Combining Medications for the Treatment of Alcohol Dependence: An Inpatient Preliminary Study

Eight (n = 8) alcohol-dependent research volunteers, not seeking treatment, will complete a placebo-controlled, within-subject cross-over design in which alcohol-related and control cues are presented as stimuli to induce alcohol-seeking behavior under controlled laboratory conditions after repeated dose (chronic) treatment with double-blind doses of placebo or topiramate + naltrexone.Subjects will reside in an inpatient environment for two separate 9-day blocks interspersed by a 1-week washout period. During separate blocks, topiramate + naltrexone and placebo doses will be administered orally on a twice-daily regimen (08:00 h and 20:00 h) for 8 days.Doses will start the evening of day 1 and the last dose will be given the morning of day 8. No doses will be given the evening of day 8 or the morning of day 9. On Days 7 and 8 of the dosing regimen, subjects will receive alcohol and alcohol-related cues or the corresponding control cues.