The Role of the Glutamatergic System in the Extinction of Conditioned Reinforcement Processes

Summary

The aim of this project is to explore whether the extinction of cue-reactivity following a cue-exposure based intervention in volunteers with an alcohol dependence is facilitated by drugs that increase NMDA-receptor function. It is hypothesised that targeted treatment with D-Cycloserine prior to each extinction training session enhances the effects on cue-reactivity. Further, a significant correlation between the reduction of cue-reactivity and both reduced craving and relapse probability is expected.

Timeline

Start

2009-03

Primary completion

2012-04

Completion

—

Publications

• Strosche A, Zhang X, Kirsch M, Hermann D, Ende G, Kiefer F, Vollstadt-Klein S. Investigation of brain functional connectivity to assess cognitive control over cue-processing in Alcohol Use Disorder. Addict Biol. 2021 Jan;26(1):e12863. doi: 10.1111/adb.12863. Epub 2020 Jan 6.
• Vollstadt-Klein S, Loeber S, Kirsch M, Bach P, Richter A, Buhler M, von der Goltz C, Hermann D, Mann K, Kiefer F. Effects of cue-exposure treatment on neural cue reactivity in alcohol dependence: a randomized trial. Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Jun 1;69(11):1060-6. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.12.016. Epub 2011 Feb 3.

Drugs

Indications