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Alcohol DependenceMANCT01014533

Pharmacotherapy and Mechanisms of Sleep Disturbance in Alcohol Dependence

A study testing Gabapentin dispensed to subject. in people with Alcohol Dependence and Insomnia, run by Dr. Kirk Brower at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Insomnia and other sleep abnormalities are common, persistent, and associated with relapse in alcohol-dependent patients. The overall, long-term objectives of the proposed research are to investigate the neurophysiologic mechanisms of sleep disturbance that are associated with relapse in patients with alcohol… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Alcohol Dependence, Insomnia
What is being tested?
Gabapentin dispensed to subject.
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
59 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
May 2007to Sep 2011
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Meet DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence (as confirmed by the SCID)
  • Between 3 and 12 weeks since last drink (as measured by the TLFB)
  • At least 2 weeks since last detoxification medication, if relevant
  • An alcohol withdrawal rating score < 8 (as measured by the CIWA-Ar) to rule out acute alcohol withdrawal effects on sleep.
  • Expresses a desire to stop drinking or a willingness to abstain from alcohol and/or other drugs of abuse (except nicotine) during the course of the study

Who cannot join

  • Subjects who meet DSM-IV criteria for dependence on any psychoactive substance other than alcohol (except nicotine) in the past 3 months (per SCID interview).
  • Subjects with a current (past 1 month) DSM-IV diagnosis of panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, anorexia nervosa, or bulimia nervosa (per SCID interview) and/or that require ongoing psychotropic medication.
  • Subjects who have a lifetime diagnosis meeting DSM-IV criteria for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional (paranoid) disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
  • Urine drug screen positive for amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, or opioids. (If positive, subjects have one opportunity to test negative after a week of abstinence).
  • Medical disorders or pain syndromes that may affect sleep; history of head trauma with loss of consciousness; history of seizures (except alcohol-related seizures).
  • Subjects with elevated renal tests (blood urea nitrogen or creatinine), because gabapentin is renally eliminated, or elevated liver transaminases (>3X normal), or abnormal thyroid tests as thyroid problems can affect sleep.
Show all 13Show fewer
  • Sleep disorders other than insomnia such as sleep apnea/hypopnea index >10 per hour or periodic limb movement disorder; PLM>15 movements per hour with arousals.
  • Taking medications known to affect sleep (e.g., antidepressants, anticonvulsants, centrally acting antihistamines, neuroleptics, sedative-hypnotics, stimulants, centrally acting antihypertensives [alpha-methyldopa, reserpine, clonidine], oral corticosteroids, and theophylline within the past 2 weeks or 5 weeks for fluoxetine).
  • Subjects taking medications used to treat addiction (e.g., disulfiram, naltrexone or acamprosate) are excluded because of unknown effects on sleep.
  • Subjects who do evening or midnight shift work. (Subjects who have traveled across multiple time zones in the previous two weeks will be included only at the discretion of the P.I.)
  • Pregnancy, breast feeding, or inadequate contraception in women of child-bearing potential.
  • Subjects who are unable or unlikely to follow the study protocol in the investigator 's opinion, because of cognitive deficits (Mini-Mental State Exam score < 27), a personality disorder, a serious suicide risk, dangerousness to others, illiteracy, or unstable or distant living situation.
  • Subjects with a known allergy, hypersensitivity or contraindication to study medication.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Michigan Health System

    Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: This is a Study Exploring the Reasons Why People With Alcohol Dependence Have Sleep Disturbances, and Whether or Not a Study Medication, Gabapentin, vs. Placebo, Affects Those Sleep Patterns.

Insomnia and other sleep abnormalities are common, persistent, and associated with relapse in alcohol-dependent patients. The overall, long-term objectives of the proposed research are to investigate the neurophysiologic mechanisms of sleep disturbance that are associated with relapse in patients with alcohol dependence, and to target those mechanisms with medication in order to reduce relapse risk.

The specific research aims are:

Read more
  1. To investigate three potential mechanisms of sleep disturbance in alcoholic patients: impaired sleep drive, impaired circadian regulation of alertness, and brain hyperactivation;
  2. To investigate short-term effects of medication on sleep and its regulatory mechanisms in alcoholics;
  3. To investigate the short-term clinical course of alcoholism as a function of baseline sleep parameters.

In Study Phases I \& II (Screening \& Baseline: 10+ days), subjects are assessed to diagnose alcohol dependence, determine baseline values for drinking and sleeping, and rule out confounding sleep-impairing causes.

Phase III (Medication: 10 days), is a randomized, double-blind parallel design comparison of gabapentin vs. placebo on mechanisms of sleep. It is not a therapeutic or clinical trial. Phases II \& III each have 7 days of monitoring sleep and activity, followed by 3 nights in the University of Michigan (UM) sleep laboratory to assess all-night EEG activity and Dim-Light Melatonin Onset (DLMO), a measure of circadian rhythm.

Phase IV is a 2-day medication taper and Phase V (Follow-up) consists of one visit or telephone call after 12 weeks to assess course of drinking.

In summary, sleep disturbance in alcoholic patients increases their risk of relapse. This study proposes to investigate the mechanisms causing sleep disturbance in alcoholics and to determine if those mechanisms predict return to drinking after 12 weeks.

Relevance: Alcoholism is a devastating chronic disorder that in any one year affects 10% of adults, costs over $185 billion, and causes more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. Despite treatment, most alcoholic patients achieve only short-term abstinence. Medically-based treatment improvements are needed that target neurophysiologic mechanisms of relapse. Overall public health will be improved by developing science-based treatments that can augment existing, but only partially effective, treatment approaches.

Being tested
Placebo dispensed to subject., Gabapentin dispensed to subject.
Keywords
Alcoholism, Alcohol dependence, Insomnia, Dim light melatonin onset, Gabapentin
Medical subject headings
Alcoholism, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Placebo dispensed to subject.Drug

    Placebo for 11 days, (one pill at bedtime on nights 1 and 2, 2 pills at bedtime on nights 3-10, and 1 pill at bedtime on night 11, then D/C). They return to the Sleep Lab for polysomnography on nights 8 - 10 of medication so their sleep data can be compared.

  • Gabapentin dispensed to subject.Drug

    Also called Neurontin is the brand name for Gabapentin.

    After spending 3 baseline nights in the UM Sleep Lab, alcohol dependent subjects are randomized to receive either gabapentin or placebo for 11 days. (1 pill (600 mg) at bedtime on nights 1 and 2, 2 pills (totalling 1200 mg) at bedtime on nights 3-10, and 1 pill (600 mg) at bedtime on night 11, then D/C). On nights 8 - 10 of medication, subjects return to the lab and sleep 3 more nights with the same procedures.

Study groups in NCT01014533
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorAfter 3 nights in the UM sleep lab and randomization, this arm receives placebo for one week. They then return to the sleep lab for the same procedures.
Receives: Drug: Placebo dispensed to subject.
GabapentinActive comparatorAfter spending 3 baseline nights in the UM sleep lab, alcohol dependent subjects are randomized. This arm receives gabapentin . On nights 1 and 2 of medication, the dose is 600 mg by mouth 30 min before bedtime. On nights 3-10, the dose is 1200 mg by mouth 30 min before bedtime. On nights 8-10 of medication, subjects return to the UM sleep lab and complete 3 sleep nights with the same procedures. On night 11, the dose is reduced to 600 mg by mouth 30 min before bedtime, and then stopped.
Receives: Drug: Gabapentin dispensed to subject.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Percentage of Total Sleep Time in Stage 2 Sleep Pre- and Post-study Medication (Stage 2 Percent)

    Electrophysiological measures of sleep stages: percent of total sleep time in stage 2 sleep

    Measured: 1 week

  2. Wake Time After Sleep Onset (WASO) Measured in Sleep Laboratory Recordings Pre- and Post- Study Medication

    Wake time after sleep onset (WASO) (number of minutes awake throughout the night after initial sleep onset)

    Measured: 1 week

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Relapse to Any Drinking

    Relapse to any drinking is counted as participants who drank any beverage alcohol from end of sleep laboratory study (night 10) to twelve weeks later

    Measured: 12 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Nov 2009 (estimated)
  2. Study startMay 2007
  3. Primary completionSep 2011
  4. Study completionSep 2011

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
59 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01014533
Sponsor's protocol ID
HUM00010947
Other IDs
1R01AA016117-01A1
Acronym
MA
Status last verified
Oct 2017
First submitted
16 Nov 2009
Last updated
6 Dec 2017
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Gabapentin dispensed to subject. in people with Alcohol Dependence and Insomnia, run by Dr. Kirk Brower at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 13 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Dec 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 1 Nov 2017). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Percentage of Total Sleep Time in Stage 2 Sleep Pre- and Post-study Medication (Stage 2 Percent) (time frame: 1 week). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Dec 2017.

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