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Published on: January 22, 2016
Executive Function and Contingency Management in Methamphetamine Use Disorder
Lara J van Nunen1, Marilyn T Lake1,2, Jonathan C Ipser1
1Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Neuroscience Institute, South Africa.
Executive function tests at baseline may predict treatment success for individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). Poorer performance on these tests indicates a lower likelihood of responding to contingency management interventions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Addiction Medicine
Background:
- Methamphetamine Use Disorder (MUD) poses significant public health challenges.
- Contingency management (CM) shows promise for treating MUD.
- Impaired executive function may hinder treatment adherence and outcomes in MUD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if baseline executive function predicts treatment response to CM in MUD.
- To assess the utility of executive function tests in identifying individuals likely to benefit from CM.
Main Methods:
- Thirty MUD participants and 23 healthy controls completed the Connors Continuous Performance Task (CPT) and Trail Making Task.
- MUD participants underwent an 8-week CM trial.
- Participants were classified as responders or non-responders based on urine test results.
Main Results:
- MUD participants exhibited poorer performance on the CPT compared to controls.
- Non-responders to CM showed significantly worse performance on the CPT and Trail Making Task B compared to responders.
- While not significantly different from controls, Trail Making Task B performance varied, with non-responders performing worse.
Conclusions:
- Baseline executive function assessments may aid in predicting CM treatment response for MUD.
- These findings support the potential for personalized treatment approaches in MUD based on cognitive function.
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