Neuropsychological correlates of opioid dependence and withdrawal

Neuropsychological correlates of opioid dependence and withdrawal.

Severity of opioid dependence, and performance on two successive runs of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), were assessed in 39 right-handed male and female methadone patients who had been randomly assigned to either a recently dosed (n=21) or 24 hr abstinent (n=18) condition. Results indicated that severity of opioid dependence was positively correlated with perseverative responses and er...

Cannabinoid and opioid interactions: implications for opiate dependence and withdrawal.

Withdrawal from opiates, such as heroin or oral narcotics, is characterized by a host of aversive physical and emotional symptoms. High rates of relapse and limited treatment success rates for opiate addiction have prompted a search for new approaches. For many opiate addicts, achieving abstinence may be further complicated by poly-drug use and co-morbid mental disorders. Research over the past...

Opioid tolerance or opioid withdrawal?

To the Editor: We thank Kim et al. for their recent work examining the effect of intraoperative remifentanil on postoperative analgesia in children.1 Certainly, the pharmacokinetic profile of this potent opioid is attractive in modern anesthetic practice, and a thorough understanding of the principles behind tolerance, hyperalgesia, and withdrawal of remifentanil are critical for its safe admin...

Recognition and management of iatrogenically induced opioid dependence and withdrawal in children.

Opioids are often prescribed to children for pain relief related to procedures, acute injuries, and chronic conditions. Round-the-clock dosing of opioids can produce opioid dependence within 5 days. According to a 2001 Consensus Paper from the American Academy of Pain Medicine, American Pain Society, and American Society of Addiction Medicine, dependence is defined as "a state of adaptation tha...

OPIOID DEPENDENCE: BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION A magnetic resonance imaging, neuropsychological and electromagnetic study