MONEY AS A TOOL TO EXTINGUISH CONDITIONED-RESPONSES TO COCAINE IN ADDICTS

Classical conditioning principles offer a nondrug way to treat cocaine dependence. Eleven male subjects with the primary diagnosis of cocain e dependence were placed into one of two groups. The experimental grou p was asked to handle $500 cash in a mock budgetary task. The control group was asked to just imagine handling and budgeting the money. The subjects rated their craving-related feelings before and after each ta sk. The experimental group showed significantly more craving after the money-handling task as compared to the control group, and the scores improved with time and as more tasks were completed. These data show t hat craving induced by handling cash is powerful and can be attenuated . at least on a short-term basis, using classical extinction procedure s. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons. Inc.