FORSCHUNG 2024
– geförderte Projekte
Studying individual susceptibility in the development of compulsive alcohol use: Targeting GABAB receptors in compulsive alcohol use University of Camerino, Camerino Italy
School of Pharmacy
Esi Domi, PhD
Research Associate
esi.domi@unicam.it
Abstract
Alcohol addiction is a chronic disease characterized by dysfunctional behavior and impairment in quality of life, thus represents a tremendous burden for the patient, and the general society. Current pharmacological treatment approaches have limited effectiveness. Due to the need for more efficacious treatments and encouraging safety and feasibility data, scientific interest in the potential clinical benefits of pharmacotherapy targeting the GABAB receptor has recently been returned.
Our data indicate a key role for PKCδ+ inhibitory neurons and GABAB receptors of the central amygdala in development of compulsive alcohol use.
First, we will investigate sex-dependent effects of PKCδ signaling in vulnerability and resistance to compulsive alcohol intake. Next, we will investigate the influence of environmental challenges such as early life stress in shaping the vulnerability to develop excessive and compulsive alcohol in adulthood. To maximize generalizability of our findings, vulnerability and resilience distribution will be investigated in a genetically heterogeneous rat population, using the NIH/HS rats.
Next, we will test the efficacy of the GABAB receptor agonist, R-Baclofen on resistance to compulsive drinking considering sex as a biological factor and genetic sources of inter-individual heterogeneity. This proposal will focus also on the identification of possible biomarkers of vulnerability and resilience by brain- and longitudinal bio-sampling. By using the unique outbred NIH/HS heterogeneous rat panel, we aim to draw general assumptions for the translation to the very heterogeneous human condition of alcohol addiction and probe the efficacy of R-Baclofen in compulsive alcohol use.
Lay summary
Excessive alcohol use accounts for 5% of the global disease burden and represents a major cause of unmet medical needs. Effective treatments for alcoholism are limited and new drugs that can be translated into the clinic are warranted. Here we will test the efficacy of R-Baclofen for treating compulsive drinking.
Using the Delphi-technique to derive strategies to reduce treatment drop-out in child and adolescent addiction treatment
Universitätsklinium Hamburg-Eppendorf, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf
Deutsches Zentrum für Suchtfragen des Kindes- und Jugendalters / German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence
Dr. Nicolas Arnaud
Senior Researcher
n.arnaud@uke.de
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a prevalent health problem in adolescence. A major problem in youth mental health care is that the proportion of patients who terminate treatment prematurely is high. Drop-out-rates seem to be particularly high in addiction treatment. The current literature on treatment drop-out for patients with addictive disorders largely lacks a focus on adolescents and results from international studies do not transfer to German health care settings. In order to improve treatment outcomes in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy (CAPP) addiction treatment it is essential to develop effective strategies to tackle the drop-out problem. Given the limited state and applicability of the current literature and the clinical relevance of drop-out, a Delphi study is applied to synthesize scientific and practical knowledge of appropriate experts to develop strategies to tackle the drop-out problem. Central to this approach is to survey a sample of N=50 experts in the field and reach a broad consensus in an iterative process. The proposed study will comprise three phases 1) Survey development, 2) Online survey rating, 3) Analysis and reporting of survey results. This study is expected to provide a systematically derived and consented set of practically relevant strategies that contribute to reduce drop-out in CAPP in Germany and beyond for the first time. Moreover, in the study it is aimed to identify relevant targets for effective interventions that can be tested in subsequent randomized studies.
Lay summary
Treatment drop-out is a major problem for addicted adolescents and treatment providers. Nevertheless, the field lacks strategies to tackle this problem. With the proposed study we aim to integrate scientific and practical perspectives to derive effective strategies against drop-out in the child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy setting.
Cannabis prevention post decriminalisation: What works? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Charlotte Fresenius Universität München
Department for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Dr. Elena Gomes de Matos
Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin
elena.gomes_de_matos@charlotte-fresenius-uni.de
Abstract
The effectiveness of prevention programmes aimed at reducing substance use and abuse is known to depend on the combination of substance, target group, setting, content and concept of the program. In the case of cannabis prevention, where legal regulations recently changed from cannabis being illegal to being partially legalised, these differential effects are expected to change along. This project aims at identifying elements and characteristics which are associated with higher effectiveness of cannabis prevention in a decriminalised context.
A systematic literature search will be conducted to identify effectiveness studies on cannabis prevention in countries and regions where cannabis is decriminalised. Effects will be synthesized in a meta-analysis. Moderating factors such as setting, target group, and conceptual characteristics will be explored. Results will inform developers and providers of cannabis prevention how to adapt existing or new programmes to the changed legal situation in Germany. They will equally be of interest for other counties currently considering decriminalisation.
Lay Summary
Prevention programmes can reduce adolescents’ cannabis use, but only when they fit the respective target group and setting. With cannabis recently having been legalised in Germany, we plan to investigate which approaches in a prevention programme can be expected to work best in this new situation. To this aim, studies from countries which already decriminalised cannabis will be identified and integrated. Results will be valuable to adapt cannabis prevention to the new legal situation.
