Julia Kriegler1, Sophia Wegener2, Francois Richter3, Norbert Scherbaum4, Matthias Brand5, Elisa Wegmann6. 1. LVR-Hospital Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstraße 174, 45147 Essen, Germany. Electronic address: julia.kriegler@lvr.de. 2. Berufsförderungswerk Stralsund GmbH, Große Parower Straße 133, 18435 Stralsund, Germany. Electronic address: sophia.wegener@bfw-stralsund.de. 3. Suchthilfe direkt Essen GmbH, Hoffnungstraße 24, 45127 Essen, Germany. Electronic address: richter@suchthilfe-direkt.de. 4. LVR-Hospital Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstraße 174, 45147 Essen, Germany. Electronic address: Norbert.scherbaum@uni-due.de. 5. 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. Electronic address: matthias.brand@uni-due.de. 6. General Psychology: Cognition and Center for Behavioral Addiction Research (CeBAR), University of Duisburg-Essen, Forsthausweg 2, 47057 Duisburg, Germany. Electronic address: elisa.wegmann@uni-due.de.
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.
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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