Acamprosate in the Treatment of Pathological Gambling

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2009-07-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The purpose of this study is to see whether acamprosate (Campral) will curb the desire to gamble in people with pathological gambling disorder.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Iowa
• Collaborators: Forest Laboratories; University of Nebraska
• Treatments: Acamprosate

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients will meet DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 4th Edition) criteria for Pathological Gambling Disorder

• Patients will achieve a SOGS (South Oaks Gambling Screen) score greater than or equal to 5

• Patients will be 18 years old or older

• Patients will speak standard English

• Patients will be able to give written Informed Consent

• Patients will be able to understand and cooperate with study procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients having a current (past 3 months) substance use disorder (except dependence)

• Patients having a Hamilton Depression Rating score of greater than or equal to 18 or a score on #1 (depressed mood) greater than 1.

• Patients having a clinically significant medical illness

• Patients at risk for aggressive or suicidal behavior

• Patients who have received the following interventions within the proscribed time prior to study entry: 1) a monoamine oxidase inhibitor within the previous 21 days; 2) long-acting phenothiazines within the previous 3 months; 3) other psychotropic drugs within the previous 14 days; 4) flu- oxetine within the previous 4 weeks.

• Patients having severe antisocial or borderline personality disorder

• Patients with a past or current diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, or delirium, dementia, or other clinically significant cognitive disorder.

• Patients initiating individual, group, or couple psychotherapy during the three moths prior to study entry (excluding Gambler's Anonymous)

• Patients having prior exposure to acamprosate