Alcohol Self Administration Laboratory
Condition: Alcoholism
MeSH terms: Alcoholism
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This is a pilot study in which our intent is to establish an alcohol administration
      laboratory in which we will be able to test the effect of the anticonvulsant medication
      zonisamide as compared to placebo on alcohol self administration and on cognitive functioning
      in non treatment seeking heavy users of alcohol. Our first goal is to establish the safety of
      zonisamide when used together with alcohol. Our second goal is to test the effect of an acute
      dose of zonisamide on alcohol consumption and show that it may reduce the consumption of
      alcohol. To achieve this goal we seek subjects with a history of heavy drinking to be tested
      on the self-administration procedures described below in two sessions with either zonisamide
      or placebo. These procedures will involve first, the administration of a challenge dose of
      ethanol to evaluate the effect of alcohol on performance on neuropsychological tests. This
      initial challenge will be followed by a period of alcohol self-administration in which the
      research subject can choose to select either ethanol or another reinforcer, money.
    

Detailed description: 
      In preclinical studies three novel anticonvulsants have been studied. The administration of
      tiagabine did not decrease ethanol consumption in rodents (Schmitt et al., 2002; Rimondini et
      al., 2002). In a study with alcohol preferring mice topiramate reduced alcohol consumption in
      a two bottle choice prolonged access model of drinking (Gabriel and Cunningham, 2005). In a
      study done at our laboratory both topiramate and zonisamide were found to have similar
      effects on reducing the consumption of ethanol in Wistar rat (Knapp et al., 2004). More
      recently we found that zonisamide administration decreased alcohol consumption in a limited
      access model in the C57BL/B6 mouse. These results suggest that zonisamide might be useful as
      a medication for the treatment of alcohol dependence.

      Topiramate and zonisamide have some structural similarities with a sulfamate or
      methane-sulfonamide containing chain respectively attached to cyclic structure. These
      structural similarities may explain some of their pharmacological similarities including
      blockade of voltage sensitive sodium channels and low potency inhibition of carbonic
      anhydrase (Taverna et al., 1999; Dodgson et al., 2000; Schaf et al., 1987; Masudaet al.,
      1993). Both topiramate and zonisamide promote weight loss (McElroy et al., 2003; McElroy et
      al., 2004; Gadde et al., 2003). This effect may be a result of neuromodulation of the
      regulation of alcohol and food shared by these drugs.
    

Intervention name(s): zonisamide; Placebo
Intervention type(s): Drug; Drug
Intervention description(s): zonisamide (100 mg)one time; Placebo Comparator
Other intervention name(s): zonegran
Intervention MeSH terms: Zonisamide
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator)
Primary purpose: Other