Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30457668›Full record

Trial reportAlcoholism, clinical and experimental research2019

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Citicoline in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder.

E Sherwood Brown, Erin Van Enkevort, Alexandra Kulikova, Chastity Escalante, Alyson Nakamura, Elena I Ivleva, Traci Holmes

Open access · greenAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases in Alcohol Use Disorders: Involving Gut Microbiota.The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2023
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Possible Benefit and Validity of Supplements for Alcohol Use Disorder.Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research · 2019
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

E Sherwood BrownDepartment of Psychiatry(ESB, EVE, AK, CE, AN, EII, TH), The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.ORCID 0000-0002-8401-3743
Erin Van EnkevortDepartment of Psychiatry(ESB, EVE, AK, CE, AN, EII, TH), The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
Alexandra KulikovaDepartment of Psychiatry(ESB, EVE, AK, CE, AN, EII, TH), The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
Chastity EscalanteDepartment of Psychiatry(ESB, EVE, AK, CE, AN, EII, TH), The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
Alyson NakamuraDepartment of Psychiatry(ESB, EVE, AK, CE, AN, EII, TH), The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
Elena I IvlevaDepartment of Psychiatry(ESB, EVE, AK, CE, AN, EII, TH), The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
Traci HolmesDepartment of Psychiatry(ESB, EVE, AK, CE, AN, EII, TH), The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center · US

Funding

Citicoline for Alcohol DependenceR21AA021777 · NIAAA · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · PI BROWN, E SHERWOOD · 2014 to 2015
$411k
NIAAA NIH HHS R21 AA021777
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlcohol use disorder is a major societal and individual burden that exacerbates health outcomes, decreases quality of life, and negatively affects U.S. healthcare spending. Although pharmacological treatments are available for alcohol use disorder, many of them are limited by small effect sizes and used infrequently. Citicoline is a widely available over-the-counter supplement with a favorable side effect profile. It acts through cholinergic pathways and phospholipid metabolism. The current report examines the effect of oral citicoline on alcohol use, craving, depressive symptoms, and cognitive outcomes in individuals with alcohol use disorder.

methodsA 12-week, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, pilot study of citicoline (titrated to 2,000 mg/d) in 62 adults (age 18 to 75) with alcohol use disorder was conducted. Alcohol use, such as number of drinking days, amount used, and number of heavy drinking days, was assessed using the Timeline Followback method and liver enzymes, while alcohol craving was measured using the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale. A neurocognitive battery (e.g., Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test) and depressive symptoms scale (e.g., Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report) scores were also collected. Data were analyzed using a random regression analysis.

resultsThe primary outcome analysis was conducted in the intent-to-treat sample and consisted of 55 participants (78.2% men and 21.8% women, mean age of 46.47 ± 9.15 years). In the assessment period, the drinking days, on average, represented 77% of the assessed days. Significant between-group differences were not observed on alcohol use, craving, and cognitive or depressive symptom measures. Citicoline was well tolerated.

conclusionsThis proof-of-concept study observed that citicoline was well tolerated, but was not associated with a reduction in alcohol use or other outcomes, as compared to placebo. The favorable effects reported with citicoline for cocaine use, cognitive disorders, and other conditions do not appear to extend to alcohol use disorder.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAlcohol DrinkingAlcoholismCognitionCravingCytidine Diphosphate CholineDepressionDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansLiver Function TestsMaleMiddle AgedNeuropsychological TestsCytidine Diphosphate CholineAlcohol Use DisorderCiticolineClinical TrialCognition

Identifiers

PMID30457668
PMCPMC6370505
OpenAlexW2900852942

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.