Question Are levo acetyl methadol (LAAM) and buprenorphine as effective as methadone for substitution treatment of opioid dependence? Participants: 220 people categorised as opioid dependent by DSM-IV; 1 groups similar on demographics and drug use history. Exclusion criteria were medical and psychiatric illness requiring long-term medication, and pregnancy. Interventions: (i) Levo acetyl methad...

The realization that the mu-opioid system plays a key role in the control of the process of neuroinflammation is a new concept that may lead to identification of novel therapies for this extremely widespread and intractable syndrome. Fever is the hallmark among the defense mechanisms evoked by the entry into the body of pathogens to initiate the innate immune responses. In an attempt to determi...

Due to its distinct pharmacological profile and lower incidence of adverse events compared with other opioids, buprenorphine is considered a safe option for pain and substitution therapy. However, despite its wide clinical use, little is known about the synaptic effects of buprenorphine in nociceptive pathways. Here, we demonstrate dose-dependent, bimodal effects of buprenorphine on transmissio...