Valproate for Mood Swings and Alcohol Use Following Head Injury
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2016-06-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Successful treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI)-induced mood lability may reduce or
eliminate drinking behaviors in persons with alcohol abuse/dependence (AA/D) and affective
lability following TBI. Observed clinically, the symptoms of poorly regulated affective
expression of AA/D+TBI patients who reach alcohol abstinence do not appear to be those of an
idiopathic mood or anxiety disorder. These symptoms do not present the severity or the same
natural courses as do Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Illness, or Anxiety Disorder, for
example. Instead, both symptoms and course appear more characteristic of the sustained affect
lability often observed following TBI. This observation suggests that TBI survivors represent
a patient group for whom treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms following TBI may alleviate
both TBI-related affect lability and also heavy ethanol use by treating the condition that is
contextually related to excessive alcohol use.
Based on this concept of consequently treating AA/D through the management of post-TBI
affective lability, this study was conducted observing the efficacy of divalproex sodium on
the severity of affective lability and AA/D in persons suffering from a moderate TBI.
Divalproex sodium has been shown to ameliorate mood disorders, even in those with substance
abuse problems. This drug has also shown positive results as an alternate medication to
benzodiazapines in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal, significantly reducing the
progression of withdrawal symptoms in patients.