Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Pregabalin in outpatient detoxification of subjects with mild-to-moderate alcohol withdrawal syndrome
M Di Nicola1, G Martinotti, D Tedeschi
1Institute of Psychiatry, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy. mdnicola@libero.it
Objective:
In this open, prospective study we aimed to investigate the efficacy, medical safety and practicability of pregabalin in outpatient detoxification of alcohol-dependent patients with mild-to-moderate alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). Craving reduction, improvement of psychiatric symptoms and quality of life were the secondary endpoints.
Methods:
Forty alcohol dependent patients (DSM-IV) were detoxified receiving 200-450 mg of pregabalin. Withdrawal (Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA-Ar)) and craving (Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); Obsessive and Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS)) rating scales were applied; psychiatric symptoms and quality of life were evaluated using the Symptom Check List-90 Revised (SCL-90-R) and the QL-Index, respectively. Relapsed and abstinent patients in the post-detoxification evaluation have been compared.
Results:
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms and craving for alcohol resulted significantly reduced (p < 0.001) over time after pregabalin treatment. Pregabalin also resulted in a favourable improvement in psychiatric symptoms and quality of life (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
To our knowledge, this is the first open, prospective study, about the possible use of pregabalin as an outpatient detoxification agent. These preliminary data show its efficacy and safety in the management of patients with mild-to-moderate AWS.
More Related Videos
09:29Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods
Published on: August 4, 2022
08:05A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers
Published on: January 5, 2018
Related Concept Videos
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...
Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone