Characterizing "nonresponsive" methadone patients.

A review of records at a large urban methadone clinic revealed a substantial group of patients with treatment tenures of at least 6 months whose urinalysis results indicated continued regular use of opiates. In an attempt to characterize these "nonresponsive" patients and to identify their specific treatment needs, we compared them to a group of patients with comparable treatment tenures but whose urinalysis results indicated little or no recent illicit opiate use. Contrary to expectations, opiate use itself was virtually the only feature that clearly distinguished the two groups.

A randomized double-blind study of neuroelectric therapy in opiate and cocaine detoxification.

Prior research on the use of transcranial neuroelectric stimulation suggested that the application of low-amperage, low-frequency alternating current via surface electrodes placed in the mastoid region could relieve the physiological signs and subjective symptoms of withdrawal and craving during opiate detoxification. These effects were reported without gradual tapering of the opiate or the addition of other medications. To test the efficacy of one particular form of neuroelectric therapy (NET), a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted comparing active NET and placebo NET in the treatment of withdrawal and stabilization of 18 opiate-dependent and 25 cocaine-dependent subjects.