Most of the participants (69%) reported being still sober 12 months post-treatment. After treatment (after four SSH chemical aversion treatments, again after five SSH chemical treatments, 30 and 90-days post-discharge), these same patients reported avoidance/aversion to alcohol. Prior to treatment, patients reported craving/desire for alcohol. Patients were recruited as subjects for the University of Washington (UW) brain scan study following SSH admission but before treatment onset. This is the first fMRI study to measure the effects of chemical aversion therapy on alcohol craving-related brain activity. Craving reduction was one of the primary treatment goals. All patients met DSM4 criteria for alcohol use disorder, were heavy drinkers, and reported craving alcohol pre-treatment. The treatments included five chemical aversion conditioning sessions that associated alcohol cues (and alcohol) with nausea and emesis. In the current study, patients with alcohol use disorder received 10 days of inpatient multi-modal treatments at Schick Shadel Hospital (SSH) of Seattle. Craving was added as one of the defining criteria for alcohol use disorder in DSM5, and craving reduction is becoming an increasingly important treatment goal. Alcohol craving is a powerful desire to drink alcoholic beverages. Alcohol drinking behavior is strongly “learned” via pleasure center activation/reinforcement. 3Human Photonics Lab, Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesĪ recent NIH epidemiology study found the lifetime prevalence of alcohol use disorder in the United States to be 29%.2Department of Radiology, Integrated Brain Imaging Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.1Department of Medical Research, Schick Shadel Hospital, Seattle, WA, United States.Richards 2, Robert Nielsen 1, Richard Repass 1, Henriettae Stahlbrandt 2 and Hunter G.
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