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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2011 Apr;19(2):116-22.
doi: 10.1037/a0022795.

Concurrent alcohol dependence among methadone-maintained cocaine abusers is associated with greater abstinence

Shannon A Byrne  1 , Nancy M Petry
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Concurrent alcohol dependence among methadone-maintained cocaine abusers is associated with greater abstinence

Shannon A Byrne et al. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2011 Apr.

Abstract

Concurrent alcohol dependence (AD) among polysubstance abusers has been associated with negative consequences, although it may not necessarily lead to poor treatment outcomes. One of the most efficacious treatments for cocaine abuse is contingency management (CM), but little research has explored the impact of AD on abstinence outcomes, particularly among patients in methadone maintenance. Using data from three trials of CM for cocaine use, we compared baseline characteristics and posttreatment and follow-up cocaine outcomes between methadone-maintained, cocaine-dependent patients (N = 193) with and without concurrent AD, randomized to standard care (SC) with or without CM. Patients with and without concurrent AD had similar baseline characteristics, with the exception that AD patients reported more alcohol use. AD patients achieved longer durations of cocaine abstinence and were more likely to submit a cocaine-negative sample at follow-up than non-AD patients. Patients randomized to CM achieved better outcomes than those randomized to SC, but there was no interaction between treatment condition and AD status. These findings suggest that cocaine-using methadone patients with AD achieve greater cocaine abstinence than their non-AD counterparts and should not necessarily be viewed as more difficult to treat.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Proportion of Cocaine Negative Samples by Alcohol Dependence Status
Values represent adjusted means and standard errors. Values from alcohol dependent patients are showed in filled bars and values from non-alcohol dependent patients are shown in empty bars.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Longest Duration of Cocaine Abstinence (in weeks) by Alcohol Dependence Status Values represent adjusted means and standard errors
Values from alcohol dependent patients are showed in filled bars and values from non-alcohol dependent patients are shown in empty bars. * p = .05
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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