πŸ›οΈ Verified NIH Record β€’ Updated 2026-08-15

Suvorexant for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD): Neural Mechanisms (NCT06484075)

🟒 Recruiting Phase1 / Phase2 πŸ’Š Investigational Drug / Biologic Sponsor: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a leading cause of disease and death worldwide. New treatments for AUD are needed. Dopamine, a chemical that carries signals between brain cells, is thought to play a role in alcohol addiction. Researchers want to learn how Suvorexant, a drug used to treat sleep disorders, affects dopamine receptors in the brain. Objective: To see how Suvorexant affects dopamine receptors in people with AUD and in healthy people. Eligibility: People aged 18 to 75 years seeking treatment for AUD. Healthy volunteers are also needed. Design: Participants with AUD will stay in the clinic for at least 10-28 days for alcohol detoxification. They will receive normal treatment for AUD. Suvorexant is a medicine used to treat sleep problem that is taken taken by mouth, once a day. Some participants will take the study drug. Others will take a placebo. The placebo looks like the study drug but does not contain any medicine. Participants will not know which they are taking. Participants will wear a device that looks like a wristwatch to track their movements during their clinic stay. Participants will have blood tests and 3 brain imaging scans before starting on the study drug: 2 positron emission tomography (PET) and 1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. They will be injected with a radioactive tracer during each PET scan. Participants will have tests to assess their thinking, memory, and attention. They will have sleep studies. Imaging scans and other tests will be repeated at the end of the study. Healthy volunteers will have 1 MRI and 2 PET scans. They will have tests to assess of their thinking, memory, and attention. They will wear a wristwatch like movement monitor for 1 week. ...

Who can join: Review the eligibility criteria below.

Location: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center β€” Bethesda, Maryland

Age range: 18 Years to 75 Years

πŸ§ͺ Interventions in This Study

πŸ“‹ "Do I Qualify?" β€” 1-Minute Self Screener

Instant Checklist

Full eligibility criteria are available on the official NIH protocol. View the criteria β†—

πŸ“ All Participating Trial Locations (1 Sites)

  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center β€” Bethesda, Maryland

πŸ“ž Contact the Study Coordinator

Phone: (301) 273-4169

Email: michelevera.yonga@nih.gov

Coordinator details come directly from the registered NIH protocol. Confirm the study is still recruiting before traveling.

πŸ’° Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights

  • 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
  • Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA Β§ 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
  • Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.

πŸ’‘ How to Participate

  1. Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
  2. Contact the study coordinator using the phone/email above.
  3. Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
  4. Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.
πŸ›οΈ View Official NIH Record β†—