Levetiracetam (Keppra) Treatment for Cocaine Dependence in Methadone-Maintained Patients

This 17-week double-blind, placebo controlled randomized pilot clinical trial will provide treatment for 40 cocaine-dependent opioid dependent patients. Participants, aged 18-65 years, will be randomized to receive levetiracetam 3000 mg/day or placebo while concurrently receiving treatment with methadone. Baseline cocaine use will be determined during the first week of treatment participation. (Gossop et al., 1997) The study design will have three overlapping phases that are summarized below: 1) A one week methadone fixed induction (week 1) and flexible methadone stabilization phase (weeks 2-13); 2) an 12-week "treatment" phase (weeks 2-13), consisting of slow titration and stabilization on study medication; and 3) a four week "taper, detoxification or transfer" phase (weeks 13-17).

During the first week of induction onto methadone, participants will be administered increasing doses of methadone starting at 30 mg daily and increased up to 60 mg daily by the end of the first week. This methadone dose will be adjusted for stabilization of opiate withdrawal symptoms using a flexible dosing from 40 mg up to 150 mg between weeks 2 to 12. This range has been found to be adequate for the vast majority of patients receiving methadone in our program and is designed to accommodate participants who may not be able to tolerate the higher maintenance doses or may still experience withdrawal symptoms, respectively. We may increase or decrease this amount on a case-by-case basis based on physician assessment of self-reported and observed symptoms.

Starting on week 2 subjects will start study medication in one of two randomly assigned experimental groups: levetiracetam 3000 mg /day (active medication) or placebo (inactive medication). Concurrent with the stabilization on methadone, levetiracetam will be increased from 500mg/day on week 2 and this dose will be slowly titrated to a total of 3000mg/day or maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Subjects will remain on their full dosage through week 13.

At the end of week 13, participants will undergo detoxification from methadone over a 4-week period (weeks 13-17) and discontinuation from levetiracetam over a concurrent 2-week period.

All participants will receive weekly 1-hour of individual psychotherapy (Cognitive Behavioral Treatment) with experienced clinicians specifically trained to deliver the therapy and who will receive ongoing supervision. The primary outcomes will be reduction in cocaine use, as assessed by self-report and thrice-weekly urinalyses. Secondary outcomes will include weeks in treatment (retention), reported medication side effects (medication tolerability), and change in measures of: cocaine craving, anxiety symptoms and opiate withdrawal symptoms. This study will occur at the Outpatient Treatment Research Program in Building 36 at the VA CT Healthcare System.