Overview

Effects of Fatty Acid Supplementation on Substance Dependent Individuals

Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2005-07-01
Target enrollment:
0
Participant gender:
All
Summary
Many substance dependent individuals continue to abuse a variety of substances during treatment for their disorder. Often, substance dependent individuals are co-diagnosed with depression and violence problems. Supplements of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may play a role in treating individuals with such substance abuse problems. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the n-3 PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) in treating relapse, aggression, and depression in substance dependent individuals.
Phase:
Phase 2
Accepts Healthy Volunteers?
No
Details
Lead Sponsor:
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

- Current or history of drug or alcohol dependence

- Used substances of abuse during the 3 months prior to study entry

- Enrolled in one of the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System Brooklyn campus substance
abuse clinics

Exclusion Criteria:

- Current or history of hallucinations, delusions, or memory problems

- Major physical illness (e.g., cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, renal,
neuromuscular, or endocrine disorder)

- Liver function test greater than one standard deviation above upper normal limit

- Allergic to fish