The Investigation of Executive Functions in Patients under Methadone and Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment

How to Cite:Hossein HatamiSoheila Khoda karimHamid EghbaliMojtaba RajabpourThe Investigation of Executive Functions in Patients under Methadone and Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment.koomesh.17(3):e151212.

Abstract

Introduction: Despite acknowledged evidence of clinical and research on the executive functional impairment of methadone and buprenorphine, still no evidence of comparative study with other drugs and therapeutic approaches is found. This study aimed to evaluate the executive function in opiate users, and those who are under methadone, buprenorphine and abstinence therapy. Materials and Methods: The study is a cross-sectional survey. Five groups of 31 patients treated with methadone, buprenorphine, abstinence, and opioid abusers and the control group of addicted patients referring to the treatment centers in Semnan and ordinary people were randomly selected. Data were collected by performing computer version of Stroop and Working Memory Tests on subjects. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Results: The results indicate greater impairment of working memory and response inhibition in opiate abusers, methadone addicts, buprenorphine and abstinence compared to the control group. Deeper investigation showed that patients treated with buprenorphine had better results compared to other treatment groups in working memory and Stroop test, although this superiority was not statistically significant in some cases. Conclusion: Although both methadone and buprenorphine leads to a reduction in executive function, but better performances of buprenorphine was marked even in compare to abstinence treatment. It seems that more emphasis should be done on the use of buprenorphine

Keywords

Opiate Substitution Treatment

References

1.
Kidorf M, King VL, Peirce J, Gandotra N, Ghazarian SH, Brooner R. Substance use and response to psychiatric treatment in methadone-treated outpatients with comorbid psychiatric disorder. J Subst Abuse Treat 2015; 51: 64-69.
2.
Abidizadegan A, Moradi A, Farnam R. The investigation of executive function in patients under methadone treatment. New Cogn Sci 2009; 10: 148-151. (Persian).
3.
Giacomuzzi SM. Buprenorphine- and methadone maintenance treatment: influence on aspects of cognitive and memory performance. Open Addict J 2008; 1: 5-6.
4.
Soyka M, Zingg C, Koller G, Hennig-Fast K. Cognitive function in short- and long-term substitution treatment: Are there differences? World J Biol Psychiatr 2011; 11: 400-408.
5.
Rohani S, Salarieh E, Abedi S, Kheirkhah F. The effectiveness of methadone maintenance treatment on quality of life in drug dependants. J Mazandaran Uni Med Sci 2013; 22: 47-55. (Persian).
6.
Khodadadi A, Keramati MM, Dezfooli A. Decision making system of addicts, before and after methadone maintenance treatment. New Cog Sci 2011; 12: 26-42. (Persian).
7.
Zakaryaee H, Mollazadeh J, Aflakseir A, Khormaei F, Soofi A. Cognitive impairment in methamphetamine buprenorphine and tramadol users. Euro J Sci Res 2012; 3: 321-327.
8.
Nalaskowska M, Cierpiakowska L. Social and psychological functioning of opiate dependent patients in methadone maintenance treatment longitudinal research report. Alcohol Drug Addict 2014; 27: 237-254.
9.
Loftiz, WC. An ecological validity study of executive functionmeasures in children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Learn Disabil 2009; 34: 237-248.
10.
Garner J. Conceptualizing the relations between executive functions and self-regulated learning. J Psychol 2009; 143: 405-426.
11.
Van der Plas EA, Crone E, Wildenberg V, Tranel D, Bechara A. Executive control deficits in substance-dependent individuals: A comparison of alcohol, cocaine, and methamphetamine and of men and women. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2009; 31: 706-719.
12.
Tronsky LN. Strategy use, the development of automaticity and working memory involvement in complex multiplication. Mem Cognit 2005; 33: 921-928.
13.
Rogers RD, Robbins TW. Investigating the neurocognitive deficits associated with chronic drug misuse. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2001; 11: 250-257.
14.
Rapeli P, Fabritius C, Alho H, Salaspuro M, Wahlbeck K, Kalska H. Methadone vs. Buprenorphine/naloxone during early opioid substitution treatment: a naturalistic comparison of cognitive performance relative to healthy controls. BMC Clin Pharmacol 2007; 7: 1-10.
15.
Huizinga M, Dolan C, van der Molen M. Age-related change in executive function: Developmental trends and a latent variable analysis. Neuropsychol 2006; 44: 2017-2036.
16.
Verdejo A, Toribio I, Orozco C, Puente KL, Perez-Garcia M. Neuropsychological functioning in methadone maintenance patients versus abstinent heroin abusers. Drug Alcohol Depend 2005; 78: 283-288.
17.
Rapeli P, Fabritius C, Kalska H, Alho H. Do drug treatment variables predict cognitive performance in multidrug-treated opioid-dependent patients? A regression analysis study. Subst Abuse Treat, Prevent Policy 2012; 7: 1-11.
18.
Prosser J, Cohen LJ, Steinfeld M, Eisenberg D, London ED, Galynker II. Neuropsychological functioning in opiate-dependent subjects receiving and following methadone maintenance treatment. Drug Alcohol Depend 2006; 84: 240-247.
19.
Mintzer MZ, Stitzer ML. Cognitive impairment in methadone maintenance patients. Drug Alcohol Depend 2002; 67: 41-51.
20.
Abidizadegan A, Moradi A, Farnam R. The investigation of executive function in patients under treatment with methadone. New Cogn Sci 2009; 10: 148-151. (Persian).
21.
Beigi A, Farahani MN, Mohammadkhanish, Mohammadifar M. quality of life and hope in Anonymous addicts and addicts under methadone maintenance treatment. J Clin Psychol 2012; 3: 75-84. (Persian).
22.
Kheirabadi GR, Salehi M, Golafshan N, Merathy M. Sexual dysfunctions in men under methadone maintenance treatment and its relation with its dose. Med J Tabriz Univ Med Sci 2013; 34: 68-73. (Persian).
23.
Rohani S, Salarieh E, Abedi S, Kheirkhah F. The effectiveness of methadone maintenance treatment on quality of life in drug dependants. J Mazandaran Univ Med Sci 2013; 22: 47-55. (Persian).
24.
Khodadadi A, Keramati MM, Dezfooli A. Decision making system of addicts, before and after methadone maintenance treatment. New Cogn Sci 2011; 12: 26-42. (Persian).
25.
Abidizadegan A, Moradi A. Selective attention in patients under methadone maintenance treatment. J Behav Sci 2010; 3: 19-25. (Persian).
26.
Narimani M, Pouresmaeli A. The comparison of emotional Alexithymia and spiritual intelligence in addicts, patients under methadone treatment and non addicted people. J Res Addict 2012; 6: 7-22. (Persian).
27.
Nejati M, Nejati V, Mohammadi MR. Selective attention and drug related attention bias in methadone maintenance patients. Acta Med Irani 2011; 49: 814-817.
28.
Gronwall D, Wringhton P. Memory and information processing capacity after closed head injury. J Neurolog Neurosurg Psychiatr 1981; 44: 889-895.
29.
Christopher G, MacDonald J. The impact of depression on working memory. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2005; 10: 379-399.
30.
Ghadiri F, Jazayeri A, Ashayeri H, Ghazi Tabatabaei M. Disfunction of executive functions in schizo- obsessive patients. New Cogn Sci 2007; 8: 11-24. (Persian).
31.
Fishbein DH, Krupitsky E, Flannery BA, Langevin DL, Bobashev G, Verbitskaya E, et al. Neurocognitive characterizations of Russian heroin addicts without a significant history of other drug use. Drug Alcohol Depend 2007; 90: 25-38.
32.
Robbins TW, Everitt BJ. Limbicstriatal memory systems and drug addiction. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2002; 78: 625-636.
33.
Mintzer MZ, Copersino ML, Stitzer ML. Opioid abuse and cognitive performance. Drug Alcohol Depend 2005; 78: 225-230.
34.
Pirastu R, Fais R, Messina M, Bini V, Spiga S, Falconieri D, et al. Impaired decision-making in opiate-dependent subjects: Effect of pharmacological therapies. Drug Alcohol Depend 2006; 83: 163-168.
35.
Soyka M, Lieb M, Kagerer S, Zingg C, Koller G, LehnertP, et al. Cognitive functioning during methadone and buprenorphine treatment: Results of a randomized clinical trial. J Clin Psycho Pharmacol 2008; 28: 699-703.

comments