GABA Receptors and Alcohol Use Disorders: Clinical Studies.

Harmful alcohol use and alcohol use disorders (AUD) result in major health and community burden worldwide, yet treatment options are limited. Novel pharmacotherapies are urgently required, and treatments involving GABA receptors have been used in treating alcohol-related disorders. This chapter will review the clinical evidence of GABA pharmacotherapies, such as baclofen and γ-hydroxybutyric acid. This includes the use of these treatments in individuals experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and outlining the outcomes of studies of alcohol relapse prevention relapse including case studies, comparative studies and randomised controlled trials. Laboratory research investigating biobehavioural effects of baclofen will also be summarised and polymorphisms associated with baclofen treatment, and safety concerns of GABA treatments will be addressed. In summary, pharmacological treatments targeting GABA receptors such as baclofen may be modestly effective in the management of alcohol use disorder, but safety concerns limit the widespread applicability of the currently available agents.