NCT03037060

Exploring Regulation and Function of Dopamine D3 Receptors in Alcohol Use Disorders: A [11C]-(+)-PHNO Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 17 (actual)
• Sponsor: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 19 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

There is a need to better understand the mechanisms underlying alcohol use and dependence in order to advance the clinical treatment of alcohol dependence. Here, the investigators will use Positron Emission Tomography to determine if there is an up-regulation of D3 receptors in the brains of subjects with alcohol use disorders. The investigators will also investigate the relationship between D3 binding and major phenotypes associated with alcohol use disorders, namely: alcohol cue induced craving and motivation to self-administer alcohol in the laboratory.

Detailed description

Alcohol dependence is a devastating illness with social and medical costs estimated to be 180 billion dollars annually in the US. In the clinical treatment of alcoholism, reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers is a major clinical challenge. As such, there has been much emphasis in both clinical and preclinical research to identify the substrates that mediate craving, excessive drinking and addiction. Identifying the neurobiological mechanisms of alcohol dependence may lead to the development of new and better treatment strategies. Preclinical studies indicate that the D3 receptor is involved in alcohol-cue response and in the motivation to drink alcohol. However, there is currently no data available in human subjects exploring the relationship between D3 and those behavioral responses in subjects with alcohol use disorders. Aim #1: To measure the \[11C\]-(+)-PHNO PET binding levels in the brains of subjects with alcohol use disorders. Aim #2: To determine the relationship between D3 receptor binding and alcohol cue induced craving and motivation to self-administer alcohol in the laboratory. To achieve designated goals, the investigators will recruit 25 male and female subjects who are non-treatment seekers. After a period of abstinence from alcohol, participants will come to the Centre for Addiction of Mental Health for a \[11C\]-(+)-PHNO PET scan. Participants will also have additional sessions during which other alcohol-related measures will be assessed (i.e. alcohol cue induced craving and motivation to self-administer alcohol in the laboratory).

Conditions

• Alcohol Use Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	[11C]-(+)-PHNO PET scan	PET scan
OTHER	Alcohol Self-Administration	Session for assessing motivation for consuming alcohol.
OTHER	Craving Task	Cue exposure paradigm
OTHER	MRI scan	MRI scan scan to analyze the PET data will be administered.
OTHER	Neuropsychological Assessment	Cognitive questionnaires administered over course of study.

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-12-01
• Primary completion: 2020-08-01
• Completion: 2020-08-01
• First posted: 2017-01-31
• Last updated: 2020-10-29

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada