GABA Mechanisms Underlying the Vulnerability to Alcohol Dependence

Completed · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Alcoholism

In brief

This Project will explore the hypothesis that individuals with a family history positive for alcohol dependence (without any current Axis I disorder, except nicotine dependence), experience an alteration in the reward "valence" (balance of positive and negative effects) of the GABAA receptor agonist barbiturate (thiopental) compared to family history negative age-matched subjects. Further, variation in genes involved in brain GABA function may influence the risk for alcoholism by altering a component of the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00611767

Run by

Yale University

People needed

73

Starts

2005-11-01

Expected to finish

2012-04-01

Last updated by the study team

2017-03-17

Who can join

Age: 21 and older, up to 30. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Male and female between the ages of 21 and 30 years
• medically and neurologically healthy on the basis of history, physical examination, Electrocardiogram (EKG), screening laboratories
• absence of any evidence of substance abuse (with the exception of nicotine dependence) on the basis of history and drug and ethanol-free at the time of testing based on urine toxicology and breath alcohol levels at screening and on each test day.

You may not qualify if…

• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) Axis I psychiatric and substance abuse or dependence diagnosis by history on psychiatric evaluation that includes a structured diagnostic interview (SCID)
• unwillingness to remain alcohol-free for three days prior to each test day;
• for women, positive pregnancy test at screening or intention to engage in unprotected sex during the study and
• alcohol naive. For Family History Positive Subjects: 1) Biological father and another first or second-degree biological relative with history of alcoholism by Family History Assessment Module (FHAM) developed by The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA).
• For Family History Negative Subjects: NO family history of alcoholism in any first or second-degree relatives. Subjects must reliably report on three first-degree relatives.

Where it is running

• VA Connecticut Healthcare System — West Haven, Connecticut, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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