Can ritalin change how your brain reacts to alcohol? new study investigates.
NCT ID NCT07306078
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study looks at whether a single dose of methylphenidate (Ritalin) changes how the brain responds to alcohol-related images in young adults aged 18-25 with alcohol use disorder. Participants will have brain scans and complete tasks after taking either the drug or a placebo. The goal is to understand the link between attention and craving, not to test a treatment.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 25 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults ages 18-25 years * Meets DSM-5 criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder -OR- score on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) of \>=8 * Fluent in English * Normal or corrected to normal vision Exclusion Criteria: * Meets DSM-5 criteria for psychotic disorders, neurological disorders, or substance use disorders other than Alcohol Use Disorder. * Participant routinely uses psychoactive drugs or medications except for non-dependent marijuana or nicotine use (due to common use of these substances in individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder). * Participant has contraindications for taking methylphenidate. * Participant has contraindications for being in an MRI machine * Self-reported history of high blood pressure over 140/90 or consistent readings of 140/90 or above upon arrival for a session. * History of seizure disorder * Liver disease * Participant is currently pregnant or trying to become pregnant
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida, 32610, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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