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Psychobiological responses to drug cues before and after methadone intake in heroin-dependent patients : a pilot study
Journal
European neuropsychopharmacology
Volume
18
Number
5
Pages / Article-Number
390-3
Keywords
heroin, methadone, craving, stress, cortisol
Abstract
Craving and stress frequently drive compulsive heroin use. Although methadone attenuates craving, drug-conditioned stimuli can trigger craving and possibly stress arousal in heroin-dependent patients receiving methadone maintenance. This study investigated drug cue-related craving, affectivity, and cortisol reactivity in 16 methadone-maintained patients before and after daily methadone. Unexpectedly, drug cues significantly increased craving after (t[15]=-4.27, p=0.001), but not before methadone intake. Patients displayed blunted cortisol response after post-methadone drug cues (t[15]=3.05, p=0.008) suggesting dissociated craving and cortisol reactivity after methadone intake of possible clinical relevance.
