Periphere psychophysiologische messungen als alternative zu harntests bei methadon-patienten?

Based on urine samples 48 of 85 participants of a methadone maintenance treatment were grouped as the well-performing methadone group, whilst the remaining 37 were classified as the methadone group with additional use of opiates. The reactions of both groups were compared to those of a control group of 67 individuals balanced in age and sex. Through pupillometry (and partly through skin conductance) similar results were found in the two clinical groups, distinguishing them from the healthy control group. Results in habituation of skin conductance, however, where no differences between well-performing methadone patients and healthy normals could be found, distinguished between the two clinical groups. A rate of almost 95 % correct hits was reached by discriminant analyses for the combination of pupillometry and habituation measures. If these procedures were put into regular practice reliable results could be obtained immediately proving wheter or not a methadone patient is using additional opiates.