Reductions in and relations between "craving" and drinking in a prospective, open-label trial of ondansetron in adolescents with alcohol dependence.
Recently, we reported that ondansetron (a 5-HT3 antagonist) as an adjunct to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) produced significant within-group decreases (improvement) in drinking in adolescents with alcohol dependence. We previously have hypothesized that the mechanism of ondansetron treatment response in adolescents with alcohol dependence should be similar to early onset adult alcoholics, wherein blockade of serotonin-3 receptors may decrease dopamine release and subsequent alcohol consumption and craving. We now suggest that one mechanism by which ondansetron diminishes drinking in adolescents with alcohol dependence is through a reduction in "craving" as measured by the Adolescent Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (A-OCDS). We conducted an 8-week, prospective, open-label study of ondansetron (4 microg/kg b.i.d.) in 12 adolescents (age 14-20 years) who had alcohol dependence. Results showed that "irresistibility" and total scores as measured by the A-OCDS were correlated significantly with drinking indices (drinks/day, percent days abstinent) at the end of treatment, and that "irresistibility" and total A-OCDS scores decreased significantly by the end of treatment. These preliminary results suggest that the A-OCDS can be useful as an outcome measure in clinical studies of adolescents with alcohol dependence.
Dawes
Michael A
MA
START Center, Division of Alcohol and Drug Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, The South Texas Addiction Research and Technology Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA. mdawes@wfubmc.edu
Johnson
Bankole A
BA
Ma
Jennie Z
JZ
Ait-Daoud
Nassima
N
Thomas
Suzanne E
SE
Cornelius
Jack R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009770:Obsessive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D017294:Ondansetron / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D017294:Ondansetron