Cognitive Functioning in Opioid-Dependent Patients Treated with Buprenorphine and Methadone
Author Information
Author(s): Rapeli Pekka, Fabritius Carola, Kalska Hely, Alho Hannu
Primary Institution: Helsinki University Central Hospital
Hypothesis
Patients treated with buprenorphine would show greater cognitive improvement in long-term treatment compared to those treated with methadone.
Conclusion
Buprenorphine-treated patients showed fewer cognitive deficits compared to methadone-treated patients, particularly in attention and working memory.
Supporting Evidence
- Buprenorphine patients showed improvement in working memory over time.
- Both patient groups performed worse than healthy controls in cognitive tests.
- High frequency of substance abuse was linked to poorer cognitive performance.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well people on different medications for opioid dependence think and remember things. It found that those on buprenorphine did better than those on methadone.
Methodology
The study involved cognitive tests on opioid-dependent patients treated with buprenorphine or methadone at three different time points, comparing their performance to healthy controls.
Potential Biases
The study's non-randomized design may introduce selection bias.
Limitations
The healthy control group had significantly less medication or substance abuse, which may limit the specificity of the results.
Participant Demographics
Participants were opioid-dependent patients aged 18-50, with a mix of genders and varying levels of education.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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