
Puerarin Effects on Alcohol Drinking
Alcohol AbuseThis research is designed to assess the impact of pretreatment with puerarin (NPI-031G), a major ingredient in the plant kudzu, on alcohol drinking. Hypothesis: Short-term treatment with this compound will reduce alcohol self-administration in a simulated natural settings laboratory.

Naltrexone Effects on Alcohol Intake
Social DrinkerThe purpose of this study is to examine drinking behavior and decision-making while taking Naltrexone and placebo. This is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study. There are two cycles: one cycle on Naltrexone and one cycle on placebo.

Oxytocin and Stress Response in Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol Use DisorderIndividuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) will complete one functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanning visit. Prior to the scan, individuals will receive a nasal spray of either 24 international units (IU) of oxytocin (OT), or placebo (PBO). During the scan, they will perform the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST), a social stress task. Subjective craving and anxiety data will be collected.

Brief New Treatment for Suicide Attempts
SuicideAttempted3 moreIndividuals with alcohol or drug use problems who are hospitalized for suicide attempt are at high risk for reattempt. This treatment development study adapts a promising outpatient intervention to prevent suicide reattempt in order to administer it during hospitalization to individuals with alcohol and drug use problems, and to test the adapted intervention in a pilot randomized controlled trial.

New Approaches to Smoking Cessation in Heavy Drinkers
Nicotine DependenceCigarette Smoking2 moreThe purpose of this study is to develop and test an integrated cognitive-behavioral intervention for smoking and alcohol among heavy drinking smokers. The current pre-pilot phase will be used to refine this protocol for the subsequent randomized, controlled pilot phase. The current study phase has two parts: 1) an intake session and brief physical; 2) a 12-week treatment phase in which participants receive varenicline (Chantix) and weekly, personalized counseling.

Kudzu Treatment for Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol ConsumptionThis is a study designed to test whether a single administration of kudzu extract (2 mg) will significantly reduce the number of drinks consumed during a single 1 ½ hours drinking session when given as pretreatment 2 ½ hours before the drinking session.

Topiramate Treatment of Hazardous and Harmful Alcohol Use in Veterans With TBI
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)Hazardous and Harmful Alcohol UseThe goal of the proposed project is to improve the treatment of veterans with co-occurring traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hazardous or harmful alcohol use. The PI and coinvestigators will conduct a pilot controlled clinical trial of topiramate for the treatment of these co-occurring disorders.

Motivational Interventions for Lifestyle and Exercise in College Students
Alcohol ConsumptionEngagement in substance-free activities, such as exercise, has an inverse relationship to substance use in college students. While exercise has numerous physical and mental health benefits, the majority of college students are sedentary, infrequently engaging in exercise. Although exercise interventions to date often suffer from significant attrition and poor adherence, motivational interventions for exercise are beginning to show promise. In this pilot study we propose to develop and evaluate a novel exercise intervention combining Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) with contingency management (CM) in sedentary college students who use alcohol.

Affective Modulation of Positivity for Alcohol Use Disorder
AnxietyDepression1 moreThe proposed study is a pilot study examining the feasibility and potential utility of administering a psychosocial intervention termed Affective Modulation of Positivity (AMP) for individuals suffering from co-morbid depression or anxiety disorders and alcohol use disorder (AMP-A). The aims of this study are to (1) determine the feasibility and potential utility of administering AMP-A with individuals suffering from alcohol use disorders, (2) explore the potential impact of training on positive and negative affect, symptom severity, and functional disability, and (3) explore the potential impact of training on neural reactivity to reward and alcohol cues during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

BioWare for AUD and PTSD
PTSDAlcohol Use DisorderThis study examines the ability of an innovative telehealth technology system to enhance Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders using Prolonged Exposure (COPE) talk-therapy for individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder.