A 12-session relapse prevention program vs psychoeducation in the treatment of Japanese alcoholic patients: A randomized controlled trial.

Aim: Alcoholism is the most prevalent substance use disorder in Japan; the estimated number of patients and high-risk drinkers is in the millions. Although studies in the West have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatment strategies for alcoholic patients, there is a dearth of efficacy studies of CBT-based intervention for those patients in the non-Western setting. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of a 12-session CBT-based relapse prevention program for Japanese alcoholic patients.

A randomized controlled study of the effect of ifenprodil on alcohol use in patients with alcohol dependence.

Aim: This prospective, randomized, controlled, rater-blinded study investigated the effect of G protein-activated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channel inhibitor ifenprodil on alcohol use in patients with alcohol dependence.

Methods: The participants were 68 outpatients with alcohol dependence who were assigned to an ifenprodil group (administered 60 mg ifenprodil per day for 3 months) or control group (administered 600 mg ascorbic acid and calcium pantothenate per day for 3 months). The participants completed a questionnaire that included the frequency of alcohol drinking and presence of heavy drinking before the study period (time 1) and 3 months after the start of the study period (time 2).

[Effectiveness of brief intervention for substance use disorder in Japan--a pilot study].

Background: Relatively few hospitals can treat substance use disorder in Japan and the options for treatment are limited. Previous studies in the West have shown the effectiveness of brief intervention for substance use disorder. However, such treatment has not been sufficiently implemented in Japan.