Cited by 177Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorOpioid Use Disorder TreatmentSubstance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Responsiveness to Drug Cues and Natural Rewards in Opiate Addiction: Associations With Later Heroin Use

Lubman, Dan I., Yücel, Murat, Kettle, Jonathan W. L., Scaffidi, Antonietta, MacKenzie, Trudi, Simmons, Julian G., Allen, Nicholas B.·2009·Archives of General Psychiatry

Abstract

CONTEXT: Although drug cues reliably activate the brain's reward system, studies rarely examine how the processing of drug stimuli compares with natural reinforcers or relates to clinical outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To determine hedonic responses to natural and drug reinforcers in long-term heroin users and to examine the utility of these responses in predicting future heroin use. DESIGN: Prospective design examining experiential, expressive, reflex modulation, and cortical/attentional responses to opiate-related and affective stimuli. The opiate-dependent group was reassessed a median of 6 months after testing to determine their level of heroin use during the intervening period. SETTING: Community drug and alcohol services and a clinical research facility. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three opiate-dependent individuals (mean age, 31.6 years) with stabilized opiate-substitution pharmacotherapy and 19 sex- and age-matched healthy non-drug users (mean age, 30 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-ratings, facial electromyography, startle-elicited postauricular reflex, and event-related potentials combined with measures of heroin use at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: Relative to the control group, the opiate-dependent group rated pleasant pictures as less arousing and showed increased corrugator activity, less postauricular potentiation, and decreased startle-elicited P300 attenuation while viewing pleasant pictures. The opiate-dependent group rated the drug-related pictures as more pleasant and arousing, and demonstrated greater startle-elicited P300 attenuation while viewing them. Although a startle-elicited P300 amplitude response to pleasant (relative to drug-related) pictures significantly predicted regular (at least weekly) heroin use at follow-up, subjective valence ratings of pleasant pictures remained the superior predictor of use after controlling for baseline craving and heroin use. CONCLUSIONS: Heroin users demonstrated reduced responsiveness to natural reinforcers across a range of psychophysiological measures. Subjective rating of pleasant pictures robustly predicted future heroin use. Our findings highlight the importance of targeting anhedonic symptoms within clinical treatment settings.

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Crossref · 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2008.522

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Authors
Lubman, D. I., Yücel, M., Kettle, J. W. L., Scaffidi, A., MacKenzie, T., Simmons, J. G., & Allen, N. B.
Affiliations
  • Orygen (AU)
  • The University of Melbourne (AU)
Venue
Archives of General Psychiatry
Published
2009-02-01
Volume
66
Issue
2
Pages
205
ISSN
0003-990X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2006014464
Cited by
176
References
55
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 13
FWCI
5.51
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Archives of General Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
Keywords
heroin addiction, opioid use disorder, drug cue reactivity, natural reward, hedonic response, anhedonia, P300, startle response, corrugator supercilii, facial electromyography, opioid substitution therapy, craving
MeSH terms
Adult, Affective Symptoms, Alcoholism, Arousal, Attention, Cerebral Cortex, Cues, Electromyography, Emotions, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Heroin Dependence, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Motivation, Narcotics, Recurrence, Reward, Risk Factors, Reflex, Startle, Comorbidity, Event-Related Potentials, P300, Young Adult

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