Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29951769›Full record

Trial reportPsychopharmacology2018

Acute tramadol enhances brain activity associated with reward anticipation in the nucleus accumbens.

Yuki Asari, Yumiko Ikeda, Amane Tateno, Yoshiro Okubo, Takehiko Iijima, Hidenori Suzuki

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychopharmacology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Incentive valence differentially engages open- and closed-loop basal ganglia circuits during movement initiation.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Yuki AsariDepartment of Perioperative Medicine, Division of Anesthesiology, Showa University School of Dentistry, 2-1-1 Kitasenzoku, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 145-8515, Japan.
Yumiko IkedaDepartment of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan.
Amane TatenoDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan.
Yoshiro OkuboDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan.
Takehiko IijimaDepartment of Perioperative Medicine, Division of Anesthesiology, Showa University School of Dentistry, 2-1-1 Kitasenzoku, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 145-8515, Japan.
Hidenori SuzukiDepartment of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan. hsuzuki@nms.ac.jp.
Nippon Medical School · JPShowa University · JP

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTramadol is an analgesic with monoamine reuptake inhibition and μ-opioid receptor activation. Although tramadol has been widely used for treatment of various pain conditions, there is controversy over the risk of abuse potential. We examined the effects of tramadol on the reward system in humans using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess the potential of tramadol for drug abuse or dependence.

methodsA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study was conducted for 19 healthy adults under tramadol or placebo. In association with subjective mood questionnaires, monetary incentive delay (MID) task was performed to assess the neural response to reward anticipation during fMRI. Subjective mood measures and blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal during gain and loss anticipation were compared between tramadol and placebo.

resultsTramadol significantly reduced anxiety (Z = - 2.513, p = 0.012) and enhanced vigor (Z = - 2.725, p = 0.006) compared with placebo. By Mood Rating Scale, tramadol provoked contented (Z = - 2.316, p = 0.021), relaxed (Z = - 2.236, p = 0.025), and amicable feelings (Z = - 2.015, p = 0.044) as well as increased alertness (Z = - 1.972, p = 0.049) and contentedness domains (Z = - 2.174, p = 0.030) compared with placebo. Several brain regions including nucleus accumbens (NAc) were activated during gain anticipation in the MID task under both tramadol and placebo. Tramadol increased the %BOLD signal change in NAc at +¥500 cue significantly more than the placebo (Z = - 2.295, p = 0.022).

conclusionTramadol enhances the reward system and thereby may have abuse potential or precipitate drug abuse in human.

Indexed as

RewardAdultAnalgesics, OpioidAnticipation, PsychologicalBrain MappingCross-Over StudiesDouble-Blind MethodEmotionsFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMotivationNucleus AccumbensTramadolYoung AdultAnalgesics, OpioidTramadolDrug abusefMRIMonetary incentive delay taskNucleus accumbensReward systemTramadol

Identifiers

PMID29951769
OpenAlexW2810462723

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.