THE OPIATE ADDICTION TEST - A CLINICAL-EVALUATION OF A QUICK TEST FORPHYSICAL-DEPENDENCE ON OPIATE DRUGS

1 Mydriasis (pupil dilation) in response to conjunctivally applied nal oxone hydrochloride has been demonstrated using an innovative electron ic binocular pupillometer in 40 opiate dependent patients, on maintena nce methadone treatment.2 No pupillary response to naloxone was seen w hen an identical procedure was carried out in a control population of 12 healthy volunteers. 3 After a baseline measurement of pupil size, t wo drops of naloxone hydrochloride were instilled into the conjunctiva l sac of one eye. Serial binocular pupillometry was then carried out a t 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 min post-instillation. 4 Discri minant analysis between the control and patient groups showed that the false negative rate (error of misclassification to the wrong populati on) was lowest (20%) at 40 min post-eyedrop instillation, with no fals e positives in the control group. 5 The study has therefore shown an i mprovement in the previously reported false negative rate (25%) [1, 2] , of the conjunctival naloxone test of opiate dependence, with the use of our innovative electronic binocular pupillometer.