Depot naltrexone decreases rewarding properties of sugar in patients with opioid dependence.

Publication/Presentation Date

4-1-2012

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Opioid neurotransmission mediates hedonic value of sweet tastants; their intake may be exaggerated by the consumption of exogenous opioids (e.g., opioid dependence). Sweet Taste Test (STT) is a validated quantitative instrument assessing taste perception and hedonic features of sugar (sucrose) using a randomized and double-blind administration at five different sucrose concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 0.83 M.

METHODS: The STT and cue-induced craving procedure were administered to opioid-dependent patients (n = 15) before and 1 week after the injection of a long-acting depot naltrexone (XRNT) preparation.

RESULTS: Analyses of covariance, employing sucrose concentration and its perceived taste as covariates, showed that XRNT therapy significantly reduced the self-reported hedonic and motivational characteristics of sucrose. Greater reductions in both these characteristics were associated with more diminution in the cue-induced opioid craving.

CONCLUSIONS: Opioid antagonism in opioid-dependent subjects leads to a smaller sweet taste reward, which, in turn, may be proportional to decreased opioid craving. These pilot results support the heuristic value of the STT as a potential marker of the XRNT treatment response and call for further inquiry into potential clinical applications of the test.

Volume

220

Issue

3

First Page

559

Last Page

564

ISSN

1432-2072

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

21960180

Department(s)

Department of Surgery, Fellows and Residents

Document Type

Article

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