Latent Factor Structure of Behavioral Economic Heroin and Cocaine Demand Curves

Research has shown that behavioral economic demand curve indices can be characterized by a two-factor latent structure and that these factors can predict dimensions of substance use. No study to date has examined the latent factor structure of heroin and cocaine demand curves. The objective of this study was to use exploratory factor analysis to examine the underlying factor structure of the facets of heroin and cocaine reinforcement derived from heroin and cocaine demand curves. Participants were 143 patients from two samples that met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) criteria for opioid dependance and were undergoing medication-assisted treatment (methadone or buprenorphine). Heroin and cocaine demand curves were generated via hypothetical purchase tasks (HPT) that assessed consumption at 9 or 17 levels of prices from $0 to $500. Five facets of demand were generated from the tasks (Q(0), 1/alpha, P-max, O-max, and break point). Principal components analysis was used to examine the latent structure among the variables. The results revealed a two-factor solution for both heroin and cocaine demand. These factors were interpreted as persistence, consisting of 1/alpha, P-max, O-max, and break point, and amplitude, consisting of Q(0) and O-max, and in one case, 1/alpha. Heroin factors had some predictive power for future substance use, but cocaine factors did not. These findings suggest that heroin and cocaine demand indices can be reduced to two factors indicating sensitivity and volume of consumption, and that these factors may be able to predict substance use for heroin.