Biobehavioral Effects of Topiramate on Cannabis-Related Outcomes in Adolescents

August 27, 2020 updated by: Robert Miranda, Brown University
Cannabis use is a significant public health concern that disproportionately affect youth. Although promising psychosocial interventions are being developed, most youth do not benefit from these interventions alone. Given the clinical demand for effective treatments, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) identified the critical need for data on the tolerability and potential efficacy of medications in adolescents. The purpose of this two-year study is to test if and how topiramate, a medication under intense study for treating several drugs of abuse, reduces cannabis use among teenagers. To this end, the investigators will randomize 56 nontreatment-seeking regular cannabis users (15 or 20 years old) to receive topiramate or placebo for 6 weeks. Youth will monitor their cannabis use for the 6-week period using handheld electronic diaries and complete assessments of reactivity to cannabis-related cues.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

66

Phase

  • 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
    • Rhode Island
      • Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02912
        • Brown University, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies

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

11 years to 16 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 15 to 20 years old (inclusive)
  • Non-treatment seeking for cannabis abuse or dependence
  • Able to read English, understand their rights as provided by the informed consent process, and be willing to sign an informed consent form to participant in the study
  • If younger than 18 years old, informed consent from a parent or legal guardian is required
  • Used cannabis at least 2 days per week during the past 30 days

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Treatment seeking or a recent history of treatment for cannabis abuse or dependence
  • Endorses a current commitment to stop using cannabis
  • Clinically significant physical abnormalities as indicated by physical exam, hematological assessment, bilirubin concentration or urinalysis
  • History of renal impairment, renal stones, seizures, or unstable hypertension
  • Underweight (i.e., less than the 5th percentile) or overweight (equal to or greater than the 95th percentile), as determined by the Body Mass Index
  • Positive urine toxicology screen for narcotics, amphetamines, or sedative hypnotics or self-reported drug use, other than cannabis, alcohol or nicotine, in the past 30 days
  • Pregnant, nursing, or refusal to use reliable barrier method of birth control (e.g., condom), if female
  • Took a psychotropic medication in the past 30 days
  • Taking medications with a potential effect on cannabis use or a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
  • Suicidal
  • A current DSM-IV-TR Axis I diagnosis other than attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder or a disruptive behavior disorder
  • A current substance use disorder other than a cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine use disorders
  • Significant alcohol withdrawal symptoms
  • Known sensitivity to topiramate

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: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Sugar pill
Drug: Placebo
Placebo (daily)
Experimental: Topiramate
Topiramate (200 mg daily)
Drug: Topiramate
Topiramate (200 mg daily)
Other Names:
  • Topamax

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cannabis Use
Time Frame: Weeks 1-6
Frequency of Cannabis Use (Percent Use Days Per Week)
Weeks 1-6

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Quantity of Cannabis Use
Time Frame: Weeks 1-6
Total Grams of Cannabis Use Per week
Weeks 1-6
Amount of Cannabis Use Per Use Day
Time Frame: Weeks 1-6
Average Grams of Cannabis Used Per Use Day
Weeks 1-6

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Brown University

Collaborators

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Robert Miranda, Ph.D., Brown University

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

December 1, 2009

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2012

Study Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 20, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 23, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

April 26, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 16, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 27, 2020

Last Verified

August 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • R01DA026778 (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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