The Impact of Methadone Maintenance Therapy on Food Reward Processing in Opioid Dependence

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Opioid Dependence, Obesity

In brief

Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) has shown clear efficacy for relieving opioid withdrawal symptoms and reducing the morbidity and mortality of opioid dependence. A notable phenomenon associated with MMT is increased food intake, enhanced sweet preferences, and weight gain. The underlying neural mechanisms for opioid-related overconsumption are not well understood but are thought to arise from role in 1) increasing the palatability and hedonic aspects of food and 2) diminishing satiety signaling systems. In the proposed project, the investigators will examine methadone's potential role in opioid-related overconsumption of food. The investigators propose to examine eating behavior, sucrose preferences, and an event-related potential (ERP) component that is induced by appetitive motivation for highly rewarding foods in patients with a history of opioid dependence receiving methadone maintenance therapy (O+MMT) and not receiving opioid agonist therapy (O-MMT). A matched sample of obese and overweight adults without history of opioid use (HOC) will also be examined.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03575273

Run by

Johns Hopkins University

People needed

45

Starts

2018-02-12

Expected to finish

2020-06-01

Last updated by the study team

2020-12-16

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 60. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• English-speaking individuals
• Must be between 18 and 60 years of age
• For the O+MMT group, participants must be receiving MMT for at least 3 months
• For the O-MMT group, participants must have concluded their MMT (if applicable) at least three months prior to the date of the screening visit.

You may not qualify if…

• Individuals may not have a history of major neurological disorders
• No unstable medical issues that would affect appetite or blood glucose
• No pervasive developmental disorder or intellectual disability
• No significant visual/auditory impairment
• No history or current episode of psychosis
• No current opioid abuse
• No current antipsychotic medication use
• No major conditions that affect chemosensory function (e.g., history of nasal fracture or respiratory infection)
• Individuals with contraindication for the EEG will be excluded
• Individuals who are current pregnant or breastfeeding will not be enrolled
• For HOC, individuals with history of opioid dependence or current or past psychiatric disorders will be excluded

Where it is running

• Broadway Center for Addictions — Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• Johns Hopkins Hospital — Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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