View clinical trials related to Alcoholism.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to gather information about people s drinking histories and to evaluate them for other research studies being conducted at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The evaluation will include a physical examination, blood tests, an MRI scan of the brain and completion of various questionnaires about alcohol use and mood. The information gathered from all of these tests will be used by researchers to gain a better understanding of the disease of alcoholism and determine eligibility for other NIAAA studies. This is an inpatient study so participants will stay at the NIH hospital for at least three weeks and up to six weeks if a person is found to be eligible for other NIAAA research studies. The study is open to people age 18 and older whose alcohol drinking has caused significant problems in their lives, and who desire alcoholism treatment. Detoxification will be provided if needed, and each person may participate in our alcoholism treatment program. The treatment includes group and individual counseling sessions as well as self-help meetings such as AA. Family counseling and recreational opportunities are also an important part of the treatment experience. The doctors, nurses, social workers and all of our other staff are committed to helping participants design an aftercare program that will help them leave the hospital and remain sober. Participants may also be able to attend a 12-week aftercare program in the NIAAA outpatient clinic.
This study will compare serotonin transporter proteins in people with alcoholism and healthy volunteers to examine how these proteins may be related to the inability of people with alcoholism to appropriately regulate their alcohol consumption. Serotonin transporters regulate levels of the brain chemical serotonin. Problems in this regulation have been implicated in alcoholism. Healthy normal volunteers and people who suffer from alcoholism who are between 18 and 75 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and physical examination, psychiatric diagnostic interview, blood and urine tests, an electrocardiogram, urine toxicology screen, and written psychological evaluations. Participants undergo positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning to measure serotonin transporter levels in the brain. PET uses small amounts of a radioactive chemical called a tracer that "labels" the serotonin transporters in the brain. The tracer used in this study is [11C]DASB. For the procedure, the subject lies on the scanner bed. A special mask is fitted to the head and attached to the bed to help keep the subject's head still during the scan so the images will be clear. A brief scan is done just before the radioactive tracer is injected. This scan provides measures of the brain that will help in the precise calculation of information from subsequent scans. After the tracer is injected through a catheter (plastic tube) placed in the arm, pictures are taken for about 2 hours. MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce pictures of brain structure. The subject lies on a bed that slides into the tube-like scanner, wearing earplugs to muffle loud noises the machine makes when the magnetic fields are switched. The scan takes about an hour, during which time the subject can communicate with the technician.
The purpose of this clinical research study is to learn whether subjects treated with aripiprazole are able to abstain from alcohol use for a greater number of days than subjects treated with placebo. The safety of using aripiprazole will also be studied.
The overall objective of the study is to develop recommendations for treatment programs to help alcoholic smokers to stop smoking. A sample of 175 alcohol dependent cigarette smokers will be recruited from the community and treated in a 6-month outpatient alcohol and tobacco treatment program. The 175 patients will be divided into two groups. One group will receive an active nicotine patch and active nicotine gum. The other group will receive an active nicotine patch and placebo nicotine gum. Followup assessments will be conducted for 1-year from the beginning of treatment.
The purpose of this study is to test the use of time-released bupropion (Wellbutrin) in patients receiving treatment for alcohol abuse/dependence as an aid to stop smoking. Patients will receive either a time-released bupropion or placebo. Both groups will receive nicotine replacement therapy during the 9 week study. A final followup assessment will be conducted 6 months from the start of treatment.
This is a large scale study involving fluoxetine (Prozac) versus a placebo in the treatment of adolescents with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and major depression (MDD). All individuals will receive treatment for 12 weeks with a followup phase lasting 9 months.
This study will compare the effectiveness of ondansetron (Zofran) and naltrexone (ReVia) both alone and in combination in treating Early Onset Alcoholics versus Late Onset Alcoholics. All subjects will received standardized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Followup assessments will be completed at 1, 3, 6, and 9 months after treatment.
This study is a randomized, double-blind clinical trial comparing trazodone (Desyrel) and placebo among sleep-disturbed, alcohol-dependent individuals shortly after discharge from an inpatient detoxification program. Subjects will undergo a baseline assessment and random assignment to trazodone or identical placebo for 12 weeks. All persons completing the alcohol detoxification at Stanley Street Treatment and Resources (SSTAR) will be screened. (SSTAR of Rhode Island provides detoxification services to non/underinsured persons of Rhode Island.)
The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy combining a treatment for depression with a treatment for alcohol dependence.
This study uses positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to study how serotonin works in alcoholics. Serotonin is a chemical that allows brain cells to communicate. There is evidence that people with alcoholism have altered serotonin; their brains begin to make and break down serotonin more slowly than people who do not drink. PET scans use radioactive substances injected into the body. A special camera detects the radiation emitted by the radioactive fluid and a computer processes the radioactivity into images of the brain, which show the activity of brain chemicals like serotonin. People with alcohol dependency may participate in this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history, including questions about alcohol and drug use, physical examination, blood tests, breath alcohol tests, electrocardiogram (ECG), urine test for illicit drugs and, for women, a pregnancy test, and a stool test for hidden blood. They also undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain and complete questionnaires on their alcohol and drug history. Participants undergo the following tests and procedures: - Diet low in tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid from which serotonin is made. - Brain MRI before starting the study to make sure brain structure is normal. - Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to collect a small sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A local anesthetic is given and a needle is inserted in the space between the bones (vertebrae) in the lower back. About 2 tablespoons of fluid is collected through the needle. - Arterial catheter (plastic tube) placed in an artery in the wrist area for drawing blood samples. The skin is numbed with a local anesthetic for placement of the catheter. - Intravenous (IV) catheter placed in a vein for injecting the radioactive isotope used in the PET scan. - Two PET scans - baseline and active. - Amino acid drink (orange flavored) before the active PET scan. The drink lowers tryptophan levels. - Amino acid capsules - 23 amino acid capsules are taken with the orange drink. - Genetic analysis to help understand serotonin and alcoholism. A blood sample is collected for DNA testing and possibly establishment of a cell line (collection of cells that are grown in the laboratory from an original tissue specimen) for other genetic studies. Patients are admitted to the intensive care unit for the lumbar puncture and arterial line procedures. After these procedures are complete, the patient is transferred by stretcher to the PET suite for scanning. During the two scans, blood samples are drawn from the artery and a small amount of CSF is collected each hour of the study. Each PET scanning session lasts about 3 hours. The study lasts 36 hours, during which time the subject remains in bed.