Clinical Applications of New Alcoholism Studies

Recent clinical trials have examined multiple modalities for enhancing outcome in alcohol dependence. New research presented at the May 1996 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry symposium described a unique instrument for assessing control over alcohol consumption and the instrument's use in studies assessing its efficacy in the treatment of alcoholism In addition, long-term safety data for naltrexone, an opioid-antagonist that has been shown to be effective in reducing relapse among alcohol-dependent patients, was reviewed, showing the lack of significant hepatoxicity of naltrexone at the doses normally used for alcoholism treatment. Results of a multicenter study for integrating naltrexone into outpatient treatment programs with less-intensive psychosocial therapy than previous studies were also presented.