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Topiramate Versus Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Genotype-Stratified Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Kirsten C Morley1, Henry R Kranzler1, Natasha Luquin1
1Specialty of Addiction Medicine, Sydney Medical School (Morley, Adams, Montebello, Tremonti, Dali, Logge, Haber), School of Health Sciences (Baillie), and Matilda Centre for Mental Health and Substance Use (Teesson), Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Edith Collins Centre for Translational Research in Alcohol, Drugs, and Toxicology (Morley, Jamshidi, Logge, Haber) and Department of Medical Genomics (Luquin, Trent), Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Australia; Center for Studies of Addiction, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia (Kranzler); Northern Sydney Local Health District Drug and Alcohol Services, St Leonards, Australia (Montebello); St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, Australia (Tremonti).
Topiramate shows comparable effectiveness and safety to naltrexone for alcohol use disorder (AUD), with superior results in reducing craving and BMI. Genetic polymorphisms did not impact treatment response in this study.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Genetics
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Comparative trials for alcohol use disorder (AUD) pharmacotherapies are limited.
- The role of specific genetic polymorphisms (rs2832407 in GRIK1 and rs1799971 in OPRM1) in treatment response is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of topiramate and naltrexone in treating AUD.
- To investigate the influence of rs2832407 and rs1799971 polymorphisms on treatment outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 147 AUD patients.
- Patients were stratified by genotype for rs2832407 and rs1799971 polymorphisms.
- Primary outcome: reduction in heavy drinking days; secondary outcomes: standard drinks, BMI, craving, liver markers, mood, and adverse events.
Main Results:
- Topiramate demonstrated a significant advantage over naltrexone in reducing standard drinks per drinking day.
- Greater reductions in BMI, craving, and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels were observed with topiramate.
- No significant effect of the studied polymorphisms on treatment response was found.
Conclusions:
- Topiramate is a viable alternative to naltrexone for AUD, offering comparable safety and efficacy.
- Topiramate may be superior to naltrexone for specific clinical outcomes like craving and BMI reduction.
- The investigated genetic polymorphisms do not appear to influence the effectiveness of topiramate or naltrexone in AUD treatment.
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