Atomoxetine Treatment for ADHD and Marijuana Dependence

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: Completed
• Conditions: Marijuana Abuse; Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Atomoxetine; Procedure: Motivational enhancement therapy; Drug: Placebo

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: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 38
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

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

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• 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

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
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

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Estimated Week 12 Self-reported Use	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

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self-reported Longitudinal Use	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	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	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	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

• Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina
• Collaborators: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Aimee L McRae, PharmD, Medical University of South Carolina

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Chauchard E, Hartwell KJ, McRae-Clark AL, Sherman BJ, Gorelick DA. Cannabis Withdrawal in Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2018 Feb 22;20(1):17m02203. doi: 10.4088/PCC.17m02203.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2005
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2008
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2008

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 2, 2006
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 2, 2006
• First Posted (Estimate): August 4, 2006

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): December 30, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 8, 2014
• Last Verified: December 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Marijuana Abuse; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Adrenergic Agents; Neurotransmitter Agents; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors; Membrane Transport Modulators; Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; Atomoxetine Hydrochloride
• Other Study ID Numbers: R21DA018221 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)