Craving predicts opioid use in opioid-dependent patients initiating buprenorphine treatment: A longitudinal study. (March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tsui, Judith I.; Anderson, Bradley J.; Strong, David R.; Stein, Michael D.
• Is Part Of: American journal of drug and alcohol abuse. Volume 40:Number 2(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 163
• Page End: 169
• Publication Date: 2014-03
• Subjects: Drug abuse -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Substance-abuse -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Substance-Related Disorders -- Periodicals; 616.86
• DOI: 10.3109/00952990.2013.848875
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0095-2990

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Background</italic>: Few studies have assessed associations between craving and subsequent opioid use. We prospectively evaluated the relative utility of two craving questionnaires to predict opioid use among opioid-dependent patients in outpatient treatment. <italic>Method</italic>: Opioid-dependent patients (<italic>n</italic> = 147) initiating buprenorphine treatment were assessed every two weeks for 3 months. Craving was measured using the: (1) Desires for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ) and (2) Penn Alcohol-Craving Scale adapted for opioid craving (PCS). Multi-level logistic regression models estimated the effects of craving on the likelihood of opioid use. Craving assessed at time t was entered as a time-varying predictor of opioid use at time t + 1. <italic>Results</italic>: Craving scores plateaued at approximately 2 weeks after initiation of buprenorphine. In adjusted regression models, a 1-point increase in PCS scores (on a 7-point scale) was associated with a significant increase in the odds of opioid use at the subsequent assessment (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.08; 1.49, <italic>p</italic> < 0.01). The odds of opioid use at the subsequent follow-up assessment increased significantly as DDQ desire and intention scores increased (OR = 1.25, 95%CI 1.03; 1.51, <italic>p</italic> < 0.05), but was not significantly associated with DDQ negative reinforcement (OR = 1.01, 95%CI 0.88; 1.17, <italic>p</italic> > 0.05) or DDQ control (OR = 0.97, 95%CI 0.85; 1.11, <italic>p</italic> > 0.05) scores. <italic>Conclusion</italic>: Self-reported craving for opioids was modestly associated with subsequent relapse to opioid use among a cohort of patients treated with buprenorphine. Assessment of craving may provide clinical utility in predicting relapse among treated opioid-dependent patients.</p> </abstract>