Levetiracetam for the Treatment of Alcohol Dependence and Anxiety

Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women between the ages of 18-65 who meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for alcohol dependence and a comorbid anxiety disorder, including: panic disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, substance-induced anxiety disorder and anxiety disorder, no otherwise specified (NOS). * Individuals capable of giving informed consent and capable of complying with study procedures. * Individuals must have clinically significant anxiety. * Individuals must have current average alcohol use over past 28 days with \> 4 drinking days per week and \>4 standard drinks/drinking day for women and \> 5 standard drinks/drinking day for men. * Women of child-bearing age will be included provided that they are not pregnant, based on the results of a blood pregnancy test done at the time of screening and agree to use a method of contraception with proven efficacy and not to become pregnant during the study. To confirm this, blood pregnancy tests will be repeated monthly. Women will be provided a full explanation of the potential dangers of pregnancy while on the study. If a woman becomes pregnant the study medication will be discontinued. * Individual's breathalyzer reading at the time of signing consent must be \< 0.04%. Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects with any current Axis I psychiatric disorder as defined by DSM-IV-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) supported by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders, Research Version, Patient Edition (SCID-I/P) that in the investigator's judgment might require pharmacological intervention, with the exceptions of alcohol dependence and a comorbid anxiety disorder (panic disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, substance-induced anxiety disorder and anxiety disorder, NOS). Current diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or obsessive-compulsive disorder are exclusionary. * Individuals with evidence of moderate to severe alcohol withdrawal that would require pharmacologic intervention. * Individuals meeting DSM IV criteria for current cocaine or opioid dependence. * Unstable physical disorders which might make participation hazardous such as uncontrolled hypertension and tachycardia (systolic blood pressure \[SBP\] \> 150 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure \[DBP\] \> 90 mm Hg, or a sitting quietly heart rate \[HR\] \> 100 bpm), acute hepatitis (patients with chronic mildly elevated transaminase levels ((2-3 x upper limit of normal) are acceptable) or poorly controlled diabetes. * Patients currently taking prescribed psychotropic medications. * Patients with a known sensitivity to levetiracetam. * Individuals who have exhibited suicidal or homicidal behavior within the past two years or have current active suicidal ideation. * Women who are pregnant or nursing. * Individuals physiologically dependent on any other drugs (excluding nicotine, caffeine). * Individuals with a history of a hazardous drinking behavior (e.g., driving while intoxicated convictions, violent crimes committed while intoxicated) will be excluded.