Active clinical trials for "Alcoholism"

B1AS tests the hypothesis that increased vitamin B1 (thiamine) intake can repair brain systems damaged by alcohol and help people with alcohol problems control their alcohol use. A strong, man-made form of thiamine (Benfotiamine) is used to increase blood thiamine to much higher levels than can be achieved using normal vitamin supplements. Drinking patterns are examined over 6 months of continued supplement use. Men and women with a recent history of alcohol problems are eligible to participate.

The objective of this research project is to develop, evaluate, and disseminate an Internet-based (web) application for SMART Recovery: Overcoming Addictions (OA). OA will be based on the four point cognitive-behavioral program for SMART Recovery (www.smartrecovery.org). The goal of the OA program is to help users learn cognitive and behavioral skills to abstain from drinking, drug use, and problem gambling. The investigators will evaluate the effectiveness of the OA web application for heavy drinkers in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) with follow-ups at 3- and 6-months. The study design has three conditions: 1) participation in face-to-face SMART Recovery meetings alone; 2) use of the OA web application as a stand-alone intervention; and 3) combining the OA web application with participation in face-to-face SMART Recovery meetings. Study Hypotheses: All three groups will reduce their alcohol consumption, drug use (if any), and alcohol/drug-related problems relative to their baseline levels at the 3- and 6-month post-baseline assessments. The OA only group (Experimental group 1) will show a greater reductions in drinking, drug use (if any), and alcohol/drug-related problems relative to the face-to-face only (Control) group. The OA + face-to-face group (Experimental group 2) will have better outcomes on drinking and drug use variables compared to the Control group.

In comparison to the general population, U.S. military and Veterans are at an increased risk for developing both substance use disorders (SUD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Current research has shown that there is a high comorbidity of SUD and PTSD, and although there are a number of treatments for SUD and PTSD independently, there are very few effective methods to simultaneously treat both disorders. Because of this substantial gap in the treatment of both SUDs and PTSD, it has become essential to develop a combined treatment that would address and treat both disorders. Individuals, specifically U.S. military and Veterans, with SUD/PTSD have unique needs that require a specialized treatment approach. This designed approach would employ cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat the SUD, in conjunction with Prolonged Exposure therapy to treat the PTSD. Prolonged Exposure (PE) is an empirically supported and evidence-based treatment that is currently regarded as the "gold standard" psychosocial treatment for PTSD. In combination with CBT, this treatment would address both disorders in hopes of reducing substance use and PTSD symptomatology.

The overarching objective of this pilot study is to apply both neuroimaging and pharmacogenetic tools to the study of alcohol dependence. This proposed research will provide a mechanistic test of the function of the genetic variation. The specific aims and hypotheses are to test whether Sulfasalazine, as compared to placebo, diminishes blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) response to alcohol cues in the striatum and prefrontal cortex (PFC). To test the hypothesis, we will compare Sulfasalazine treatment with placebo treatment on BOLD difference maps for the contrast alcohol minus control. We will also explore whether specific genetic variations influence this effect. A double-blind, placebo-controlled 2 (Medication: Sulfasalazine 1500 mg vs. placebo control) x 2 (Cue: Alcohol Cue vs. Control cue) within-subjects, crossover design will be used to test the hypothesis that Sulfasalazine reduces the BOLD response in the striatum and prefrontal cortex after exposure to alcohol cues. Twenty alcohol-dependent participants will complete two rounds of the study medication followed by an functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan, during which they will complete an alcohol cue-exposure task. The order of the medication condition will be counterbalanced such that subjects will be randomly assigned to receive either Sulfasalazine (1500 mg) in the first session and placebo in the second session one week later (or vice versa). This pilot study will help to determine whether NMDA receptors play a role in cue-elicited activation of key areas of the brain implicated in the development and maintenance of substance use disorders. Furthermore, if Sulfasalazine reduces cue-elicited activation of these brain regions, as hypothesized; this study will lay the groundwork for a larger trial on the efficacy of Sulfasalazine as a treatment for substance use disorders.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether aripiprazole (marketed dopamine stabilizer) is effective in reducing of alcohol craving and drinking compared to placebo depending on participant's baseline level of impulsivity.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of adding the Health Promotion activities and rehabilitation to the usual alcohol and drug interventions on the outcome for alcohol and drug abusers compared to the usual intervention alone.

The overall goal of this project is to improve the treatment of alcohol dependence in patients with serious mental illness (SMI). SMI for this study is defined as any patient with any of the following diagnoses: schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar type I or type II disorder. Alcohol and other substance use disorders (SUDs) are common among individuals with SMI. SUD comorbidity is associated with many adverse consequences. However, to date, few reports have addressed the efficacy of pharmacological treatments for SUDs in this population. Naltrexone pharmacotherapy is an effective treatment for alcohol dependence, but it has not been systematically applied to the care of patients with SMI. The primary aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of long-acting injectable naltrexone administration in a clinical trial in patients with SMI who also have a diagnosis of alcohol dependence. Secondary aims include providing a preliminary assessment of the tolerability and safety of long-acting injectable naltrexone in patients with SMI who also have a diagnosis of alcohol dependence. An additional aim is to provide a preliminary assessment of the efficacy of long-acting injectable naltrexone in reducing alcohol use from baseline levels.

The primary purpose of this study is to determine how efficacy of quetiapine (seroquel XR) in improving the sleep in recovering alcohol dependent subjects.

In this study the influence of zonisamide administration over a 13 week period on alcohol consumption in alcoholic (alcohol dependent) subjects will be examined. The dose of zonisamide given to subjects will be slowly increased over a period of several weeks. They will receive a full dose over a 5 week period. This will be a pilot study in which all of the subjects will only receive zonisamide. A primary objective of this study is to determine the possible size of the effect that zonisamide administration has on drinking (i.e. drinks consumed per day) to allow us to plan for a larger clinical trial of the effects of zonisamide on alcohol dependence.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether quetiapine fumarate extended release is effective in the treatment of alcohol dependence in very heavy drinkers.