NCT04133974

Methadone Induced Memory Retrieval-extinction Procedure in Heroin Addicts

A Novel Methadone-induced Memory Retrieval-extinction Procedure to Prevent Heroin Craving and Relapse

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 87 (actual)
• Sponsor: National Institute on Drug Dependence, China · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 Years – 55 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The study assessed the efficacy of a methadone-induced memory retrieval-extinction procedure on heroin craving and relapse. Male participants aged 18-55 years old and prescribed MMT to treat heroin dependence were included in the present study, and randomly assigned to receive methadone, or receive methadone plus 10 minutes plus extinction, or receive methadone plus 6 hours plus extinction. The intervention persisted 3 times per week for 4 weeks. Then the subjects were followed up once a month for cue induced heroin craving and relapse.

Detailed description

In the present study, we explored the effect retrieval-extinction procedure on heroin craving and relapse in heroin addicts using the methadone (a commonly used µ-opioid receptor agonist) instead of heroin as the trigger to reactivate drug memories. The subjects were randomly divided into 3 groups, in which they received methadone alone or extinction sessions 10 min or 6 hours after methadone administration. The extinction sessions were given 3 times per week for 4 weeks, each lasted for 30 min. During the extinction procedure, the subjects were exposed to images, heroin paraphernalia and mimic heroin. Subjective craving, morphine urine test and physiological responses were recorded monthly for 4 months.

Conditions

• Heroin Dependence

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	methadone induced memory retrieval-extinction procedure	Drug memory is not invariably stable and can be induced transiently labile again by drug-related cues or drug itself, which is termed as 'reconsolidation'. Previously we and other groups have demonstrated that extinction coincided with reconsolidation weakened the drug memory and decreased drug craving and relapse. In the present study, we tried to interfere the methadone-induced heroin addiction memory reconsolidation by extinction given at different times following methadone administration.

Timeline

• Start date: 2015-11-20
• Primary completion: 2017-04-23
• Completion: 2019-04-20
• First posted: 2019-10-21
• Last updated: 2019-10-21