Atomoxetine Treatment for ADHD and Marijuana Dependence

December 8, 2014 updated by: Aimee McRae-Clark, Medical University of South Carolina
The aim of the study is to determine if atomoxetine treatment combined with motivational enhancement therapy is effective in reducing marijuana use in adult individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and marijuana dependence.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the medication atomoxetine, or Strattera, plus 3 sessions of counseling can help people to reduce the symptoms of ADHD and to help cut back on their marijuana use. Participation in the study is approximately 12 weeks of medication treatment and doctor's visits once a week. The first 2 visits consist of evaluations to determine if you qualify to participate. These visits are approximately 2-3 hours long and will include questions about your past and present substance use, psychiatric history, a routine physical exam, bloodwork, and paper and pencil questionnaires about your marijuana use. Once you are enrolled in the study, visits are typically 30 minutes long, once a week. The one-on-one counseling sessions regarding marijuana use are 1 hour long and you will have 3 sessions throughout the study. If you qualify for this study, you will receive either atomoxetine, or a placebo (sugar pill). Study participants will have a 50% chance of receiving atomoxetine. Atomoxetine is a non-stimulant, commonly used to treat ADHD.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
38

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • South Carolina
      • Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29425
        • Medical University of South Carolina

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Healthy men and women, 18 to 65 years of age
  2. Meet DSM-IV criteria for marijuana dependence
  3. Meet DSM-IV criteria for current ADHD, determined by a clinical interview and confirmed by semi-structured interview with the Conners' Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAAR-D; Conners et al, 1999)
  4. ADHD symptom severity indicated by a score of 12 or greater on the Wender-Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale
  5. ADHD symptoms must be corroborated by a second informant on either current symptoms (by a significant other or close friend) or childhood symptoms (by a parent or older sibling)
  6. All subjects will agree to and sign a written, IRB-approved informed consent
  7. Subjects must live within a 60-mile radius of Charleston, SC, to facilitate study visit compliance

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Individuals meeting DSM-IV dependence for a substance other than marijuana with the exception of nicotine and caffeine. Dependence on nicotine and caffeine will be allowed since dependence on these substances commonly co-occurs with marijuana dependence and excluding these individuals would compromise study recruitment
  2. Individuals meeting DSM-IV criteria for a lifetime history of schizophrenia or another non-affective psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder, since these patients will most likely be taking other psychotropic medications and often require intensive psychiatric care
  3. Individuals meeting DSM-IV criteria for current major depressive disorder or eating disorder, since these individuals will likely require treatment with psychotropic medications. Subjects may meet criteria for a minor mood disorder (dysthymia) and for anxiety disorders. The inclusion of subjects with these disorders will be allowed as they commonly co-exist among patients with marijuana dependence (Stephens et al, 1993)
  4. Individuals who present significant suicidal risk
  5. Individuals with significant cognitive impairment as measured by a score of less than 26 on the Mini-Mental Status Exam, as they may be unable to understand the informed consent, comply with study protocol, or accurately complete assessments
  6. Individuals currently receiving stimulants, benzodiazepines, antidepressant or antipsychotic medications, as these medications could confound the effects of atomoxetine treatment
  7. Individuals currently receiving psychotherapy focusing on reducing marijuana use or on ADHD symptoms, as this could confound the effects of atomoxetine treatment. Participation in 12-step programs will be allowed
  8. Pregnant or nursing women, or women who refuse to use adequate birth control, as atomoxetine has not been approved for use in pregnancy
  9. Individuals without stable housing, as contacting these individuals would be difficult
  10. Individuals with major medical illnesses (e.g., HIV, renal failure, unstable angina, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, infectious hepatitis)
  11. Patients with hypertension (defined as having blood pressure greater than 140/90 measured on 3 or more occasions), as atomoxetine treatment can be associated with increases in blood pressure
  12. Patients with evidence of hepatic insufficiency, as atomoxetine requires hepatic metabolism
  13. Patients with urinary hesitancy or urinary hesitation, as atomoxetine has been associated with some urinary hesitation in clinical trials
  14. Individuals who, in the investigators' opinion, would not be able to comply with study procedures, such as individuals unable to reliably present for intake appointments

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Active
Atomoxetine plus Motivational Enhancement Therapy
Drug: Atomoxetine
25 to 100 mg daily
Other Names:
  • Strattera
Procedure: Motivational enhancement therapy
Three sessions
Other Names:
  • MET
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Placebo plus Motivational Enhancement Therapy
Procedure: Motivational enhancement therapy
Three sessions
Other Names:
  • MET
Drug: Placebo
25 to 100 mg daily
Other Names:
  • Sugar pill

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Estimated Week 12 Self-reported Use
Time Frame: One week (study week 12)
Participants' self-report of mean frequency of use of marijuana during week 12 of the study was assessed using a Time-Line Follow-Back.
One week (study week 12)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Self-reported Longitudinal Use
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Participants' self-report of mean frequency of use of marijuana from baseline through week 12 visit of the study was assessed using a Time-Line Follow-Back.
12 weeks
Urine Drug Screens
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Participants submitted a urine sample weekly. Percentage of marijuana positive urine samples were calculated per group.
12 weeks
Wender-Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12
The WRAADDS is intended to measure the severity of ADHD symptoms in adults. It measures symptoms in seven categories: attention difficulties, hyperactivity/restlessness, temper, affective lability, emotional over-reactivity, disorganization, and impulsivity. The scale rates individual items from 0-2 (0=not present, 1=mild, 2=clearly present), with a minimum score of 0 and maximum score of 46. Reported here is change from Baseline to Week 12 (or LOCF).
Baseline and Week 12
Clinical Global Impression, Improvement Scale
Time Frame: 12 weeks
The Clinical Global Impression - Improvement scale (CGI-I) was used to assess improvement in ADHD symptoms during study participation. CGI-I is a 7 point scale that requires the clinician to assess how much the patient's illness has improved or worsened relative to a baseline state at the beginning of the intervention. and rated as: 1, very much improved; 2, much improved; 3, minimally improved; 4, no change; 5, minimally worse; 6, much worse; or 7, very much worse.
12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Medical University of South Carolina

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Aimee L McRae, PharmD, Medical University of South Carolina

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 1, 2005

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2008

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2008

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 2, 2006

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 2, 2006

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 4, 2006

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 30, 2014

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 8, 2014

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • R21DA018221 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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