Experience of a "slip" among alcoholics treated with naltrexone or placebo

OBJECTIVE: This study tested the hypothesis that naltrexone reduces relapse rates among alcoholics by modifying the reinforcing effects of initial alcohol consumption and alcohol-induced craving. METHOD: Sixteen alcoholic patients treated with naltrexone and 27 treated with placebo who participated...

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Veröffentlicht in:The American journal of psychiatry 1996-02, Vol.153 (2), p.281-283
Hauptverfasser: O'MALLEY, S. S, JAFFE, A. J, RODE, S, ROUNSAVILLE, B. J
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:OBJECTIVE: This study tested the hypothesis that naltrexone reduces relapse rates among alcoholics by modifying the reinforcing effects of initial alcohol consumption and alcohol-induced craving. METHOD: Sixteen alcoholic patients treated with naltrexone and 27 treated with placebo who participated in a 12-week clinical trial reported retrospectively on their subjective responses to their first episode of a lapse into alcohol consumption and on their reasons for terminating the drinking episode. RESULTS: Compared to the subjects who received placebo, the subjects who received naltrexone reported lower levels of craving for alcohol and were more likely to give reasons for terminating drinking that were consistent with decreased incentive to drink. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the hypothesis that a central effect of naltrexone is the modification of alcohol-induced craving.
ISSN:0002-953X
1535-7228
DOI:10.1176/ajp.153.2.281