Alcohol Self Administration Laboratory

This is a pilot study in which our intent is to establish an alcohol administration laboratory in which we will be able to test the effect of the anticonvulsant medication zonisamide as compared to placebo on alcohol self administration and on cognitive functioning in non treatment seeking heavy users of alcohol. Our first goal is to establish the safety of zonisamide when used together with alcohol. Our second goal is to test the effect of an acute dose of zonisamide on alcohol consumption and show that it may reduce the consumption of alcohol. To achieve this goal we seek subjects with a history of heavy drinking to be tested on the self-administration procedures described below in two sessions with either zonisamide or placebo. These procedures will involve first, the administration of a challenge dose of ethanol to evaluate the effect of alcohol on performance on neuropsychological tests. This initial challenge will be followed by a period of alcohol self-administration in which the research subject can choose to select either ethanol or another reinforcer, money.