NALTREXONE, RELAPSE PREVENTION, AND SUPPORTIVE THERAPY WITH ALCOHOLICS - AN ANALYSIS OF PATIENT TREATMENT MATCHING

Alcohol-dependent patients (N = 97) were randomly assigned to receive either naltrexone or placebo and either relapse prevention therapy or supportive therapy The present report explored the hypothesis that pat ients could be matched to the above treatments on the basis of specifi c pretreatment characteristics. Treatment matching variables explored included craving, alcohol dependence severity, and cognitive measures of learning and memory. Results of linear regression analyses tentativ ely suggest that patients experiencing higher levels of craving and po orer cognitive functioning may derive the greatest benefit from naltre xone versus placebo. For psychotherapy lower levels of verbal learning were associated with poorer drinking outcomes for relapse prevention therapy but not for supportive therapy. Conversely, higher levels of v erbal learning were associated with better outcomes for relapse-preven tion therapy but not for supportive therapy.