Methadone and nicotine self-administration in humans: a behavioral economic analysis

Abstract

Methadone and cigarette puffs appear to be asymmetric economic complements.

Evaluating Nicotine Craving, Withdrawal, and Substance Use as Mediators of Smoking Cessation in Cocaine- and Methamphetamine-Dependent Patients

“…Nicotine withdrawal symptoms are conceptually separate from nicotine craving 18 and are a plausible mediator of smoking cessation, 19 despite having relatively small 20 and inconsistent 21 effects. In terms of substance use, clinical and laboratory research suggest a complex bidirectional connection between nicotine and other substance use including alcohol, 8,22,23 opioids, [24][25][26][27][28][29] and illicit stimulants, 9,[30][31][32][33][34][35] such that the use of each may heighten the use of the other. Thus, we tested substance use as an alternative mediator, but considered this relationship unlikely based on the absence of past correlations between substance use and the success of attempts to quit smoking.…”

Methadone-Nicotine Interactions in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Patients

“…The authors suggested that nicotine may enhance the reinforcing effects of methadone or that nicotine may serve as a conditioned stimulus to methadone selfadministration. In another study by Spiga et al, 18 the influence of nicotine and methadone availability on self-administration was evaluated in methadone maintenance patients using a behavioral economics approach. Patients were willing to do more work to receive methadone when nicotine was available by cigarette puff than when cigarette puffs were not concurrently available.…”

A behavioral economic analysis of cocaine and remifentanil self-administration in rhesus monkeys

“…Specifically, analyses of demand provide a way to mathematically quantify a drug's reinforcing effectiveness when it is available alone (e.g., Hursh and Winger 1995) or when another drug is concurrently available (e.g., Bickel et al 1992;Spiga et al 2005). In a demand-curve analysis, consumption of a drug is measured as a function of unit price.…”

“…Demand-curve analyses also have been used to assess changes in demand for a drug as the result of the concurrent availability of a second drug (Bickel et al 1992;Spiga et al 2005). In these procedures, the price for one drug is increased (resulting in a corresponding decrease in its consumption) while the price of a concurrently available drug is held constant.…”

“…Spiga et al (2005) conducted an economic analysis of nicotine and methadone self-administration in humans. Demand for methadone was more inelastic when nicotine was concurrently available, while demand for nicotine was unaffected by the availability of methadone.…”