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Mediators of treatment response in a clinical trial of naltrexone and bupropion for methamphetamine use disorder: A longitudinal mediation analysis

delete2026-07-26
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PRE
AI
R
Ramin Mojtabai
R
Ryoko Susukida
M
Mehdi Farokhnia
T
Trang Quynh Nguyen
L
Lorenzo Leggio
C
Cecilia L. Bergeria
S
Smita Prasad
K
Kelly E. Dunn
M
Masoumeh Amin-Esmaeili
DOI:10.1177/02698811261464533delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
<jats:sec> <jats:title>Background:</jats:title> <jats:p>The mechanisms underlying pharmacological treatments for stimulant use disorders are poorly understood. This study examined whether changes in craving, depressive symptoms, and/or impulsivity mediate treatment effect in pharmacotherapy with combined naltrexone and bupropion for methamphetamine use disorder (MUD).</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods:</jats:title> <jats:p>The study was based on secondary analysis of data from the Accelerated Development of Additive Pharmacotherapy Treatment for methamphetamine disorder (ADAPT-2) trial which randomized adults with MUD to combined treatment with injectable naltrexone (380 mg every 3 weeks) plus oral bupropion (450 mg daily) versus placebo. A total of 403 adults with MUD participated in the first stage; 225 of first stage participants in the placebo arm who did not respond to treatment were re-randomized in the second stage. Mediation effects were examined using longitudinal multi-level structural equation modeling.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results:</jats:title> <jats:p>Naltrexone-bupropion treatment was associated with decreases in drug use, craving, depressive symptoms, and impulsivity. The indirect effect of treatment through change in craving was significant (self-reported use = −0.21, 95% credible interval (CrI) = −0.35, −0.09; drug screen-ascertained use = −0.36, 95% CrI = −0.63, −0.16). Change in craving mediated 56% of the treatment effect on self-reported drug use and 45% of the effect on drug screen-ascertained use. Estimates for mediated effects for depressive symptoms and impulsivity were smaller in magnitude and nonsignificant.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusion:</jats:title> <jats:p>Reduction in craving mediates the effect of naltrexone-bupropion pharmacotherapy in MUD. Craving may serve as a surrogate measure of treatment efficacy in short-term trials and help identify promising candidate medications to be tested in larger and longer-term trials.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Trial Registration:</jats:title> <jats:p> <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="https://ClinicalTrials.gov">ClinicalTrials.gov</jats:ext-link> number: NCT03078075. </jats:p> </jats:sec>

Journal

Journal of Psychopharmacology cover
Journal of Psychopharmacology
IF:
5.5
Papers:
391
Citations:
9.1K

Organization

N
national institutes of health
Scholars:
2.8K
Papers: 802
Citations: 0
U
university of maryland school of medicine
Scholars:
1.1K
Papers: 399
Citations: 0
J
johns hopkins bloomberg school of public health
Scholars:
1.7W
Papers: 1.4W
Citations: 18
T
Tulane University School of Medicine
Scholars:
76
Papers: 32
Citations: 0
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