# Acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation for co-occurring depression and alcohol use disorder in adolescents: A randomized placebo-controlled pilot study

> **NIH NIH R21** · BROWN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $189,421

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Adolescence is a time of increased risk for alcohol use and depression. The co-occurrence of depression and
alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most prevalent and disabling psychiatric combinations in youth. The
high prevalence makes this comorbidity a treatment norm and adolescents who struggle with this comorbidity
exhibit poor treatment outcomes. As such, this population has considerable needs that are currently unmet by
available treatments. One potential way to improve alcohol treatment for adolescents who have co-occurring
depression is to augment the best available psychosocial interventions with pharmacotherapy designed to
simultaneously treat both conditions. Currently there are four FDA approved medications for the treatment of
AUD in adults. However, no medication is indicated for AUD in adolescents and controlled clinical trials with
teenagers are noticeably absent for the literature. Improving treatment options for youth will require closing this
important gap in medication development research. This two-year preparatory project (R21) will support the
collection of pilot data for an integrative therapy that combines a promising novel medication, shown to reduce
depressive symptoms, namely anhedonia, and alcohol craving in adults, with a gold standard psychosocial
intervention for treating AUD among adolescents. Specifically, we will use rigorous protocol that embeds
human lab and ecological momentary methods in the context of randomized placebo-controlled trial to examine
if our candidate pharmacotherapy, acetyl-L-carnitine, enhances the effects of psychosocial treatment for AUD
in adolescents with comorbid depression. Our specific aims are to: a) evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and
tolerability of acetyl-L-carnitine in adolescents with comorbid depression and AUD; b) test whether acetyl-L-
carnitine decreases alcohol craving in the human laboratory and real-world setting and blunts the reinforcing
effects of alcohol while drinking in daily life; c) test whether acetyl-L-carnitine reduces depressed mood,
depression symptoms, and anhedonia; and d) test whether acetyl-L-carnitine decreases alcohol use in this
population. Our aims address national priorities to gather safety and efficacy data on medications for treating
AUD in youth. Findings from this exploratory study will contribute to personalized medicine for AUD by
establishing evidence for targeting endophenotypes endemic to co-occurring depression and AUD. The
proposed R21 will also provide critical pilot data for a future large-scale clinical trial of acetyl-L-carnitine in this
population. This award is consistent with NIH's goal to address the nation's clinical research needs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10415146
- **Project number:** 5R21AA029033-02
- **Recipient organization:** BROWN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Noah Emery
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $189,421
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-06-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10415146

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10415146, Acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation for co-occurring depression and alcohol use disorder in adolescents: A randomized placebo-controlled pilot study (5R21AA029033-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10415146. Licensed CC0.

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