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

Summary

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.

Conditions

• Opioid Dependence
• Obesity

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Sniffin' Sticks Odor Identification and Hedonic Scale

This task measures odor identification accuracy and perceived pleasantness of odors.

BEHAVIORAL

Sucrose Taste Preference Assessment

This task measures participant ratings of sucrose preference.

BEHAVIORAL

Food Preferences Task

Participants rate images of various food stimuli. Variables derived include relative preferences and reaction time (in milliseconds).

BEHAVIORAL

Progressive Ratio (PR) Task

In the PR task, the subject is required to make an increasing number of operant responses for each successive reward

PROCEDURE

Clinical Electrophysiology

To examine motivated attention in response to food stimuli, brain electrophysiology via event related potentials (ERPs) will be assessed while participants view and rate images of food and non-food items.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Standardized Meal and Hunger and Satiety Ratings

Participants will receive a standardized meal and complete hunger and satiety ratings.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Mid-Atlantic Nutrition Obesity Research Center

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

  collaborator NIH

• Johns Hopkins University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Vidya Kamath, Ph.D. · Johns Hopkins University

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-02-12

Primary Completion

2019-12-01

Completion

2020-06-01

Countries

• United States

Study Locations