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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

A Procedure to Study the Effect of Prolonged Food Restriction on Heroin Seeking in Abstinent Rats
Published on: November 11, 2013
High abstinence rates in heroin addicts by a new comprehensive treatment approach
Cor A J De Jong1, Hendrik G Roozen, Leo G M van Rossum
1Novadic-Kentron, Network for Addiction Treatment Services/Nijmegen Institute for Scientist-Practitioners in Addiction, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. c.dejong@acsw.ru.nl
Abstract:
In this multi-center, naturalistic study, the effectiveness of naltrexone maintenance combined with the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) was investigated in detoxified, opioid-dependent patients (N=272). Patients were recruited from methadone maintenance programs. With intention-to-treat analysis, 10 months of treatment yielded abstinence rates of 28% and 32% at 10 and 16 months after detoxification. The cumulative abstinence rate at 16 months was 24%. Quality of life, craving, general psychopathology, use of other psychoactive substances, and addiction severity of the abstinent group significantly improved when compared to the relapsed group. This abstinence-oriented approach appears to be a feasible goal, and remains an important option next to long-term methadone maintenance in the management of opioid dependence.
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