title: Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone add-on therapy on mood, decision making and subsequent relapse of polydrug users.
abstract: A major problem in the treatment of addiction is predicting and preventing relapse following a rehabilitation program. Recently, in preclinical rodent studies dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) was found to markedly improve the resistance to drug reuse. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we examined the effect of DHEA on relapse rates in adult polydrug users taking part in a detoxification program enriched with intensive psychosocial interventions and aftercare. During treatment, participants (79 percent males, mean age 28) consumed DHEA (100 mg/day) or placebo daily for at least 30 days. Of the 121 initial volunteers, 64 participated for at least 1 month. While in treatment, DHEA reduced negative affect on the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (F = 4.25, P = 0.04). Furthermore, in a 16-month follow-up, we found that reuse rates in the DHEA condition were about a third compared with placebo (12 versus 38 percent; χ(2)  = 5.03, P = 0.02). DHEA treatment also resulted in an increase in DHEA sulfate (DHEA-S) 1 month following treatment, and the level of DHEA-S predicted relapse in the follow-up assessment.
authors.affiliation: Max Wertheimer Minerva Center, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel.|Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Israel.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ohana
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Research Unit, Geha Mental Health Center, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maayan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Research Unit, Geha Mental Health Center, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.|Abarbanel Mental Health Center, Israel.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Delayahu
authors.affiliation: Department for the Treatment of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, Israeli Ministry of Health, Israel.|Hebrew University, Israel.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roska
authors.affiliation: Department for the Treatment of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, Israeli Ministry of Health, Israel.
authors.forename: Alexander M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ponizovsky
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Research Unit, Geha Mental Health Center, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weizman
authors.affiliation: Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Israel.
authors.forename: Gal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yadid
authors.affiliation: Max Wertheimer Minerva Center, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel.
authors.forename: Eldad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yechiam
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000187:drug effects*; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone
keywords: Cortisol; DHEA; decision making; drug addiction; relapse