Active clinical trials for "Alcoholism"

This study will examine the utility of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) as a potential new medication for the treatment of Alcohol use disorder (AUD). Non-treatment seeking men and women with AUD will be enrolled in a double blind placebo controlled phase I clinical trial. Participants will complete an 7-day inpatient protocol. During the first 3 days of the inpatient protocol, participants will complete alcohol abstinence in which withdrawal symptoms are measured,and urine will be collected to determine withdrawal symptom severity and urine levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Participants will then complete 3 laboratory procedures which measure 1) stress response, 2) motivation to drink alcohol and 3) subjective and physiological effects of alcohol. Finally, because participants are individuals with AUD, investigators will administer a brief intervention to address their risky alcohol drinking and problems before discharge.

Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy (CBCST) is a commonly utilized, evidence-based psychosocial therapy (talk therapy) for alcohol dependence. By identifying the neural mechanisms through which CBCST changes drinking behavior, it may be possible to improve its efficacy. CBCST promotes abstinence by teaching "coping skills" for managing alcohol-related thoughts and emotions. In this pilot study, the investigators examine the neural systems that play a role in the learning of coping skills through CBCST, specifically focusing on the role of emotion regulation systems.

Background: - Ghrelin is a hormone in the human body that is mostly produced by the stomach. It makes people feel hungry, and also is connected with the desire to drink alcohol. Researchers want to test ghrelin to see if it can be used to control alcohol cravings and use. They will compare doses of ghrelin with a placebo in people who drink heavily. Objectives: - To study the effects of ghrelin on alcohol craving and use. Eligibility: Individuals between 21 and 60 years of age who are heavy drinkers but are not seeking treatment for alcohol use. Participants must on average have more than 20 drinks per week for men, and more than 15 drinks per week for women. Design: Participants will have a screening visit, four 2-night study visits, and a follow-up visit. Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will provide urine and breath samples for drug testing. They will also answer questions about mood and physical symptoms, and about alcohol and other cravings. At the study visits, participants will stay overnight at the National Institutes of Health clinical center. They will spend the night at the center, have tests on the next day, and go home on the following morning. At each visit, participants will receive a ghrelin or placebo infusion, and will complete a series of tasks. For the first and second study visits, participants will have tests of alcohol craving and use. They will be able to receive alcohol infusions through a computer program that tests response time and craving reactions. At the same time, they will have a ghrelin or a placebo infusion. Blood alcohol levels, reaction time, and craving will be studied. For the third and fourth study visits, participants will have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. They will have an initial MRI to provide a picture of the brain. They will then have a functional MRI during which they will respond to a computer test. The test will allow them to win points for snack food or alcohol. This test will look at the brain s response time and craving reactions. There will be a follow-up visit 1 week after the fourth study visit. Some of the tests from the screening visit will be repeated.

This project begins to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based family outreach tool that is designed to promote treatment engagement among Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or alcohol use disorders (AUDs) but who have not yet engaged in mental health care. The National Center for PTSD has developed an on-line, Veteran-tailored, interactive web tool called VA - Community Reinforcement and Family Training (VA-CRAFT) that trains family members to effectively help their Veterans to engage in treatment for PTSD and/or AUDs. This project will provide preliminary information about VA-CRAFT's effectiveness.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the psychiatric nursing approach based on the Tidal Model on coping and self-esteem in people with alcohol dependency.

Phase 1: To train providers to offer alcohol pharmacotherapy to at-risk drinkers interested in quitting or reducing their drinking as part of overall HIV care. Phase 2: To determine the effectiveness of a computer-delivered brief intervention (CBI) for reducing hazardous drinking in the HIV clinical care setting.

Alcohol is a major public health problem and its neurotoxic effects are, among other things, responsible for altering the functioning of cerebral neurotransmission pathways. The retina is an anatomical and developmental extension of the central nervous system. It is composed of several layers of retinal neurons that share similar anatomical and functional properties with brain neurons. Retinal neurons are notably equipped with a complex system of neurotransmission constituted by the main neurotransmitters that are involved in the central effects of alcohol: glutamate, dopamine, serotonin ... The retina is used here as a site of indirect investigation for abnormal central neurotransmission pathways following regular alcohol use. It is recognized to date as a good site for investigating central abnormalities in neuropsychiatric and addictive disorders. The objective of this project is to study the retinal function using electroretinogram (ERG) in regular alcohol users to isolate potential markers of cerebral neurotransmission abnormalities.

The NIAAA estimates that 16% (40 million) of adults in the US are drinking at unsafe levels. More than 50% of alcohol health consequences occur in risky, non-dependent drinkers. Increasing the efficacy and efficiency of brief interventions in medical setting could significantly reduce the public health impacts of risky drinking. There is intense interest in conducting motivational interviewing (MI) informed brief interventions for risky alcohol use in medical settings, but little empirical information is available regarding which MI behavioral and interpersonal style components drive effectiveness. The field would benefit greatly from empirically-based Stage 1 treatment development and modeling studies to delineate the degree to which adding motivational interviewing components to brief intervention improves outcome.

There is a need to better understand the mechanisms underlying alcohol use and dependence in order to advance the clinical treatment of alcohol dependence. Here, the investigators will use Positron Emission Tomography to determine if there is an up-regulation of D3 receptors in the brains of subjects with alcohol use disorders. The investigators will also investigate the relationship between D3 binding and major phenotypes associated with alcohol use disorders, namely: alcohol cue induced craving and motivation to self-administer alcohol in the laboratory.

Randomized pilot study of a device (smartphone app) that poses non-significant risk to participants and is exempt from Investigational Device Exemption regulations [21 Code of Federal Regulations 812.2(c)