Abstract

Background

Opioid is the second most prevalent illicit drug worldwide, whose consumption is very high in Iran, due to Iran’s geographical proximity to producing countries. Methadone maintenance therapy is one of the most prevalent and accepted methods of substance abuse treatment. Nevertheless, cognitive disorders have been reported as one of its complications.

Aim

This study was conducted to evaluate cognitive impairment in methadone maintenance patients (MMPs) and to compare it with abstinent opioid users (AOUs).

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional analytical study was performed on 25 MMPs and 25 AOUs. Samples were selected through convenience sampling method whereby a self-made questionnaire was distributed among them to assess demographic information, clinical variables such as methadone and opioid use history, underlying disease and medication history, as well as 13-item Beck depression inventory. Then, they were interviewed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) questionnaire.

Results

Significant differences were found in MoCA questionnaire total scores (p = 0.018) and orientation to time and place dimension (p = 0.008) between the two groups, with the mean scores being higher in AOU group. Duration of opioid use was the only factor influencing cognitive assessment score in both Groups. (p = 0.029)

Conclusion

We suggest monitoring and assessing cognition function in patients receiving methadone especially for those with a long history of opioid use.

中文翻译：

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与戒断阿片类药物使用者相比，美沙酮维持患者的认知功能

摘要

背景

阿片类药物是全球第二大流行的非法药物，由于伊朗靠近生产国，其在伊朗的消费量非常高。美沙酮维持治疗是最普遍和最被接受的药物滥用治疗方法之一。然而，据报道，认知障碍是其并发症之一。

目的

本研究旨在评估美沙酮维持患者 (MMP) 的认知障碍，并将其与戒断阿片类药物使用者 (AOU) 进行比较。

材料和方法

这项横断面分析研究是对 25 个 MMP 和 25 个 AOU 进行的。通过便利抽样方法选择样本，即在其中分发自制问卷以评估人口统计信息、临床变量如美沙酮和阿片类药物使用史、基础疾病和用药史，以及 13 项贝克抑郁量表。然后，他们使用蒙特利尔认知评估（MoCA）问卷进行了采访。

结果

 两组在MoCA问卷总分（p  =0.018）和时间和地点维度取向（p =0.008）方面存在显着差异，其中AOU组的平均分更高。阿片类药物的使用持续时间是影响两组认知评估分数的唯一因素。( p  = 0.029)

结论

我们建议监测和评估接受美沙酮治疗的患者的认知功能，尤其是那些长期使用阿片类药物的患者。