Alexandra Peternell

Maintenance therapy with synthetic opioids and driving aptitude.

Aims: To assess the influence of methadone and buprenorphine maintenance treatment on the driving aptitude of opioid-dependent patients. Design: Prospective, open label, outpatient maintenance, single-blind (investigator) study. Participants and Setting: Thirty opioid-dependent patients maintained on either methadone or buprenorphine were recruited from the drug-addiction outpatient clinic in Vienna. Measurements: The traffic-relevant performance dimensions of the participants were assessed 22 h after receiving synthetic opioid maintenance therapy, by a series of seven tests constituting the Act & React Test System (ART) 2020 Standard test battery, developed by the Austrian Road Safety Board (ARSB). To test for additional consumption of illicit substances, blood and urine samples were taken at the beginning of the tests. Findings: The patient group only differed from control subjects in two of the ART 2020 Standard tests. During a task to test the subject’s attention under monotonous circumstances (Q1 test), patients had a significantly greater number of reactions (p = 0.027) and a significantly higher percentage of incorrect reactions than control subjects. When driving in a dynamic environment (DR2 test) patients had a significantly longer mean decision time (p = 0.029) and mean reaction time (p = 0.009) compared with control subjects. Interestingly, when separated into treatment groups, the mean decision and reaction times of buprenorphine-maintained patients in the DR2 test did not differ from controls, whereas patients maintained on methadone showed significantly prolonged mean decision (p = 0.009) and reaction times (p = 0.004). In this same test, patients who had consumed additional illicit drugs had a longer mean reaction time compared with control subjects (p = 0.036). Conclusion: The synthetic opioid-maintained subjects investigated in the current study did not differ significantly in comparison to healthy controls in the majority of the ART 2020 Standard tests.

Pregnancy and substance abuse

Summary The fetal consequences of drug abuse during pregnancy remain underestimated. Obstetrical complications of cigarette smoking include growth retardation, spontaneous abortion and sudden infant death syndrome; alcohol abuse leads to nutritional deficiencies and fetal alcohol syndrome. Heroin and cocaine consumption result in medical, nutritional and social neglect; cocaine and amphetamine cause hypertension, abruptio placentae; all three drugs of abuse cause preterm labor, with neonates being small for gestational age. Intravenous abuse also increases the risk of contracting infectious disease. The recommended treatment standard is to maintain pregnant, opioid-dependent women on synthetic opioids such as methadone, but newer substances like slow-release morphine and buprenorphine may also be beneficial. Treatment should be interdisciplinary and consider the high prevalence of substance dependent partners. Programmes should be initiated to identify women at risk and provide early treatment to improve the outcome for mother and child. Care must be provided in a supportive, proactive and non-judgemental fashion.

Maintenance therapy with synthetic opioids and driving aptitude

AIMS To assess the influence of methadone and buprenorphine maintenance treatment on the driving aptitude of opioid-dependent patients. DESIGN Prospective, open label, outpatient maintenance, single-blind (investigator) study. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Thirty opioid-dependent patients maintained on either methadone or buprenorphine were recruited from the drug-addiction outpatient clinic in Vienna. MEASUREMENTS The traffic-relevant performance dimensions of the participants were assessed 22 h after receiving synthetic opioid maintenance therapy, by a series of seven tests constituting the Act & React Test System (ART) 2020 Standard test battery, developed by the Austrian Road Safety Board (ARSB). To test for additional consumption of illicit substances, blood and urine samples were taken at the beginning of the tests. FINDINGS The patient group only differed from control subjects in two of the ART 2020 Standard tests. During a task to test the subjects attention under monotonous circumstances (Q1 test), patients had a significantly greater number of reactions (p = 0.027) and a significantly higher percentage of incorrect reactions than control subjects. When driving in a dynamic environment (DR2 test) patients had a significantly longer mean decision time (p = 0.029) and mean reaction time (p = 0.009) compared with control subjects. Interestingly, when separated into treatment groups, the mean decision and reaction times of buprenorphine-maintained patients in the DR2 test did not differ from controls, whereas patients maintained on methadone showed significantly prolonged mean decision (p = 0.009) and reaction times (p = 0.004). In this same test, patients who had consumed additional illicit drugs had a longer mean reaction time compared with control subjects (p = 0.036). CONCLUSION The synthetic opioid-maintained subjects investigated in the current study did not differ significantly in comparison to healthy controls in the majority of the ART 2020 Standard tests.

Buprenorphine versus methadone maintenance for the treatment of opioid dependence

AIMS To evaluate the effectiveness of buprenorphine compared with methadone maintenance therapy in opiate addicts over a treatment period of 24 weeks. DESIGN Subjects were randomized to receive either buprenorphine or methadone in an open, comparative study. SETTING Subjects were recruited and treated at the drug addiction outpatient clinic at the University of Vienna. PARTICIPANTS Sixty subjects (19 females and 41 males) who met DSM-IV criteria for opioid dependence and were seeking treatment. INTERVENTION Subjects received either sublingual buprenorphine (2-mg or 8-mg tablets; maximum daily dose 8 mg) or oral methadone (racemic D -/+ L-methadone; maximum daily dose 80 mg). A stable dose was maintained following the 6-day induction phase. MEASUREMENT Assessment of treatment retention and illicit substance use (opiates, cocaine and benzodiazepines) was made by urinalysis. FINDINGS The retention rate was significantly better in the methadone maintained group (p < 0.05) but subjects completing the study in the buprenorphine group had significantly lower rates of illicit opiate consumption (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION The results support the superiority of methadone with respect to retention rate. However, they also confirm previous reports of buprenorphine use as an alternative in maintenance therapy for opiate addiction, suggesting that a specific subgroup may be benefiting from buprenorphine. This is the first comparative trial to use sublingual buprenorphine tablets: previously published comparison studies refer to 30% solutions of buprenorphine in alcohol.