RECRUITING

Ketone Ester Intervention in Alcohol Use Disorder

Conditions

Alcohol Drinking Alcohol Use Disorder Ester Keytone MRI

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Study Overview

This clinical trial focuses on testing the efficacy of different digital interventions to promote re-engagement in cancer-related long-term follow-up care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Description

The purpose of this research is to study how a nutritional ketone ester may effect brain function and alcohol consumption in regular alcohol users. The study will see how the brain responds, once after drinking the ketone ester and once after drinking a "placebo", which will look and taste the same as the ketone ester drink. Metabolic ketosis induced by a ketogenic diet has been previously shown to elevate brain ketone bodies and reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms in humans with AUD, and reduce alcohol consumption in alcohol-dependent rats. The study investigates whether metabolic ketosis induced by a one-dose nutritional ketone ester (KE) reduces brain reactivity to alcohol cues (fMRI), alcohol craving and alcohol consumption in humans with AUD, and if KE elevates ketone bodies using proton spectroscopy. This study uses a double blind, random ordered, 2-way crossover design in n=20 non-treatment seeking AUD who come in on two separate testing days: on one testing day the participants consume KE ((R)-3-hydroxybutyl (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate), and on another testing day a drink with isocaloric dextrose (DEXT), after which participants are scanned for 1H-MRS and fMRI and complete an alcohol consumption paradigm each day after scanning.

Official Title

Effects of Ketone Ester on Brain Function and Alcohol Consumption in Alcohol Use Disorder

Quick Facts

Study Start:2021-04-05

Study Completion:2026-12

Study Type:Not specified

Phase:Not Applicable

Enrollment:Not specified

Status:RECRUITING

Study ID

NCT04616781

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.

Ages Eligible for Study:21 Years to 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study:ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:Yes

Standard Ages:ADULT, OLDER_ADULT

Inclusion Criteria	Exclusion Criteria
1. Age 21 years to 65 years old. 2. Willingness to provide signed, informed consent and commit to completing the procedures in the study 3. Meets DSM-5 criteria for AUD 4. Average weekly ethanol consumption of at least 15 standard drinks over the past month prior to consent (self-report) 5. Participants not seeking treatment for their AUD (self-report) 6. Alcohol specified as the preferred drug (self-report). 7. Women of child-bearing potential (i.e., who have not had a hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy, tubal ligation or is less than two years postmenopausal): must be non-lactating and practicing a reliable method of birth control, and have a negative urine pregnancy test prior to the initiation of the study and MRI procedures. Examples of medically acceptable methods for this protocol include: the birth control pill, intrauterine device (no copper IUD), injection of Depo-Provera, Norplant, contraceptive patch, contraceptive ring, double-barrier methods (such as condoms and diaphragm/spermicide), male partner sterilization, abstinence (and agreement to continue abstinence or to use an acceptable method of contraception, as listed above, should sexual activity commence), and tubal ligation.	1. Unwilling or unable to refrain from use, within 24 hours of MRI procedures, psychoactive medications or medication that may affect study results (e.g., analgesics containing narcotics, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs). 2. Current DSM-5 diagnosis of a major psychiatric disorder (other than alcohol and nicotine use disorders, or substance use disorders that are mild/moderate) that required hospitalization, or that required daily medications for over 4 weeks in the past year (i.e., antidepressants; anticholinergics; antipsychotics; anxiolytics; lithium; psychotropic drugs not otherwise specified (nos) including herbal products (no drugs with psychomotor effects or with anxiolytics, stimulant, antipsychotic, or sedative properties); sedatives/hypnotics). 3. Urine drug screen positive for recent use of opioids, cocaine, or amphetamines on study visits (may be repeated once and if the result is negative on repeat it is not exclusionary). 4. A current, clinically significant physical disease or abnormality on the basis of medical history, physical examination, or routine laboratory evaluation that can impact brain function, the use of a ketone ester or the use of alcohol (e.g., epilepsy, diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, kidney stones, chronic metabolic acidosis or a cardiomyopathy as determined by history and clinical exam). 5. Currently suffering from or with a history of stroke and/or stroke related spasticity. 6. History of seizures. 7. HIV positive, as the human immunodeficiency virus affects the brain. 8. Head trauma with loss of consciousness for more than 30 minutes or associated with skull fracture or inter-cranial bleeding or abnormal MRI. (self-report, medical history). 9. Presence of ferromagnetic objects in the body that are contraindicated for MRI of the head, fear of enclosed spaces, or other standard contraindication to MRI (self-report checklist). 10. Claustrophobia or other medical condition preventing subject from lying comfortably flat on his/her back for up to 2 hours in the MRI scanner (self-report). 11. BMI \> 35, body girth greater than 52 inches and a head girth greater than 25 inches (imaging data acquisition is impaired with high-weight individuals). 12. Vision problems that cannot be corrected with glasses. 13. Judged by the principal investigator or his designee to be an unsuitable candidate for study participation.

Inclusion Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

1. Age 21 years to 65 years old.
2. Willingness to provide signed, informed consent and commit to completing the procedures in the study
3. Meets DSM-5 criteria for AUD
4. Average weekly ethanol consumption of at least 15 standard drinks over the past month prior to consent (self-report)
5. Participants not seeking treatment for their AUD (self-report)
6. Alcohol specified as the preferred drug (self-report).
7. Women of child-bearing potential (i.e., who have not had a hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy, tubal ligation or is less than two years postmenopausal): must be non-lactating and practicing a reliable method of birth control, and have a negative urine pregnancy test prior to the initiation of the study and MRI procedures. Examples of medically acceptable methods for this protocol include: the birth control pill, intrauterine device (no copper IUD), injection of Depo-Provera, Norplant, contraceptive patch, contraceptive ring, double-barrier methods (such as condoms and diaphragm/spermicide), male partner sterilization, abstinence (and agreement to continue abstinence or to use an acceptable method of contraception, as listed above, should sexual activity commence), and tubal ligation.

1. Unwilling or unable to refrain from use, within 24 hours of MRI procedures, psychoactive medications or medication that may affect study results (e.g., analgesics containing narcotics, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs).
2. Current DSM-5 diagnosis of a major psychiatric disorder (other than alcohol and nicotine use disorders, or substance use disorders that are mild/moderate) that required hospitalization, or that required daily medications for over 4 weeks in the past year (i.e., antidepressants; anticholinergics; antipsychotics; anxiolytics; lithium; psychotropic drugs not otherwise specified (nos) including herbal products (no drugs with psychomotor effects or with anxiolytics, stimulant, antipsychotic, or sedative properties); sedatives/hypnotics).
3. Urine drug screen positive for recent use of opioids, cocaine, or amphetamines on study visits (may be repeated once and if the result is negative on repeat it is not exclusionary).
4. A current, clinically significant physical disease or abnormality on the basis of medical history, physical examination, or routine laboratory evaluation that can impact brain function, the use of a ketone ester or the use of alcohol (e.g., epilepsy, diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, kidney stones, chronic metabolic acidosis or a cardiomyopathy as determined by history and clinical exam).
5. Currently suffering from or with a history of stroke and/or stroke related spasticity.
6. History of seizures.
7. HIV positive, as the human immunodeficiency virus affects the brain.
8. Head trauma with loss of consciousness for more than 30 minutes or associated with skull fracture or inter-cranial bleeding or abnormal MRI. (self-report, medical history).
9. Presence of ferromagnetic objects in the body that are contraindicated for MRI of the head, fear of enclosed spaces, or other standard contraindication to MRI (self-report checklist).
10. Claustrophobia or other medical condition preventing subject from lying comfortably flat on his/her back for up to 2 hours in the MRI scanner (self-report).
11. BMI \> 35, body girth greater than 52 inches and a head girth greater than 25 inches (imaging data acquisition is impaired with high-weight individuals).
12. Vision problems that cannot be corrected with glasses.
13. Judged by the principal investigator or his designee to be an unsuitable candidate for study participation.

Contacts and Locations

Study Contact

Timothy S Pond, MPH

CONTACT

2152517736

timpond@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Principal Investigator

Corinde E Wiers, Ph.D.

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pennsylvania

Study Locations (Sites)

University of Pennsylvania Center for Studies of Addiction

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104

United States

Collaborators and Investigators

Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Corinde E Wiers, Ph.D., PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Pennsylvania

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 Registration Dates

Study Start Date2021-04-05

Study Completion Date2026-12

Study Record Updates

Study Start Date2021-04-05

Study Completion Date2026-12

Terms related to this study

Keywords Provided by Researchers

Ester Keytone
MRI

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Alcohol Drinking
Alcohol Use Disorder