Key Publications

Ray LA, Grodin E, Leggio L, Bechtholt A, Becker H, Feldstein Ewing S, Jentsch JD, King A, Mason BJ, O'Malley S, MacKillop J, Heilig M, Koob GF.
The future of translational research on alcohol use disorder.
Addiction Biology. 2020;e12903. doi:10.1111/adb.12903 (in press)

Loflin MJE, Kiluk BD, Huestis MA, Aklin WM, Budney AJ, Carroll KM, D'Souza DC, Dworkin RH, Gray KM, Hasin DS, Lee DC, Le Foll B, Levin FR, Lile JA, Mason BJ, McRae-Clark AL, Montoya I, Peters EN, Ramey T, Strain EC.
The state of clinical outcome assessments for cannabis use disorder clinical trials: A review and research agenda.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence;[107993]. doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.107993 (Accepted/in press).

Falk DE, Ryan ML, Fertig JB, Devine EG, Cruz R, Brown E, Burns H, Salloum IM, Newport DJ, Mendelson J, Galloway G, Kampman K, Brooks C, Green AI, Brunette MF, Rosenthal RN, Dunn KE, Strain EC, Ray L, Shoptaw S, Ait-Daoud Tiouririne N, Gunderson EW, Ransom J, Scott C, Leggio L, Caras S, Mason BJ, Litten RZ, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Clinical Investigations Group (NCIG).
Gabapentin Enacarbil Extended-Release for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multisite Trial Assessing Efficacy and Safety.
Alcohol Clin Exp Re, 2019; 43:158-169. doi.org/10.1111/acer.13917 

Mason BJ, Quello S, Shadan F.
Gabapentin for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.
Expert Opin Investig Drugs; 2018; 27(1):113-124 PMC Free Full Text Article

Mason BJ.
Emerging pharmacotherapies for alcohol use disorder.
Neuropharmacology; 2017; 122:244-253 PMC Free Full Text Article

Koob GF, Mason BJ.
Existing and future drugs for the treatment of the dark side of addiction.
Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology; 2016; 56:299-322 Free full text at annualreviews.org

Vendruscolo LF, Estey D, Goodell V, Macshane LG, Logrip ML, Schlosburg JE, McGinn MA, Zamora-Martinez ER, Belanoff JK, Hunt HJ, Sanna PP, George O, Koob GF, Edwards S, Mason BJ.
Glucocorticoid receptor antagonism decreases alcohol seeking in alcohol-dependent individuals.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation; 2015; 125(8):3193-97 PMC Free Full Text Article
Note: This is the first study to show glucocorticoid antagonism reduces alcohol craving and drinking in alcohol dependent individuals.

Mason BJ, Quello S, Goodell V, Shadan F, Kyle M, Begovic A.
Gabapentin treatment for alcohol dependence: a randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Internal Medicine; 2014; 174(1):70-77 PMC Free Full Text Article
Note: Results served as the basis for a pivotal trial of Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil) conducted in support of FDA approval as a new treatment for alcohol dependence.

Mason BJ, Crean R, Goodell V, Light JM, Quello S, Shadan F, Buffins K, Kyle M, Adusumalli M, Begovic A, Rao S.
A proof-of-concept randomized controlled study of gabapentin: effects on cannabis use, withdrawal and executive function deficits in cannabis-dependent adults.
Neuropsychopharmacology; 2012; 37(7):1689-98 PMC Free Full Text Article
Note: This is the only positive treatment study for cannabis use and withdrawal.

Mason BJ, Lehert P.
Acamprosate for alcohol dependence: a sex-specific meta-analysis based on individual patient data.
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research; 2012; 36(3):497-508 PMC Free Full Text Article
Note: This sex-specific meta-analysis of data from 6,111 alcohol-dependent participants in 22 acamprosate clinical trials showed that acamprosate had comparable safety, tolerability and efficacy in significantly improving rates of abstinence and no heavy drinking among men and women, despite women presenting with higher rates of hepatic injury, suicide attempts, and comorbid psychiatric and drug use disorders.

Crean RD, Crane NA, Mason BJ.
An evidence-based review of acute and long-term effects of cannabis use on executive cognitive functions.
Journal of Addiction Medicine; 2011; 5:1-8 PMC Free Full Text Article

Koob GF, Lloyd GK, Mason BJ.
Development of pharmacotherapies for drug addiction: a Rosetta stone approach.
Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery; 2009; 8:500-515 PMC Free Full Text Article

Mason BJ, Light JM, Williams LD, Drobes DJ.
Proof-of-concept human laboratory study for protracted abstinence in alcohol dependence: effects of gabapentin.
Addiction Biology; 2009; 14:73-83 PMC Free Full Text Article
Note: This paper is part of a special issue of Addiction Biology co-edited by Dr. Mason devoted to human laboratory approaches to addiction research.

Mason BJ, Light JM, Escher T, Drobes DJ.
Effect of positive and negative affective stimuli and beverage cues on measures of craving in non treatment-seeking alcoholics. 
Psychopharmacology; 2008; 200:141-50 PMC Free Full Text Article

Mason BJ, Goodman AM, Chabac S, Lehert P.
Effect of oral acamprosate on abstinence in patients with alcohol dependence in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial: the role of patient motivation.
Journal of Psychiatric Research; 2006; 40:383-393  Free full text at sciencedirect.com
Note: This 21-site study was conducted in support of FDA approval for acamprosate (Campral) treatment of alcohol dependence. Dr. Mason served as overall PI and was instrumental in the design of the protocol and counseling materials, which are available at www.alcoholfree.today.

Mason BJ, Goodman AM, Dixon RM, Abdel Hameed MH, Hulot T, Wesnes K, Hunter JA, Boyeson MG.
A pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug interaction study of acamprosate and naltrexone.
Neuropsychopharmacology; 2002; 27:596-606 Free full text at nature.com
Note: This was the first interaction study of these two FDA-approved medications for alcohol dependence.

Mason BJ, Salvato FR, Williams LD, Ritvo EC, Cutler RB.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of oral nalmefene for alcohol dependence.
Archives of General Psychiatry; 1999; 56:719-724 Free full text at jamanetwork.com
Note: NIH chose this project for presentation by Dr. Varmus, Director of NIH, to the U.S. Congress as a pivotal study of 1999. Nalmefene recently received regulatory approval throughout the European Union as a new treatment for alcohol use disorder.

Mason BJ, Kocsis JH, Ritvo EC, Cutler RB.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of desipramine in primary alcohol dependence stratified on the presence or absence of major depression.
Journal of the American Medical Association; 1996; 275:761-767 Free full text at jamanetwork.com
Note: This project was chosen by the American Medical Association (AMA) to be the lead article in JAMA and was the focus of an AMA media briefing. This work was described by Alan Gelenberg, M.D., in the Biological Therapies in Psychiatry Newsletter as "a landmark work of major public health significance."

*Click here to view Dr. Mason's full CV.