B1AS tests the hypothesis that increased vitamin B1 (thiamine) intake can repair brain systems damaged by alcohol and help people with alcohol problems control their alcohol use. A strong, man-made form of thiamine (Benfotiamine) is used to increase blood thiamine to much higher levels than can be achieved using normal vitamin supplements. Drinking patterns are examined over 6 months of continued supplement use. Men and women with a recent history of alcohol problems are eligible to participate.
B1AS is a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial of the effectiveness of Benfotiamine at reducing abusive drinking patterns in individuals with recent alcohol problems. Subjects consume 4 tablets of Benfotiamine (600 mg) or placebo daily for 6 months. Monthly follow-ups track alcohol use and alcohol-related problems over the 6 months. Blood tests are also conducted to determine the frequency of an inherited abnormality in thiamine processing that may be related to the risk of developing alcoholism.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
120
Benfotiamine 600 mg
Placebo
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, Kansas, United States
Change in Average Daily Alcohol Consumption
measured as standard drinks of alcohol per day (SD/day)
Time frame: Change from Baseline to 6 Months
Alcoholism Severity Scale
The alcoholism severity scale measures the severity of a person's dependence to alcohol. The scale ranges from a score of 0 (least severe) to 33 (most severe). The higher the score the worse the dependence.
Time frame: 6 Months
Barrett Impulsivity Scale: Total Impulsiveness
Scale measures impulsiveness. It includes 30 items that are scored to yield six first-order factors (attention, motor, self-control, cognitive complexity, perseverance, and cognitive instability impulsiveness) and three second-order factors (attentional, motor, and non-planning impulsiveness). Items are scored on a 4 point scale with 1 point equaling rarely/never up to 4 points equaling almost always/always. Total impulsivity score ranges from 30 (least impulsive) to 120 (most impulsive). The higher the score the higher the level of impulsiveness.
Time frame: 6 Months
Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90): Global Severity Index
The SCL-90 is a brief multidimensional self-report inventory that screens for nine symptoms of psychopathology and provides three global distress indicators. It provides an overview of symptom severity and intensity. The outcome measures psychiatric symptoms using a 30-item scale reported as t-scores relative to a normative population.
Time frame: 6 Months
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