Evidence mapPaperPMID 41189445Full record

Trial reportAlcohol, clinical & experimental research2025

Evaluation of glycine treatment for reducing alcohol craving and self-administration in individuals with alcohol use disorder: A human laboratory trial.

Yasmin Olsson, Helga Lidö, Mia Ericson, Bo Söderpalm

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Alcohol, clinical & experimental research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Yasmin OlssonBeroendekliniken, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4547-3584
Helga LidöBeroendekliniken, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Mia EricsonBeroendekliniken, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7557-7109
Bo SöderpalmBeroendekliniken, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9434-6878

Funding

Alcohol Research Council of the Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly 2017-0065Grants from the Swedish State under the agreement between the Swedish Government and county council Region Västra Götaland, the ALF agreement ALFGBG-1006760Grants from the Swedish State under the agreement between the Swedish Government and county council Region Västra Götaland, the ALF agreement ALFGBG-984234Swedish Society of Medicine SLS-687241the Swedish Brain Foundation FO2024-0080the Swedish Research Council 2024-02466
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlcohol use disorder (AUD) has limited treatment options and glycine receptors (GlyRs) in brain reward regions have emerged as tentative targets for pharmacotherapy. The rationale derives from studies showing that glycine, an endogenous GlyR agonist, alters dopamine (DA) transmission and reduces alcohol intake in rats. This study sought to translate these findings to individuals with AUD by examining whether glycine treatment reduces craving for alcohol and laboratory alcohol intake.

methodsIndividuals with AUD were randomized to oral glycine (0.12 g/kg) or placebo treatment for 5 days. Thereafter, 48 participants completed an alcohol challenge including priming for alcohol followed by self-administration of up to four drinks of 12 g alcohol. Alcohol craving and subjective effects of alcohol were measured throughout the study.

resultsGlycine treatment raised serum glycine levels by 125%. Neither alcohol intake nor craving or subjective effects of alcohol differed between treatment groups, except for peak stimulatory effects, which were slightly higher in the glycine-treated group. The relationships between craving for alcohol or "wanting more" on the Drugs Effects Questionnaire and laboratory alcohol intake were dissociated in the glycine-treated group. In the full sample, serum glycine levels at baseline were inversely associated with recent drinking history.

conclusionGlycine treatment does not reduce craving or laboratory alcohol consumption in individuals with AUD per se, but results are equivocal as the association between alcohol-induced craving or "wanting more" and the ensuing self-administration of alcohol was abolished in the glycine-treated group. The inverse association observed between glycine levels at baseline and self-reported recent drinking could be a consequence of alcohol intake or support a protective role for glycine activity in limiting alcohol intake. Further studies are warranted to delineate how GlyR activity is linked to alcohol consumption in humans and to establish whether targeting this system may constitute a new treatment concept for AUD.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingAlcoholismCravingGlycineAdultDouble-Blind MethodEthanolFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedReceptors, GlycineSelf AdministrationYoung AdultEthanolGlycineReceptors, Glycinealcohol addictionethanolglycineglycine receptorrandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID41189445
PMCPMC12721481

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.