Intravenous buprenorphine does not impair psychomotor and cognitive functioning in opioid-dependent patients using oral dextropropoxyphene: A randomized, double-blind, crossover study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Some opioid-dependent injecting buprenorphine (BPN) users can continue to inject BPN even while using dextropropoxyphene as a treatment or as a drug of abuse. With this rationale, this study was aimed to assess the effect of injection BPN on psychomotor and cognitive functioning in opioid-dependent patients receiving oral dextropropoxyphene. Methods: This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study, carried out in the inpatient unit of the tertiary level de-addiction facility. Twenty opioid-dependent male, current injecting drug users were given a single dose of injection of BPN (1.2 mg) or placebo, in a crossover design, 2 h after the routine morning dose of oral dextropropoxyphene at day 4 and day 6 of admission. Psychomotor and cognitive functioning was assessed with the help of standard tools (trail making – Parts A and B, digit symbol substitution test, delayed recall test, and digit span) at baseline and after 10 min, 3 h, and 6 h of injection BPN/placebo. Results: There was no significant difference in the scores on any of the tests for psychomotor and cognitive functioning at any time period after receiving either injection BPN or placebo. Conclusions: A single dose of intravenous BPN in opioid-dependent patients on oral dextropropoxyphene did not produce any significant change in psychomotor and cognitive functioning as compared to placebo.

Keywords

• buprenorphine
• dextropropoxyphene
• injecting drug users
• opioids
• psychomotor and cognitive functioning