Amphetamine abuse and dependence is a global health concern with a collateral increase in medical and social problems. Although some of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying
amphetamine dependence and its devastating effects in humans are known, the development of rational and evidence-based treatment is lagging. There is evidence from preclinical studies suggesting that the endogenous
opioid system plays a role in mediating some of the behavioral and neurochemical effects of
amphetamine in a variety of controlled settings. In the present study we assessed the effects of
naltrexone, an
opioid antagonist (50 mg) on the subjective physiological and biochemical response to
dexamphetamine (30 mg) in 20
amphetamine-dependent patients. Patients received
naltrexone/
amphetamine followed by placebo/
amphetamine, 1 week apart in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled design. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of pretreatment with
naltrexone on the subjective response to
amphetamine, using a Visual Analog Scale. The secondary objective was to investigate the effects of
naltrexone on physiological and biochemical responses to
amphetamine, as measured by changes in blood pressure, heart rate, skin conductance, and
cortisol.
Naltrexone significantly attenuated the subjective effects produced by
dexamphetamine in dependent patients (p<0.001). Pretreatment with
naltrexone also significantly blocked the craving for
dexamphetamine (p<0.001). There was no difference between the groups on the physiological measures. The results suggest that the subjective effects of
amphetamine could be modulated via the endogenous
opioid system. The potential of
naltrexone as an adjunct
pharmaceutical for
amphetamine dependence is promising.