Dexamethasone to Target Stress and Immune System Mechanisms Underlying Alcohol Craving

July 25, 2022 updated by: Helen Fox, PhD, Stony Brook University

Dexamethasone to Target Stress and Immune System Changes During Early Abstinence in Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof of concept laboratory study to recruit N=70 (35 Males / 35 Females) non-treatment seeking, heavy drinkers with alcohol use disorder (AUD). It is hypothesized that randomization to 1.5mgs dexamethasone versus placebo will decrease alcohol craving during stress by decreasing basal cortisol, increasing anti-inflammatory cytokine levels and potentially normalizing the immune response to stress.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

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 (Anticipated)

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.
70

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.
  • Early Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

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 55 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Non-treatment seeking heavy drinking men and women with AUD
  • Age range 18-55,
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) of 18-35
  • Positive ethylglucuronide (EtG) urine toxicology screen for alcohol
  • Able to provide informed written and verbal consent
  • Able to read English and complete study evaluations
  • Good health as verified by screening examination.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Meet criteria for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) or other psychoactive substances, excluding nicotine
  • Unable to remain abstinent for five days
  • Need for a medically assisted detoxification
  • Regular use of steroids, anticonvulsants, sedatives/hypnotics, prescription analgesics, other anti-hypertensives, anti-arrythmics, antiretroviral medications, tricyclic antidepressants, naltrexone, disulfiram, and any other psychoactive medications with the exception of stabilization on Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
  • Psychotic or severely psychiatrically disabled
  • Significant underlying medical conditions which would be of potential harm
  • Pregnancy or breast feeding women;
  • Women using monophasic contraceptives
  • Electrocardiogram (EKG) evidence of clinically significant conduction abnormalities, (Bazlett's corrected QT (QTc) interval of >450 msec for men and QTc>470 msec for women).

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.
Active Comparator: Guanfacine
single dose of dexamethasone (1.5mg) administered orally
Drug: Dexamethasone Oral
1.5mg oral dexamethasone to be administered once at 11:00PM
Other Names:
  • Decadron, Dexamethasone Intensol, Dexasone, Solurex, and Baycadron.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
single dose of placebo administered orally
Drug: Placebo
oral placebo to be administered once at 11:00PM

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
Alcohol craving as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
The 8-item Alcohol Urges Questionnaire (AUQ) will be used to measure alcohol craving. There are 8 items, each with a Likert scale response from 1 to 7 (1: Strongly Disagree, 7: Strongly Agree). Total possible score of 56. The higher the score the higher the alcohol craving
Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
Alcohol craving as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
The 8-item Alcohol Urges Questionnaire (AUQ) will be used to measure alcohol craving. There are 8 items, each with a Likert scale response from 1 to 7 (1: Strongly Disagree, 7: Strongly Agree). Total possible score of 56. The higher the score the higher the alcohol craving
Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
Alcohol craving as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
The 8-item Alcohol Urges Questionnaire (AUQ) will be used to measure alcohol craving. There are 8 items, each with a Likert scale response from 1 to 7 (1: Strongly Disagree, 7: Strongly Agree). Total possible score of 56. The higher the score the higher the alcohol craving
Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
Alcohol craving as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
A visual analog scale will be used to measure alcohol craving. Participants will be required to rate "how much they are craving alcohol right at this moment". The scale will be anchored from 1 to 10 (1: Not at all, 10: Extremely)
Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
Alcohol craving as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
A visual analog scale will be used to measure alcohol craving. Participants will be required to rate "how much they are craving alcohol right at this moment". The scale will be anchored from 1 to 10 (1: Not at all, 10: Extremely)
Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
Alcohol craving as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
A visual analog scale will be used to measure alcohol craving. Participants will be required to rate "how much they are craving alcohol right at this moment". The scale will be anchored from 1 to 10 (1: Not at all, 10: Extremely)
Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA)-axis response to stress exposure as assessed by cortisol
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma cortisol will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
HPA axis response to stress exposure as assessed by cortisol
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma cortisol will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
HPA axis response to stress exposure as assessed by cortisol
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma cortisol will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
HPA axis response to stress exposure as assessed by Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma ACTH will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
HPA axis response to stress exposure as assessed by ACTH
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma ACTH will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
HPA axis response to stress exposure as assessed by ACTH
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma ACTH will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma Interleukin (IL)-10 will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma IL-10 will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma IL-10 will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL1-ra) will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma IL1-ra will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma IL1-ra will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma IL-6 will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma IL-6 will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma IL-6 will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFa) will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma TNFa will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma TNFa will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 (TNFR1) will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma TNFR1 will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
Immune system response to stress exposure as assessed by peripheral cytokines
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
4mls of plasma TNFR1 will be collected following exposure to stress
Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure

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
Anxiety as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
A visual analog scale will be used to measure anxiety. Participants will be required to rate "how nervous, anxious or jittery they are feeling at this moment". The scale will be anchored from 1 to 10 (1: Not at all, 10: Extremely)
Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
Anxiety as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
A visual analog scale will be used to measure anxiety. Participants will be required to rate "how nervous, anxious or jittery they are feeling at this moment". The scale will be anchored from 1 to 10 (1: Not at all, 10: Extremely)
Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
Anxiety as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
A visual analog scale will be used to measure anxiety. Participants will be required to rate "how nervous, anxious or jittery they are feeling at this moment". The scale will be anchored from 1 to 10 (1: Not at all, 10: Extremely)
Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
Negative Mood as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
The Differential Emotion Scale will be used to measure negative mood. Participants will be required to rate on a 5-point scale the extent to which an emotional word describes the way they feel at the current time. 1: not at all, 5: Extremely
Change from baseline to +5 minutes following stress exposure
Negative Mood as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
The Differential Emotion Scale will be used to measure negative mood. Participants will be required to rate on a 5-point scale the extent to which an emotional word describes the way they feel at the current time. 1: not at all, 5: Extremely
Change from baseline to +15 minutes following stress exposure
Negative Mood as assessed using subjective report following stress exposure
Time Frame: Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure
The Differential Emotion Scale will be used to measure negative mood. Participants will be required to rate on a 5-point scale the extent to which an emotional word describes the way they feel at the current time. 1: not at all, 5: Extremely
Change from baseline to +30 minutes following stress exposure

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.
Stony Brook University

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: Helen C Fox, PhD, Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine

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 (Actual)

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.
March 11, 2022

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

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 23, 2024

Study Completion (Anticipated)

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 30, 2024

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).
March 22, 2022

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.
March 22, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

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.
March 31, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
July 28, 2022

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.
July 25, 2022

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.
July 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • R21AA029735 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

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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