Neural Mechanisms of Anxiety During Early and Protracted Abstinence in Alcohol Use Disorder
Columbia University
Summary
The goal of this study is to better understand the underlying neurobiological basis of anxiety that emerges during abstinence in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. To characterize anxiety itself as well as anxiety related-neurobiological circuitry in early abstinence in AUD 2. To examine how anxiety and anxiety related-neurobiological circuitry change over the course of abstinence in AUD Researchers will recruit both participants with AUD and healthy volunteers. The participants with AUD will be prescribed disulfiram, a medication that helps participants with AUD stay abstinent. Healthy volunteers will not receive antabuse. Patients with AUD will undergo fMRI scanning both after 1 week and 3 months of disulfiram treatment. Healthy volunteers will undergo fMRI once.
Description
This study will recruit 40 treatment-seeking participants with AUD ("AUDP") and 20 age matched healthy volunteer participants (HVP). AUDP will be initiated on disulfiram, a medication FDA approved for alcohol use disorder that is a first line treatment for maintenance of abstinence from alcohol, to facilitate and help ensure abstinence from alcohol and will undergo functional MRI scanning at two timepoints: 1) 8-14 days after the last drink ("early abstinence") and 2) after three months of abstinence ("protracted abstinence"). HVP will be scanned once. The investigators will examine the functi…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 21–55 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria (Participants with Alcohol use Disorder): 1. Between the ages of 21 and 55 2. Right-handed 3. Able to perform informed consent and comply with study 4. Seeking treatment for AUD 5. Meets The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria for AUD of at least moderate severity (\>3 symptoms) Inclusion Criteria (Healthy Volunteer Participants): 1. Between the ages of 21 and 55 2. Right-handed 3. Able to perform informed consent and comply with study 4. Report drinking an average of fewer than 8/15 standard drinks per week for women/men and no more tha…
Interventions
- DrugDisulfiram 250 mg
Disulfiram will be used in Participants with Alcohol Use Disorder only to facilitate abstinence.
- Diagnostic Testfunctional MRI
Participants will undergo fMRI scanning. Participants with alcohol use disorder will undergo scanning after 1 week and 3 months of disulfiram maintenance. Healthy volunteer participants will undergo scanning once.
Location
- Columbia University Irving Medical CenterNew York, New York