The ability of alcohol-related cues to promote craving can be attenuated independently by giving the opioid antagonist naltrexone (NTX) or by subjecting alcohol-dependent patients to a cue exposure treatment. The effects of cue exposure treatment may be enhanced if conducted in the presence of NTX.
The purpose of these experiments was to determine if NTX given during extinction of responding for alcohol in rats would alter cue-conditioned reinstatement of responding and to determine if NTX, paired with repeated cue-conditioned reinstatement, would reduce subsequent cue-conditioned reinstatement or reacquisition of self-administration in the absence of NTX.
These findings support the notion that NTX given during a brief abstinence period (i.e., extinction) has minimal effects on future sensitivity to alcohol cues and alcohol consumption. NTX given during repeated alcohol cue exposure does not alter the subsequent incentive value of alcohol cues in the absence of naltrexone or enhance the beneficial effects of cue exposure treatment.
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