Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
04:11
A Conditioned Place Preference Protocol for Measuring Incubation of Craving in Rats
Published on: November 6, 2018
20.7K
Effects of immediate-release opioid on memory functioning: a randomized-controlled study in patients receiving
S K Kamboj1, L Conroy, A Tookman
1Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, UK.
European Journal of Pain (London, England)
|April 5, 2014
Summary
Carefully dosed immediate-release opioids may not impair memory in palliative care patients and might even enhance cognitive function. This contrasts with prior research, suggesting factors like depression and other opioid types influence effects.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Pain Management
Background:
- Cognitive effects of opioid medication in pain patients are not fully understood.
- Opioid-induced cognitive impairment is a significant concern in palliative care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of immediate-release (IR) opioid medication on memory functioning.
- To explore the potential mechanisms of opioid-induced memory impairment, specifically proactive interference.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study involving 20 palliative care patients.
- Assessed immediate prose recall and word-pair recall before and after administration of IR opioid (oxycodone or morphine) or placebo.
- Evaluated memory performance after a delay and assessed an 'interference' word pair task.
Main Results:
- No evidence of memory impairment was found following individually tailored IR opioid doses.
- IR opioid administration did not increase memory interference; it may have reduced it.
- Enhanced performance on the interference task suggests potential memory benefits in certain contexts.
Conclusions:
- Carefully titrated IR opioid doses may not cause significant memory impairment in palliative care patients.
- Findings contrast with previous studies, highlighting the need to consider individual factors.
- Depressive symptoms, education level, and concurrent sustained-release opioid use may modulate cognitive effects.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Drug Release Characteristics
257
Drug release from modified-release dosage forms is designed to achieve specific therapeutic effects by controlling the rate and extent of drug release. The classification of these drug release systems is based on key pharmacokinetic assumptions: drug disposition follows first-order kinetics, drug release is the rate-limiting step in absorption, and the released drug is rapidly and completely absorbed.There are four major models of drug release patterns. The first model is the slow zero-order...
257
01:15Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
1.5K
Synthetic and semisynthetic opioids are pivotal in pain management and tackling opioid addiction. Semisynthetic opioids, including morphinans (morphine derivatives), oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone, have improved pharmacokinetic profiles compared to morphine. Additionally, heroin and 6-MAM (6-Monoacetylmorphine) show better CNS penetration than morphine due to heightened lipid solubility. Hydromorphone, a potent opioid, undergoes hepatic metabolism to form the active...
1.5K
01:25Analgesia and Pain Management
3.3K
Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
3.3K
01:20Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners
1.7K
Opioids are a class of drugs that mimic endogenous opioid peptides and act on opioid receptors, and help in pain relief. These compounds are classified as natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic. Natural opioids, like morphine, codeine, and thebaine, are derived from the opium poppy plant (Papaver somniferum or Papaver album) and are termed opiates. Synthetic opioids are artificial, while semi-synthetic opioids combine natural and synthetic compounds. Morphine, a prototypical opioid, possesses a...
1.7K
01:19Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Overview
236
Modified-release dosage forms are designed to address the limitations of drugs with short biological half-lives. These forms maintain stable therapeutic drug concentrations over extended periods, reducing the need for frequent dosing. A consistent drug level helps minimize peak-trough fluctuations, which can reduce adverse effects, lower the risk of drug resistance, and improve overall treatment effectiveness.One common type of modified-release form is the extended-release (ER) formulation. ER...
236
01:27Drug Delivery Systems: Different Types
406
Conventional oral drug products, termed immediate-release (IR) formulations, are engineered to promptly release their active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) upon ingestion, typically in tablets or capsules. This rapid release often results in swift drug absorption and consequent pharmacodynamic effects, although the timing and intensity can vary depending on the drug's properties. Prodrugs within these formulations require metabolic conversion to activate their pharmacodynamic effects,...
406