to usual rehabilitation with or without CET combined with BT. Craving was assessed by a 100-point visual analog scale (VAS). Skin conductance (SC) and muscle electromyography (MEG) were recorded using a biofeedback device. After 2 months of treatment, both the pre-cue exposure craving and the post-cue exposure craving, SC, and MEG were lower in the experimental group than in the control group. Compared to the control group, the experimental group had a greater decrease in craving, SC, and MEG from baseline after the treatment. The results suggest that CET combined with BT treatment is effective in reducing craving and physiology reactivity in heroin dependents and could be used as a component of heroin-dependence rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wan Ping Nan Road, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: 215 Clinical Department of Dalian Sanatorium of PLA, Dalian 116041, China.
authors.forename: Chenglu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wan Ping Nan Road, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wan Ping Nan Road, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Haiming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wan Ping Nan Road, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wan Ping Nan Road, Shanghai 200030, China. Electronic address: drminzhao@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology / Q000379:methods*; D066249:Craving; D003463:Cues; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007171:Implosive Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Biofeedback; Craving; Cue-exposure therapy; Heroin dependence