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Every-other-day acetylmethadol disturbs circadian cycles of human motility

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Abstract

1-Alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM) maintenance treatment has been proposed as a favorable alternative to methadone maintenance. With an un-obtrusive actometer we recorded two successive 24-h cycles of spontaneous motor activity from 12 patients receiving LAAM every other day, and from five receiving methadone every day. LAAM patients were about 50% more active on days of drug administration than on no-dose days (P<0.001). There were no significant day-to-day differences in motility of methadone patients. LAAM administered every other day may significantly modify the human circadian rhythm of spontaneous motility; further research is thus needed before this treatment is widely akopted.

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Crowley, T.J., Jones, R.H., Hydinger-Macdonald, M.J. et al. Every-other-day acetylmethadol disturbs circadian cycles of human motility. Psychopharmacology 62, 151–155 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427129

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427129

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