Brain scans reveal clues to alcoholism risk in Family-History study
NCT ID NCT05203965
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This early-phase study at Yale University is investigating how the drug mavoglurant affects brain activity in people with a family history of alcoholism. Researchers will give 80 participants a single dose of mavoglurant or a placebo and use MRI scans to measure brain responses to reward and alcohol-related cues. The goal is to better understand the brain chemistry behind alcoholism risk, not to test a new treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Mavoglurant
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help explain why some people are more vulnerable to alcoholism, potentially pointing toward new prevention strategies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small study (80 people) using only a single dose. It is designed to understand brain mechanisms, not to test a treatment, so it may not lead directly to any therapy.
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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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2022
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2026
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 45 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: * Ages 18-45 years * Estimated full-scale IQ\>70 * Individual can cooperate with all study procedures * No history of neurological disorder (e.g., epilepsy) * No major medical condition (e.g., cancer) * No history of significant head trauma * Stable medication treatment 6 weeks prior to study enrollment * Negative urine drug and breathe alcohol test at time of MRI scan * Negative urine pregnancy test at time of MRI scan * No MR contra-indications (e.g., in-body metal implant, severe claustrophobia) * No contra-indications to study drug Exclusion Criteria: * A diagnosis of any psychotic disorder, or current mood or anxiety disorders under DSM-V, using the SCID-V-RV psychiatric interview * A current diagnosis of: a) Alcohol use disorder, if severe (AUD, mild or moderate OK if no craving, tolerance, and withdrawal 3 months prior to interview) b) Substance use disorder * Report of psychotic disorder in a 1º relative * Auditory or visual impairment that interferes with test-taking * Prenatal exposure to alcohol plus currently meeting criteria for features of fetal alcohol syndrome * Not speaking English fluently or being a non-native English speaker, or being educated in a primary language other than English \> grade 1 * Intellectual Disability (Full Scale IQ\<70) * Traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness \> 30 minutes or concussion in last 30 days * Presence or history of neurosurgery or any neurologic illness that may affect brain physiology (e.g., epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis), including focal brain lesion seen on structural MRI (all structural scans are read by a board certified radiologist) * A current major medical condition (e.g. cancer, heart failure) * Current pregnancy (all females will be tested with urine screens on the day of MRI) * Women not on an effective form of birth control/contraception or abstinent during time of study visits to prevent exposure of the investigational drug to suspected fetus * Current substance use with the exception of marijuana (THC), provided last use of THC was 24+ hours before visit (All participants will receive a urine screen for the presence of marijuana, cocaine, opiates and a breath screen to detect the presence of alcohol) * Inability to comprehend the consent form appropriately * Inability to cooperate with study procedures * Other specific fMRI exclusions include metal devices, clips or fragments in body (orbital xray performed if needed)
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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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Hartford Hospital
RECRUITINGHartford, Connecticut, 06106, United States
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