The effect of DHEA complementary treatment on heroin addicts participating in a rehabilitation program: a preliminary study.

Abstract	We evaluated the effect of DHEA complementary treatment in opiate addicts undergoing detoxification. DHEA (100 mg/day) or placebo was added to the routine medication protocol in a randomized, double blind controlled study. Follow-up for 12 months was conducted. Two separate DHEA-treated subgroups were identified by the Fuzzy clustering method: one showed statistically significant improvement in the severity of withdrawal symptoms, depression and anxiety scores (n=34; p<0.001 for all) and the other subgroup deteriorated in all measures (n=15). DHEA at the end of the detoxification program showed a tendency towards correlation with the duration of abstinence (r=0.6843; p>0.05; n=6), while a negative correlation was obtained with the cortisol level (r=-0.900; p=0.005, n=8). The completion-rate of the DHEA-improved subgroup was greater than in the DHEA-deteriorated subgroup (64.7% vs. 33.3%, respectively). The influence of supplementary DHEA treatment was mostly effective in heroin addicts who had not previously used either cocaine or benzodiazepines and who had experienced only few withdrawal programs.
Authors	Rachel Maayan, Dafna Touati-Werner, David Shamir, Gal Yadid, Alexander Friedman, Dana Eisner, Abraham Weizman, Issaschar Herman
Journal	European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (Eur Neuropsychopharmacol) Vol. 18 Issue 6 Pg. 406-13 (Jun 2008) ISSN: 0924-977X [Print] Netherlands
PMID	18346881 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
Chemical References	Adjuvants, Immunologic Dehydroepiandrosterone Hydrocortisone
Topics	Adjuvants, Immunologic (therapeutic use) Analysis of Variance Dehydroepiandrosterone (therapeutic use) Depressive Disorder (etiology) Double-Blind Method Female Follow-Up Studies Fuzzy Logic Heroin Dependence (complications, drug therapy) Humans Hydrocortisone (metabolism) Male Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Residence Characteristics Severity of Illness Index Substance Abuse Treatment Centers Substance Withdrawal Syndrome (etiology)

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