alcohol use disorder | CARLAT PUBLISHING

Research Update

Moderate Alcohol Use and Cognitive Decline

October 1, 2024

Kathryn Kieran, MSN, PMHNP-BC. Ms. Kieran has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

For years, moderate drinking was seen as harmless or even beneficial. This study challenges that, revealing how even modest alcohol consumption can raise brain iron levels and impair cognitive function.

How to Fulfill the DEA's One Time, 8-Hour Training Requirement for Registered Practitioners

Satisfy the DEA requirement for 8 hours of training in opioid or other substance use disorders

May 24, 2024

Research Update

Deep Brain Stimulation for Severe Alcohol Use Disorder

February 1, 2024

Maryam Soltani, MD, PhD.

Maryam Soltani, MD, PhD. Dr. Soltani has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Despite its high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality, our treatment options for alcohol use disorder are limited. Severe alcohol use disorder can be especially challenging to treat. Here, researchers demonstrate the efficacy and feasibility of a novel treatment option: deep brain stimulation.

Research Update

Can Psilocybin Treat Alcohol Use Disorder?

October 31, 2023

Aniruddha Deka, MD

Aniruddha Deka, MD. Dr. Deka has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Recent preliminary research reveals that psilocybin helped participants with alcohol use disorder cut back on drinking. Dive in to discover how this psychedelic compound might offer hope for patients who have found other current treatments ineffective.

Expert Q&A

Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults: A Growing Concern

May 11, 2023

Olivera J. Bogunovic, MD

Olivera J. Bogunovic, MD.

Medical director of ambulatory services in the Division of Alcohol, Drugs, and Addiction at McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA; assistant professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Dr. Bogunovic has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Older adults with substance use disorders present to clinicians in various stages of change. Dr. Bogunovic discusses brief clinical interventions including motivational interviewing and how to approach harm reduction.

Clinical Update

Medication Treatments for Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorder in Older Adults

May 11, 2023

Rehan Aziz, MD.

Rehan Aziz, MD. Associate program director, Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, NJ; associate professor of psychiatry and neurology, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ.

Dr. Aziz has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

With three FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorders and three FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorders, it can be hard to know where to start. Here we review the pros and cons of these six medications—and provide recommendations for their use in older adults.

Expert Q&A

Managing Substance Use in Older Adults

May 9, 2023

Louis Trevisan, MD.

Louis Trevisan, MD.

Clinical professor of psychiatry, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE; associate professor of psychiatry, adjunct, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Dr. Trevisan has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

How do we best approach screening for substance use disorders in older adults? Dr. Trevisan walks us through his approach to choosing the right screening tools and speaking with patients.

Clinical Update

Gabapentin: A Double-Edged Sword

April 1, 2023

Noah Capurso, MD and Shram Shukla, MD

Shram Shukla, MD. Addiction psychiatry fellow, Yale School of Medicine. New Haven, CT.

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant professor of psychiatry, Yale University. New Haven, CT. Editor-in-chief of The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Shukla and Dr. Capurso have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Gabapentin has become one of the most widely prescribed medications in America. At the same time, concerns have emerged about its association with opioid overdose deaths. In this article, we review the data behind gabapentin treatment: when it should be used, how to use it, and when it should be avoided.

Expert Q&A

Substance-Induced Depression: Diagnosis and Treatment

April 1, 2023

Bryan K. Tolliver, MD, PhD

Bryan K. Tolliver, MD, PhD

Associate professor, Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina. Charleston, SC.

Dr. Tolliver has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

“When tailoring medication choice, a careful history can guide you. If I’m treating a patient who drinks excessively at night to sleep or who struggles with insomnia when they try to stop drinking, I’ll start with a sedating antidepressant like mirtazapine. That’s not an evidence-based decision, it’s a clinical decision that I think can be helpful.”

Dr. Tolliver gives us a framework to understand the relation between depression, substance use, and substance-induced mood disorders.

Clinical Update

Naltrexone: A Jack of All Trades?

April 1, 2023

Julio Cesar Nunes, MD

Julio Cesar Nunes, MD. Psychiatry resident, Yale University. New Haven, CT.

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant professor of psychiatry, Yale University. New Haven, CT. Editor-in-chief of The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Nunes and Dr. Capurso have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Naltrexone was once hailed as a treatment for all addictive disorders. While the hype has not entirely panned out, it still holds an important place in our armamentarium of addiction treatments. Here, we review the evidence for its use and provide prescribing recommendations.