Effects of Fatty Acid Supplementation on Substance Dependent Individuals

January 11, 2017 updated by: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Cholesterol and Fatty Acids in Cocaine Addiction Relapse

Many substance dependent individuals continue to abuse a variety of substances during treatment for their disorder. Often, substance dependent individuals are co-diagnosed with depression and violence problems. Supplements of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may play a role in treating individuals with such substance abuse problems. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the n-3 PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) in treating relapse, aggression, and depression in substance dependent individuals.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Past research suggests that low levels of some PUFAs play a role in the pathophysiology of depressive and aggressive disorders. In addition, there is also evidence that PUFAs play a role in treating substance dependent individuals. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of EFA and DPA in treating substance dependent individuals.

Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either 3 grams of n-3 PUFAs or placebo. Treatment will last 3 months, followed by an observation period of 3 months. Study visits will occur monthly and will last approximately one hour. Study visits will include blood tests and a physical exam. Throughout the study, participants will continue to receive standard substance abuse treatment and will complete urine tests at regular intervals.

Study Type

Interventional

Phase

  • Phase 2

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

Ages Eligible for Study

25 years to 55 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Current or history of drug or alcohol dependence
  • Used substances of abuse during the 3 months prior to study entry
  • Enrolled in one of the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System Brooklyn campus substance abuse clinics

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current or history of hallucinations, delusions, or memory problems
  • Major physical illness (e.g., cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, renal, neuromuscular, or endocrine disorder)
  • Liver function test greater than one standard deviation above upper normal limit
  • Allergic to fish

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
Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: 2
Placebo treatment
Drug: Placebo
5 capsules/day
Experimental: 1
Drug Treatment
Drug: Pro-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
450 mg 5x/day
Drug: Pro-docosapentaenoic acid (DPA)
100mg 5x/day

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Laure Buydens-Branchey, MD, VA New York Harbor Healthcare System

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

July 1, 2004

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2005

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2005

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 6, 2006

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 6, 2006

First Posted (Estimate)

April 10, 2006

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

January 12, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 11, 2017

Last Verified

August 1, 2008

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • R01DA015360-03 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • DPMC (Other Identifier: NIDA)

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.

Clinical Trials on Substance-related Disorders

Clinical Trials on Pro-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in India

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

3
Subscribe