Effects of pregabalin on subjective sleep disturbance symptoms during withdrawal from long-term benzodiazepine use.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of pregabalin as a tapering therapy on the subjective sleep quality of patients who underwent a benzodiazepine withdrawal program in routine medical practice. METHODS: Secondary analysis of a 12-week prospective, open noncontrolled study carried out in patients who met DSM-IV-TR criteria for benzodiazepine dependence. Sleep was evaluated with the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS Sleep Scale). RESULTS: 282 patients were included in the analysis. Mean (±SD) pregabalin dose was 315 ± 166 mg/day at the end of the trial. We observed a significant and clinically relevant improvement in sleep outcomes at the endpoint, with a total score reduction from 55.8 ± 18.9 to 25.1 ± 18.0 at week 12 (i.e. a 55% reduction). Similar findings were apparent using the six dimensions of the MOS Sleep Scale. Moderate correlations were observed between the MOS Sleep summary index and sleep domains, and there were improvements in anxiety symptoms and disease severity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that pregabalin may improve subjective sleep quality in patients who underwent a benzodiazepine withdrawal program. This effect appears to be partly independent of improvements in symptoms of anxiety or withdrawal. However, controlled studies are needed to establish the magnitude of the effect of pregabalin.

Add-on gabapentin in the treatment of opiate withdrawal.

Gabapentin is an antiepileptic drug shown to be effective in the treatment of pain disorders and appears to be useful as well for several psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal and cocaine dependence. Gabapentin, at a dose of 600 mg three times a day, was evaluated as an add-on medication to a standard detoxification regime in seven heroin dependent individuals undergoing outpatient opiate withdrawal treatment. All seven patients successfully completed opiate detoxification and commenced opiate antagonist treatment with naltrexone on day five of withdrawal treatment, as scheduled. No adverse event was noted. Gabapentin appeared to lead a reduction in symptomatic medication and an overall beneficial effect on symptoms of heroin withdrawal.

Producción científica nacional e internacional en drogas de diseño (1988-1997) / National and International scientific production on designer drugs (1988-1997)

Introducción: El conocimiento de las fuentes de información científica es imprescindible para el abordaje del problema del consumo de drogas de diseño. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la producción científica nacional e internacional sobre esta conducta, a partir del análisis bibliométrico de las publicaciones. Material y método: La producción científica sobre drogas de diseño se ha obtenido de las bases de datos IME, MEDLINE, ISOC y teseo durante el período 1988-1997. También se revisaron las referencias bibliográficas de los artículos recuperados en la base de datos IME. Los artículos obtenidos se distribuyeron por años, tipo documental, revista de publicación y temática, instituciones y países de procedencia, idiomas y temas tratados. Resultados: En las revistas españolas se publicaron 34 artículos y en las extranjeras 2.181. Los principales aspectos tratados se refieren a la toxicidad, concepto y clasificación y actividad farmacológica de las drogas de diseño. Las áreas temáticas más productivas son la neuropsiquiatría, la farmacología y la medicina general e interna. Conclusiones: El análisis muestra que existen escasos estudios experimentales y epidemiológicos publicados en España. Las revistas son de drogodependencias, temática general, neuropsiquiatría y farmacología, lo que pone de relieve la multidisciplinariedad de esta conducta adictiva. Predominan los estudios sobre la 1-metil-4-fenil-1,2,3,6-tetrahidropiridina y los análogos y derivados de la MDMA (AU)