The Effect of NK1R Antagonism on Alcohol Craving and PTSD Symptoms in Alcohol Dependent Patients With PTSD

Phase 2

Completed

Conditions: Alcoholism
Alcohol Dependence
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Interventions: Drug: Placebo
Drug: Aprepitant

Registration Number: NCT00896038

Lead Sponsor: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Brief Summary: Objective:

Alcoholism is highly co-morbid with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since stress and negative affective states are major relapse triggering factors for alcohol use, the negative symptoms associated with PTSD are thought to promote alcohol dependence. Substance P, which is released in the amygdala in response to stress, acts at NK1 receptors (NK1Rs) to mediate behavioral stress responses. Blockade of the NK1R represents a novel approach for anti-stress actions. In a recent double blind, placebo controlled study involving detoxified anxious alcoholics, we found that NK1R antagonism decreased alcohol cravings, attenuated cortisol response to stress, and significantly decreased insula activation in response to negative sensory input. The present study is intended to expand the findings and determine whether the NK1R is a candidate target for treating alcohol dependent patients with PTSD.

Study Population:

On hundred twenty participants with PTSD and co-morbid alcohol dependence will be recruited and stratified by PTSD etiology (60 participants each with civilian and combat PTSD, resp). Within each stratum, the treatment groups will be balanced for sex using urn randomization. Stratification is indicated since civilian and combat-related PTSD can theoretically have a different pathophysiology. Civilians typically experience a single trauma exposure of invariably high magnitude, resulting in symptoms immediately. Combat-related PTSD typically results from multiple traumatic exposures over a prolonged period of time, of variable magnitude, and frequently with delayed emergence of symptoms.

Design:

Participants will be admitted to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) research inpatient unit at the NIH Clinical Research Center (CRC) under protocol number 05-AA-0121 for assessment and treatment of people with alcohol drinking problems, which provides diagnostic assessments and standard withdrawal treatment if needed. Participants will enter into the present protocol once such treatment, if needed is completed. Following inclusion, all participants will receive 1 week of single blind placebo, and will then be randomized to double blind treatment with aprepitant or placebo. Randomized treatment will be for 3 weeks. Spontaneous cravings for alcohol, and ratings of psychopathology will be obtained twice weekly on the inpatient unit throughout the study. Cravings as well as endocrine and immune responses will also be assessed in a challenge session that combines a social stressor and exposure to physical alcohol cues. During the final week, three sessions utilizing scripts will be carried out, on separate days in counter-balanced order, exposing the participant to personalized trauma, alcohol-associated or neutral stimuli. Cravings as well as endocrine and immune responses will also be assessed during the script presentations. A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session will be carried out last to assess responses to affective stimuli. Participants will remain hospitalized throughout the study, and will remain on the unit for a three day post-medication monitoring period.

Outcome Measures:

The primary outcome will be craving alcohol and changes in PTSD symptoms resulting from the script sessions. Secondary outcomes will include cravings and changes in PTSD symptoms resulting from the combined social stress-alcohol cure challenge session, spontaneous craving and PTSD symptoms during hospitalization, and brain responses on the fMRI session. Changes in PTSD symptoms and cravings for alcohol are intended to be surrogate markers for the overall effect of the drug treatment and are not intended to represent global improvement for either PTSD or alcoholism.

Detailed Description: Objective:

Alcoholism is highly co-morbid with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since stress and negative affective states are major relapse triggering factors for alcohol use, the negative symptoms associated with PTSD are thought to promote alcohol dependence. Substance P, which is released in the amygdala in response to stress, acts at NK1 receptors (NK1Rs) to mediate behavioral stress responses. Blockade of the NK1R represents a novel approach for anti-stress actions. In a recent double blind, placebo controlled study involving detoxified anxious alcoholics, we found that NK1R antagonism decreased alcohol cravings, attenuated cortisol response to stress, and significantly decreased insula activation in response to negative sensory input. The present study is intended to expand the findings and determine whether the NK1R is a candidate target for treating alcohol dependent patients with PTSD.

Study Population:

On hundred twenty participants with PTSD and co-morbid alcohol dependence will be recruited and stratified by PTSD etiology (60 participants each with civilian and combat PTSD, resp). Within each stratum, the treatment groups will be balanced for sex using urn randomization. Stratification is indicated since civilian and combat-related PTSD can theoretically have a different pathophysiology. Civilians typically experience a single trauma exposure of invariably high magnitude, resulting in symptoms immediately. Combat-related PTSD typically results from multiple traumatic exposures over a prolonged period of time, of variable magnitude, and frequently with delayed emergence of symptoms.

Design:

Participants will be admitted to the NlAAA research inpatient unit at the NIH Clinical Research Center (CRC) under protocol number 05-AA-0121 for assessment and treatment of people with alcohol drinking problems, which provides diagnostic assessments and standard withdrawal treatment if needed. Participants will enter into the present protocol once such treatment, if needed, is completed. Following inclusion, all participants will receive 1 week of single blind placebo, and will then be randomized to double blind treatment with aprepitant or placebo. Randomized treatment will be for approximately 3 weeks. Spontaneous cravings for alcohol, and ratings of psychopathology will be obtained twice weekly on the inpatient unit throughout the study. Cravings as well as endocrine and immune responses will also be assessed in a challenge session that combines a social stressor and exposure to physical alcohol cues. During the final week, three sessions utilizing scripts will be carried out, on separate days in counter-balanced order, exposing the participant to personalized trauma, alcohol associated or neutral stimuli. Cravings as well as endocrine and immune responses will also be assessed during the script presentations. An fMRI session will be carried out during week 4 to assess responses to affective stimuli. Participants will remain hospitalized throughout the study, and will remain on the unit for a three day post-medication monitoring period.

Outcome Measures:

The primary outcome will be change in craving for alcohol and changes in PTSD symptoms resulting from the script sessions. Secondary outcomes will include cravings and changes in PTSD symptoms resulting from the combined social stress-alcohol cue challenge session, spontaneous craving and PTSD symptoms during hospitalization, and brain responses on the fMRI session. Changes in PTSD symptoms and change in craving for alcohol are intended to be surrogate markers for the overall effect of the drug treatment and are not intended to represent global improvement for either PTSD or alcoholism.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 58

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Placebo	Placebo	Subjects received oral placebo during the 1-week placebo lead-in and then daily for 21 days
Aprepitant	Aprepitant	Following a 1-week placebo lead-in period subjects were given 125 mg of Aprepitant orally daily for 21 days

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Alcohol Craving in Response to the Stress Script	90 minutes after the beginning of stress script presentation, which occurred on Day 25, 26, or 27 of the treatment period	Alcohol craving was measured using the Alcohol Urges Questionnaire (AUQ). The AUQ is an 8-item self-administered instrument that assesses craving for alcohol among alcohol users in the current context (i.e., right now). The score ranges from 8 (lowest craving value) to 56 (highest craving value).
Alcohol Craving in Response to the Alcohol Cue Script	90 minutes after the beginning of alcohol script presentation, which occurred on Day 25, 26, or 27 of the treatment period	Alcohol craving was measured using the Alcohol Urges Questionnaire (AUQ). The AUQ is an 8-item self-administered instrument that assesses craving for alcohol among alcohol users in the current context (i.e., right now). The score ranges from 8 (lowest craving value) to 56 (highest craving value).
PTSD Total Symptom Severity Score	Day 29 of the treatment period, 2 days after the final script presentation	PTSD total symptom severity was measured using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). This is a 30-item interview-based questionnaire that measures symptom severity during the past week. The total symptom severity score ranges from 0 (lowest symptom severity) to 136 (highest symptom severity).