Cocaine use early in treatment predicts outcome in a behavioral treatment program

In this evaluation of baseline drug use as a predictor of treatment outcome, cocaine use during a 5-week baseline was compared in methadone maintenance patients who had <5 (n = 10) versus greater than or equal to 5 (n = 9) weeks of abstinence during an experimental cocaine abstinence reinforcement treatment. Cocaine use was evaluated at the Ist and last visit and the Ist and last week of baseline and as a mean across the 5-week baseline treatment; response was calculated as a mean across 12 weeks of experimental treatment. Those who had successful outcomes (abstainers) used significantly less cocaine in the 5-week baseline than those with less successful outcomes (nonabstainers). Differences in cocaine use were-not evident in the Ist baseline visit or week,but the abstainers used significantly less cocaine in the last visit and week of baseline compared with the nonabstainers. Cocaine use during baseline provided critical predictors of response to the experimental treatment.