A meta-analysis of the efficacy of gabapentin for treating alcohol use disorder
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Studies of the efficacy of gabapentin for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) have yielded mixed findings. The aims of our study were to estimate gabapentin's effects on six alcohol-related outcomes, test potential moderators, examine publication bias and evaluate the quality of the studies. METHODS: Meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Using PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov, we selected RCTs of gabapentin's effects on alcohol consumption or a biochemical correlate of it, excluding studies limited to other primary outcomes or that combined gabapentin with other medications. We assessed study quality and used a random-effects model to analyze each outcome measure and the Egger regression test and funnel plots to assess publication bias. RESULTS: We identified seven RCTs of gabapentin that met study criteria. The quality of the studies overall was good, and there was no evidence of publication bias. Four to seven studies contributed to the analysis of the six outcome measures. For all outcome measures the effect estimates were in a direction that favored gabapentin over placebo. However, only for percentage of heavy drinking days was there good evidence of a benefit (g = -0.64, 95% confidence interval = -1.22 to -0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Although gabapentin appears to be more efficacious than placebo in treating AUD, the only measure on which the analysis clearly favors the active medication is percentage of heavy drinking days. Additional studies are needed to define more clearly the role of gabapentin in AUD treatment.
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In that meta-analysis, results for other outcomes (complete abstinence, relapse to heavy drinking, percent days abstinent, percent heavy drinking days, drinks per day, gamma-glutamyl transferase) were inconclusive.
“with inconclusive results for other outcomes”
From A Narrative Review of Current and Emerging Trends in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (2024) · cites this paper as [68]
In a meta-analysis of seven RCTs, gabapentin showed statistically significant efficacy only in reducing frequency of heavy drinking.
“In a meta-analysis of seven RCTs assessing outcome measures such as complete abstinence, relapse to heavy drinking, percent days abstinent, percent heavy drinking days, drinks per day, and gamma-glutamyl transferase concentration, gabapentin showed statistically significant efficacy only in reducing the frequency of heavy drinking”
From A Narrative Review of Current and Emerging Trends in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (2024) · cites this paper as [68]
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- Authors
- Kranzler, H. R., Feinn, R., Morris, P., & Hartwell, E. E.
- Affiliations
- Veterans Health Administration (US)
- Quinnipiac University (US)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kranzler, Henry R.
- Venue
- Addiction
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2019-06-05
- Volume
- 114
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1547-1555
- ISSN
- 0965-2140 (ISSN-L)
- 1360-0443
- PMC
- PMC6682454
- OpenAlex
- W2944717511
- Cited by
- 121
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 9.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- Locations
- Addiction (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01 AA021164, R01 AA023192)
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VISN 4 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- Keywords
- gabapentin, alcoholism, alcohol consumption, heavy drinking days, pharmacotherapy, publication bias, study quality
- MeSH terms
- Gabapentin, Alcoholism, Humans, Recurrence, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Treatment Outcome, Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists, Alcohol Abstinence
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