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

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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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Daniel D. Langleben, Elliot L. Busch & Charles P. O’Brien

  2. Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Daniel D. Langleben

  3. Bedford Veterans Administration Medical Center, Bedford, MA, USA

    Igor Elman

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Igor Elman

Authors
  1. Daniel D. Langleben
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  2. Elliot L. Busch
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  3. Charles P. O’Brien
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  4. Igor Elman
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Correspondence to Daniel D. Langleben.

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Langleben, D.D., Busch, E.L., O’Brien, C.P. et al. Depot naltrexone decreases rewarding properties of sugar in patients with opioid dependence. Psychopharmacology 220, 559–564 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-011-2503-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-011-2503-1

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