Understanding Drug Abuse Treatment Outcomes

Background:

Although some treatments for substance abuse are considered effective for some people who are drug dependent, many others do not benefit as much over time. Researchers are working to find out what characteristics predict treatment response. They also want to determine how to design treatments that are more effective for a greater number of substance abusers. This pilot study involves providing drug addicts with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a treatment considered to be one of the most effective in reducing substance-abuse, to identify ways in which the brain works that may predict and explain treatment effects. A comparison group will be included that receives only standard psychotherapy or talk therapy. This approach will enable researchers to determine what factors might be interfering with favorable treatment outcomes and how to refine or develop new treatments that work well for more people.

Objectives:

- To identify individual characteristics which predict and explain the effects of CBT in people with opiate dependence.

Eligibility:

• Males between 18 and 60 years of age who are dependent on opioids (such as heroin).
• Participants must be willing to take buprenorphine and receive substance abuse counseling.

Design:

• Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history.
• Researchers will ask questions about participants' ability to cope in certain situations, along with questions about drug use and lifestyle issues. These questions will be asked twice, before and after completing treatment.
• Participants will be placed into one of two groups. One group will have CBT twice a week for 8 weeks. The other group will have standard counseling twice per week. Both groups will take buprenorphine as part of the drug abuse treatment.
• Participants will have other tests during this study. They will have imaging studies to look at brain function. These studies will test thinking and decision making.