Pharmacological Treatment of Alcoholism
- J.C. Garbutt, M.D.
Primary Areas of Focus
- Investigation of medications for the treatment of alcoholism including studies of naltrexone, acamprosate, baclofen and combinations of these medications
- Investigation of predictors of response to medication, e.g. the sweet-liking phenotype as a predictor of naltrexone response
- Investigation of the sweet-liking phenotype as a predictor of risk of alcohol use disorders
Key Contributions
- Lead author for multi-center trial establishing the safety and efficacy of long-acting naltrexone for the treatment of alcoholism.
- Co-Investigator for studies demonstrating that the sweet-liking phenotype is a risk factor for alcohol use disorders. Discovered that when combined with other risk factors, such as novelty seeking, the presence of the sweet-liking phenotype greatly increases risk for alcohol-related problems.
- Co-Investigator for first placebo-controlled trial of baclofen for the treatment of alcoholism.
- Principal Investigator for first placebo-controlled trial of acamprosate for alcoholism in a Family Medicine setting in the United States.