title: Sodium oxybate in maintaining alcohol abstinence in alcoholic patients according to Lesch typologies: a pilot study.
abstract: Sodium oxybate (SO) is a γ-amino-butyric acid (GABA)-ergic drug currently used for the treatment of alcohol dependence (AD) in some European countries. The aim of this study was to describe the effect of SO administration in alcoholics classified according to Lesch alcoholism typology (LAT). Forty-eight patients were enrolled and classified into four groups according to LAT. All patients were treated with oral SO (50 mg/kg of body weight t.i.d.) for 12 weeks. All patients significantly reduced their alcohol intake (p<0.001). Alcohol abstinence during the 12 weeks of treatment did not differ between the four groups at the end of treatment. Craving for SO did not significantly differ amongst groups; cases of SO abuse were very limited and were observed in almost 10% of patients. In conclusion, our study showed an overall efficacy of SO in the treatment of AD irrespective of LAT categories. However, our results confirm that alcoholics with psychiatric co-morbidity, particularly with a borderline personality disorder of Axis II, are at a greater risk of developing craving for and abuse of the drug: until craving for alcohol and craving for SO are characterized in depth, SO should be used with caution in these patients.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Internal Medicine, SS Annunziata Hospital, Cento (Ferrara), Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: Arfedele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Re
authors.forename: Romeo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grignaschi
authors.forename: Teo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vignoli
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vigna-Taglianti
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Addolorato
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zoli
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cibin
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064829:Alcohol Abstinence; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012978:Sodium Oxybate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018755:GABA Agonists; D012978:Sodium Oxybate
keywords: Lesch alcoholism typology; Pharmacotherapy of alcohol-dependence; craving for alcohol; craving for sodium oxybate; sodium oxybate