Skip to Main Content
Boston University
  • Bostonia
  • BU Today
  • The Brink
  • University Publications

    • Bostonia
    • BU Today
    • The Brink
  • School & College Publications

    • The Record
Other Publications
BU Today
  • Sections
News, Opinion, Community

Study shows promise of alternative treatment for alcoholism

MED professor a principal investigator on largest study its kind

May 3, 2006
  • Rebecca Lipchitz
Twitter Facebook
Domenic Ciraulo

For the past five years, researchers across the country have been studying the effectiveness of two treatments for alcoholism, one using intensive therapy and the other using a combination of less intensive therapy and drugs. The results were published yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association: a drug called naltrexone combined with certain types of light therapies is just as effective as a strict regimen of intensive therapy.

“When we designed this study, I think we all thought that intensive psychological intervention would be superior,” says Domenic A. Ciraulo, a Boston University School of Medicine professor of psychiatry and department chairman, a principal investigator in the study. "The findings are a surprise to us."

Ciraulo designed the protocols and directed the Boston-based portion of the study, which compared abstinence rates of patients who took naltrexone and were treated with a less-intensive type of therapy with those patients who underwent intensive therapy and no drugs and another group who were given a placebo. The results showed that those patients on naltrexone who also participated in 20 sessions of alcohol counseling led by a behavioral specialist were just as likely to recover as those who were treated in a more intensive and specialized alcohol counseling program, but not taking medication.

The study, Combining Medications and Behavioral Interventions for Alcoholism, was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Also known as the COMBINE study, it began in five clinics, including a clinical research program in alcohol and drug addictions at MED, and was later expanded to include 11 academic sites. The study followed the treatment of 1,383 patients, and is the largest clinical trial ever conducted of pharmacologic and behavioral treatment for alcohol dependence.

Ciraulo says the study offers more hope for patients who resist or cannot afford intensive therapy. “Most people diagnosed with alcoholism are diagnosed by their primary care doctor,” he says. “There are barriers to getting into [specialized alcohol treatment] programs. We think it’s a matter of choice. Some people would rather go to counseling and see a psychotherapist; some would rather have it managed in a medical setting.”

The less-intense form of therapy given the patients on naltrexone is called medical management, Ciraulo says. It is a medically based approach designed like the educational care that diabetics receive from their doctors, and it could be performed by nurses in primary care clinics for 20-minute sessions, after an initial 45-minute session.

Ciraulo points out that the findings do not suggest that alcoholism can be treated with a pill instead of therapy. “I think it’s clear that the pill works best in the context of medical management,” he says. “It’s very powerful because you develop a relationship with a person who gives solid advice and direct feedback about the medical consequences of drinking and offers resources on how to cope.”

The barriers to making this model of care available, he says, will depend on its cost, and on whether health-care providers can be reimbursed for the work. A 45-minute visit with a nurse or a doctor is much longer than a standard appointment, he says, but if it helps people as well as the study purports, it will pay off in the long run.

The study was conducted by 19 researchers at U.S. universities, led by Raymond F. Anton at the University of South Carolina and Stephanie O’Malley at Yale University School of Medicine.

Explore Related Topics:

  • Alcohol
  • Drugs
  • Research
  • Share this story

Share

Study shows promise of alternative treatment for alcoholism

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Rebecca Lipchitz

    Rebecca Lipchitz Profile

Latest from BU Today

  • Health & Medicine

    Americans Are Buying More European Sunscreens. Are They Better Than Domestic Ones?

  • Film & TV

    Did You Win Starbucks Gift Cards in Our Superman Trivia Quiz?

  • Social Media

    A Viral Marriage Proposal Raises Privacy Questions in the Social Media Age

  • Things-to-do

    Our List of Outdoor Concerts to Enjoy This Summer

  • Arts & Culture

    This CFA Student Is Using Art to Help Medical Patients

  • Film & TV

    Why Do We Keep Watching Reality Dating Shows?

  • University News

    Boston University Announces Budget Cuts, Layoffs Amid Financial Pressures

  • Social Media

    COM Class Teaches Students How to Promote Their Content Online

  • Things-to-do

    How to Spend the July Fourth Weekend in Boston

  • Things-to-do

    Best Places to Watch Fireworks in Boston This Fourth of July

  • 25 Charles River Campus Faculty Receive Promotions

  • Books

    With Summer Officially Here, 10 Great Beach Reads

  • Things-to-do

    Want to Beat the Summer Heat? Check Out One of the Boston Area’s Many Public Pools

  • Business & Law

    BU Legal Scholars Assess Supreme Court Ruling Limiting Nationwide Injunctions

  • Film & TV

    Learning Through Screen Time

  • University News

    Boston University to Seek External Recommendations for Athletics Policies and Practices

  • University News

    BU’s Jack Parker Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame

  • BU Soundcheck

    BU Soundcheck: Ronona J

  • Film & TV

    COM Students Win New England Emmy Award for 2024 BUTV10 Election Coverage

  • Watch Now

    How BU’s Lawns Can Help Reduce Carbon Emissions

Section navigation

  • Sections
  • Must Reads
  • Videos
  • Series
  • Close-ups
  • Archives
  • About + Contact
Get Our Email

Explore Our Publications

Bostonia

Boston University’s Alumni Magazine

BU Today

News, Opinion, Community

The Brink

Pioneering Research from Boston University

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Weibo
  • TikTok
© Boston University. All rights reserved. www.bu.edu
© 2025 Trustees of Boston UniversityPrivacy StatementAccessibility
Boston University
Notice of Non-Discrimination: Boston University prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex or gender, age, national origin, ethnicity, shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, military service, marital, parental, veteran status, or any other legally protected status in any and all educational programs or activities operated by Boston University. Retaliation is also prohibited. Please refer questions or concerns about Title IX, discrimination based on any other status protected by law or BU policy, or retaliation to Boston University’s Executive Director of Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator, at titleix@bu.edu or (617) 358-1796. Read Boston University’s full Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Search
Boston University Masterplate
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Study shows promise of alternative treatment for alcoholism
0
share this