A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Assessing the Efficacy of Levetiracetam Extended-Release in Very Heavy Drinking Alcohol-Dependent Patients.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2012 Feb 10
Fertig JB, Ryan ML, Falk DE, Litten RZ, Mattson ME, Ransom J, Rickman WJ, Scott C, Ciraulo D, Green AI, Tiouririne NA, Johnson B, Pettinati H, Strain EC,Devine E, Brunette MF, Kampman K, A Tompkins D, Stout R; the NCIG 002 Study Group.
PMID: 22324516
Despite promising open label trials this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 130 alcohol-dependent patients who reported very heavy drinking did not show any efficacy in percent abstinence, drinks per drinking day or number of heavy drinking days. There was not even a trend in the medications favor vs placebo.
Levetiracetam XR was titrated during the first 4 weeks to 2,000 mg/d. This target dose was maintained during weeks 5 through 14 and was tapered during weeks 15 and 16.
My take home lessons:
(1) take open label trials with a grain of salt and
(2) anti-convulsants are different from each other.
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