Neuropsychoanalytic Treatment of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome-Opioid Dependence

State University of New York - Upstate Medical University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pain

Treatments: Behavioral: Neuropsychoanalytic therapy

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01940588

1 - bjohnson

Details and patient eligibility

About

Opioid Dependent Patients who have failed back surgery syndrome are detoxified and treated with a neuropsychoanalytic paradigm.

Full description

Patients were detoxified from opioid analgesics and treated with NSAIDs and other non-opioid analgesics, received neuropsychoanalytic therapy and low dose naltrexone. Patients kept a daily diary of: 0 - 10 pain, 0 - 10 function, hours worked, amount of alcohol drunk, illicit and licit drug use, number of health care provider appointments attended, number of self-help groups meetings attended across each of the six months of study. Six month outcomes of this approach with primary outcomes being sobriety, pain scores and function scores.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Have failed back surgery syndrome.
2. Have evidence of Opioid Dependence by meeting DSM-IV criteria and by Drug Abuse Screening Test > 4. (In case of a difference in these two measures, clinical staff will talk with the patient to adjudicate the difference.)
3. Over 18
4. Be able to understand spoken and written English
5. Reside within 30 miles of the site of treatment for ease of followup
6. Have health insurance or other ability to pay for treatment

Exclusion criteria

1. Homeless
2. Unable to give consent (e.g. neurological disorders, dementia, psychosis)
3. Co-occurring incapacitating psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenia
4. Pregnant
5. Financial incentive to stay ill, such as a pending disability claim
6. Member of a vulnerable population, including prisoners

Trial design

30 participants in 1 patient group

Neuropsychoanalytic treatment

Description:

Outpatient detoxification, intensive neuropsychoanalytic therapy, low dose naltrexone, monthly evaluations for six months - case series approach.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Neuropsychoanalytic therapy