Topiramate Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders in African Americans

The focus of this application is on the improvement of services for African American (AAs) Veterans afflicted with an alcohol use disorder. The project focuses on the use of topiramate as a treatment for alcohol use disorders. Despite having lower rates of heavy drinking than European Americans (EAs), AAs have significantly higher rates of mortality from a variety of alcohol-related conditions, including liver cirrhosis, accidents, and violence. Despite the higher rates of morbidity and mortality, pharmacological treatments are understudied in this population and there is some evidence that medications are less preferred and less effective in AAs.