Drug-naïve

Drug-naïve
An image comparing the web of a drug-naïve spider to that of a spider having been given caffeine.

Drug-naïve is the term used to describe patients or animals who are not under the influence of any psychotropic substances (drugs). This term usually refers to patients or animals undergoing drug-related testing, such as the effect of a certain drug on behaviour or cognitive ability.

More specifically, it could mean one of two things; the organism has a) never been exposed, or that the organism is b) not habituated to the drug in question.

This term may also describe a patient who has never received a particular medication. It is meant to differentiate those patients who may be on chronic pain or anxiety medications. When considering sedation or anesthesia, dosing regiments for these patients may be altered to compensate for their baseline resistance to the effects of those medications.