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Martucci KT. Neuroimaging of opioid effects in humans across conditions of acute administration, chronic pain therapy, and opioid use disorder. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:418-431. [PMID: 38762362 PMCID: PMC11168870 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Evidence of central nervous system (CNS) exogenous opioid effects in humans has been primarily gained through neuroimaging of three participant populations: individuals after acute opioid administration, those with opioid use disorder (OUD), and those with chronic pain receiving opioid therapy. In both the brain and spinal cord, opioids alter processes of pain, cognition, and reward. Opioid-related CNS effects may persist and accumulate with longer opioid use duration. Meanwhile, opioid-induced benefits versus risks to brain health remain unclear. This review article highlights recent accumulating evidence for how exogenous opioids impact the CNS in humans. While investigation of CNS opioid effects has remained largely disparate across contexts of opioid acute administration, OUD, and chronic pain opioid therapy, integration across these contexts may enable advancement toward effective interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine T Martucci
- Human Affect and Pain Neuroscience Lab, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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LaRocco K, Villiamma P, Hill J, Russell MA, DiLeone RJ, Groman SM. Sex differences in oxycodone-taking behaviors are linked to disruptions in reward-guided, decision-making functions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.09.587443. [PMID: 38645212 PMCID: PMC11030399 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.09.587443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Problematic opioid use that emerges in a subset of individuals may be due to pre-existing disruptions in the biobehavioral mechanisms that regulate drug use. The identity of these mechanisms is not known, but emerging evidence suggests that suboptimal decision-making that is observable prior to drug use may contribute to the pathology of addiction and, notably, serve as a powerful phenotype for interrogating biologically based differences in opiate-taking behaviors. The current study investigated the relationship between decision-making phenotypes and opioid-taking behaviors in male and female Long Evans rats. Adaptive decision-making processes were assessed using a probabilistic reversal-learning task and oxycodone- (or vehicle, as a control) taking behaviors assessed for 32 days using a saccharin fading procedure that promoted dynamic intake of oxycodone. Tests of motivation, extinction, and reinstatement were also performed. Computational analyses of decision-making and opioid-taking behaviors revealed that attenuated reward-guided decision-making was associated with greater self-administration of oxycodone and addiction-relevant behaviors. Moreover, pre-existing impairments in reward-guided decision-making observed in female rats was associated with greater oxycodone use and addiction-relevant behaviors when compared to males. These results provide new insights into the biobehavioral mechanisms that regulate opiate-taking behaviors and offer a novel phenotypic approach for interrogating sex differences in addiction susceptibility and opioid use disorders.
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Ghosh A, Shaktan A, Verma A, Basu D, Rana DK, Nehra R, Ahuja CK, Modi M, Singh P. Neurocognitive Dysfunctions in People with Concurrent Cannabis Use and Opioid Dependence: A Cross-Sectional, Controlled Study. J Psychoactive Drugs 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38251910 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2024.2308213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Cannabis and opioid co-dependence is independently associated with cognitive impairments. We examined neurocognitive dysfunctions in people with concurrent opioid dependence with cannabis dependence (OD+CD) or cannabis use (OD+CU) compared to those with only opioid dependence (OD) and healthy controls (HC). We selected adult participants, any sex, who met the diagnosis of OD (N = 268), OD+CU (N = 58), and OD + CD (N = 115). We recruited 68 education-matched HC. We administeredStandard progressive matrices (SPM), Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST), Iowa gambling task (IGT), Trail making tests A and B (TMT), and verbal and visual working memory 1-, 2-backtests. 496 (97.5%) were men, and 13 (2.5%) were women. In WCST, OD and OD+CD had significantly higher non-perseverative errors than HC. OD+CD group completed significantly lesser categories than HC. In verbal working memory 2-back, HC scored significantly fewer errors than OD and OD +CD. All patient groups, OD, OD+CU, and OD+CD, scored higher commission errors than HC in visual working memory 1-back. OD and OD+CD scored higher commission and total errors than the controls. OD+CU showed lesser error score than HC in TMT B. Cannabis and opioid co-dependence contribute to cognitive impairments, especially in working memory and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Ghosh
- Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Alka Shaktan
- Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Abhishek Verma
- Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
- Department of Psychology, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Debasish Basu
- Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Devender K Rana
- Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ritu Nehra
- Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Chirag K Ahuja
- Department of Radiodiagnosis & Imaging, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Manish Modi
- Department of Neurology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Paramjit Singh
- Department of Radiodiagnosis & Imaging, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
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Abdulaev SK, Tarumov DA, Shamrey VK, Trufanov AG, Puchkov NA, Markin KV, Prochik YE. [Functional impairments in large-scale brain projects in opioid addiction]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2023; 123:165-170. [PMID: 37315257 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro2023123051165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the functional state of large-scale resting networks of the brain in patients with opioid intoxication. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-one male subjects, aged 27.4+5.1 years, were studied. Resting state functional MRI was performed in 12 patients with heroin intoxication aged 29.1+5.9 years. The control group consisted of 16 healthy volunteers without bad habits aged 26.2+4.2 years. RESULTS In the group of opioids intoxication, there is a decrease in the functional activity of the salience network with the executive control network and the default mode network of the brain (p<0.05) compared to the control group. A positive correlation of functional connections is found between the anterior cingulate cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex (T=2.74; p=0.041), which is not recorded in the control group. The functional connections between the default mode network and executive control are more highly represented in opioid intoxication in comparison with the control group (medial prefrontal cortex - left posterior parietal cortex T=7.5; p=0.001; medial prefrontal cortex - right posterior parietal cortex T=3.71; p=0.014; posterior cingulate cortex - left posterior parietal cortex T=6.15; p=0.002; posterior cingulate cortex - right posterior parietal cortex T=3.25; p=0.023; posterior cingulate cortex - right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex T=2.83; p=0.037). CONCLUSION The results indicate that functional connections in large-scale resting networks are disrupted during opioid intoxication, which indicates a disturbance of the normal functional architectonics of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sh K Abdulaev
- Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - D A Tarumov
- Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - V K Shamrey
- Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - A G Trufanov
- Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - N A Puchkov
- Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - K V Markin
- Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ya E Prochik
- Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia
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Baumann SL, Samuels WE. Comorbidities in older adults with opioid use disorders. J Am Assoc Nurse Pract 2022; 34:1280-1288. [PMID: 36354181 DOI: 10.1097/jxx.0000000000000801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a growing number of opioid use disorders (OUDs) and overdose deaths in older adults. In addition, older adults with OUD routinely receive lower-quality preventive and chronic care that result in poorer overall health. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to identify older patients with OUD at the study site and determine the prevalence of medical and psychiatric comorbidities. METHODOLOGY This retrospective study used a computer algorithm employed by a network of Federally Qualified Health Center primary care clinics in lower New York state. With the approval from institutional review board, the IT department of the organization captured data about older adults with an OUD diagnosis. The IT department identified 664 patients and provided anonymized demographic and medical history data of these patients for analysis. RESULTS Patients with OUD had 2-3 times more medical and psychiatric co-occurring conditions than national sample of older adults with no OUD of similar age and income. The most frequent co-occurring medical conditions in the patients were heart or circulatory disorders, movement disorders, respiratory disorders, pain disorders, nutritional disorders, and metabolic disorders. The most common co-occurring psychiatric conditions were anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and bipolar disorder. CONCLUSIONS Older adults with OUD often have complex health care needs that often include one or more chronic medical and psychiatric conditions. IMPLICATIONS Providers should be aware of the multiple needs of older adults with OUD so that appropriate and comprehensive care can be offered to the patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven L Baumann
- Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, New York
- Sun River Health, Inwood Clinic, Bronx, New York
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Kember RL, Vickers-Smith R, Xu H, Toikumo S, Niarchou M, Zhou H, Hartwell EE, Crist RC, Rentsch CT, Davis LK, Justice AC, Sanchez-Roige S, Kampman KM, Gelernter J, Kranzler HR. Cross-ancestry meta-analysis of opioid use disorder uncovers novel loci with predominant effects in brain regions associated with addiction. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1279-1287. [PMID: 36171425 PMCID: PMC9682545 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01160-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Despite an estimated heritability of ~50%, genome-wide association studies of opioid use disorder (OUD) have revealed few genome-wide significant loci. We conducted a cross-ancestry meta-analysis of OUD in the Million Veteran Program (N = 425,944). In addition to known exonic variants in OPRM1 and FURIN, we identified intronic variants in RABEPK, FBXW4, NCAM1 and KCNN1. A meta-analysis including other datasets identified a locus in TSNARE1. In total, we identified 14 loci for OUD, 12 of which are novel. Significant genetic correlations were identified for 127 traits, including psychiatric disorders and other substance use-related traits. The only significantly enriched cell-type group was CNS, with gene expression enrichment in brain regions previously associated with substance use disorders. These findings increase our understanding of the biological basis of OUD and provide further evidence that it is a brain disease, which may help to reduce stigma and inform efforts to address the opioid epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Kember
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rachel Vickers-Smith
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Lexington, KY, USA
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Heng Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sylvanus Toikumo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maria Niarchou
- Department of Medicine, Division of Genetic Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hang Zhou
- Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Emily E Hartwell
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Richard C Crist
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christopher T Rentsch
- Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Lea K Davis
- Department of Medicine, Division of Genetic Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Amy C Justice
- Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sandra Sanchez-Roige
- Department of Medicine, Division of Genetic Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kyle M Kampman
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joel Gelernter
- Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Henry R Kranzler
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Green JM, Sundman MH, Chou YH. Opioid-induced microglia reactivity modulates opioid reward, analgesia, and behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104544. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Finan PH, Letzen J, Epstein DH, Mun CJ, Stull S, Kowalczyk WJ, Agage D, Phillips KA, Pizzagalli DA, Preston KL. Reward Responsiveness in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder on Opioid Agonist Treatment: Role of Comorbid Chronic Pain. PAIN MEDICINE 2021; 22:2019-2027. [PMID: 33624802 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnab031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evidence suggests that blunted reward responsiveness may account for poor clinical outcomes in both opioid use disorder (OUD) and chronic pain. Understanding how individuals with OUD and comorbid chronic pain (OUD+CP) respond to rewards is, therefore, of clinical interest because it may reveal a potential point of behavioral intervention. METHODS Patients with OUD (n = 28) and OUD+CP (n = 19) on opioid agonist treatment were compared on: 1) the Probabilistic Reward Task (an objective behavioral measure of reward response bias) and 2) ecological momentary assessment of affective responses to pleasurable events. RESULTS Both the OUD and the OUD+CP groups evidenced an increase in reward response bias in the Probabilistic Reward Task. The rate of change in response bias across blocks was statistically significant in the OUD group (B = 0.06, standard error [SE] = 0.02, t = 3.92, P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03 to 0.09) but not in the OUD+CP group (B = 0.03, SE = 0.02, t = 1.90, P = 0.07, 95% CI: -0.002 to 0.07). However, groups did not significantly differ in the rate of change in response bias across blocks (B = 0.03, SE = 0.02, t = 1.21, P = 0.23, 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.07). Groups did not significantly differ on state measures of reward responsiveness (P's ≥0.50). CONCLUSIONS Overall, findings across objective and subjective measures were mixed, necessitating follow-up with a larger sample. The results suggest that although there is a reward response bias in patients with OUD+CP treated with opioid agonist treatment relative to patients with OUD without CP, it is modest and does not appear to translate into patients' responses to rewarding events as they unfold in daily life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick H Finan
- School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Janelle Letzen
- School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - David H Epstein
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Chung Jung Mun
- School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Samuel Stull
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - William J Kowalczyk
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Daniel Agage
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Karran A Phillips
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Kenzie L Preston
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland
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Meier IM, Eikemo M, Leknes S. The Role of Mu-Opioids for Reward and Threat Processing in Humans: Bridging the Gap from Preclinical to Clinical Opioid Drug Studies. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2021; 8:306-318. [PMID: 34722114 PMCID: PMC8550464 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-021-00366-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Opioid receptors are widely expressed in the human brain. A number of features commonly associated with drug use disorder, such as difficulties in emotional learning, emotion regulation and anhedonia, have been linked to endogenous opioid signalling. Whereas chronic substance use and misuse are thought to alter the function of the mu-opioid system, the specific mechanisms are not well understood. We argue that understanding exogenous and endogenous opioid effects in the healthy human brain is an essential foundation for bridging preclinical and clinical findings related to opioid misuse. Here, we will examine psychopharmacological evidence to outline the role of the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) system in the processing of threat and reward, and discuss how disruption of these processes by chronic opioid use might alter emotional learning and reward responsiveness. RECENT FINDINGS In healthy people, studies using opioid antagonist drugs indicate that the brain's endogenous opioids downregulate fear reactivity and upregulate learning from safety. At the same time, endogenous opioids increase the liking of and motivation to engage with high reward value cues. Studies of acute opioid agonist effects indicate that with non-sedative doses, drugs such as morphine and buprenorphine can mimic endogenous opioid effects on liking and wanting. Disruption of endogenous opioid signalling due to prolonged opioid exposure is associated with some degree of anhedonia to non-drug rewards; however, new results leave open the possibility that this is not directly opioid-mediated. SUMMARY The available human psychopharmacological evidence indicates that the healthy mu-opioid system contributes to the regulation of reward and threat processing. Overall, endogenous opioids can subtly increase liking and wanting responses to a wide variety of rewards, from sweet tastes to feelings of being connected to close others. For threat-related processing, human evidence suggests that endogenous opioids inhibit fear conditioning and reduce the sensitivity to aversive stimuli, although inconsistencies remain. The size of effects reported in healthy humans are however modest, clearly indicating that MORs play out their role in close concert with other neurotransmitter systems. Relevant candidate systems for future research include dopamine, serotonin and endocannabinoid signalling. Nevertheless, it is possible that endogenous opioid fine-tuning of reward and threat processing, when unbalanced by e.g. opioid misuse, could over time develop into symptoms associated with opioid use disorder, such as anhedonia and depression/anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabell M. Meier
- Department of Diagnostic Physics, Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Marie Eikemo
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri Leknes
- Department of Diagnostic Physics, Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
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Kriegler J, Wegener S, Richter F, Scherbaum N, Brand M, Wegmann E. Decision making of individuals with heroin addiction receiving opioid maintenance treatment compared to early abstinent users. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 205:107593. [PMID: 31634665 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Individuals with heroin addiction are prone to dysfunctional decision-making. They frequently choose the short-term rewarding option of drug intake despite experiencing long-term negative consequences. Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) is the most common treatment of heroin addiction. METHODS In this study, 38 individuals in an early stage of abstinence from heroin addiction (ESA-HA individuals) at the end of inpatient detoxification treatment and 41 individuals in long-term OMT were examined. Decision-making was assessed by (I) a modified version of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) with drug-related stimuli focusing on decision-making under ambiguity and (II) the Game of Dice Task (GDT) assessing decision-making under objective risk. RESULTS OMT-individuals showed significantly better performance in the IGT than the ESA-HA-individuals. They also showed significantly less craving under exposure of drug-related pictures. In the GDT, OMT-individuals showed significantly less risky decision-making than ESA-HA-individuals. CONCLUSION The results suggest that patients receiving OMT show better functional decision-making and lower craving reactions. It could be assumed that the effectiveness of OMT in preventing relapse is linked to better decision-making and lower craving among these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kriegler
- LVR-Hospital Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstraße 174, 45147 Essen, Germany.
| | - Sophia Wegener
- Berufsförderungswerk Stralsund GmbH, Große Parower Straße 133, 18435 Stralsund, Germany.
| | - Francois Richter
- Suchthilfe direkt Essen GmbH, Hoffnungstraße 24, 45127 Essen, Germany.
| | - Norbert Scherbaum
- LVR-Hospital Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstraße 174, 45147 Essen, Germany.
| | - Matthias Brand
- General Psychology: Cognition and Center for Behavioral Addiction Research (CeBAR), University of Duisburg-Essen, Forsthausweg 2, 47057 Duisburg, Germany; Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen, Germany.
| | - Elisa Wegmann
- General Psychology: Cognition and Center for Behavioral Addiction Research (CeBAR), University of Duisburg-Essen, Forsthausweg 2, 47057 Duisburg, Germany.
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