Ketamine and Neurofeedback as Combined Therapeutic Interventions to Target Glutamatergic Neurotransmission in Alcohol Use Disorder

A single dose of ketamine 0.8 mg ketamine (i.v.) per kilogram bodyweight

Participants will undergo a closed-loop rt-fMRI paradigm over 25 minutes. Participants will be instructed to use strategies to downregulate cue-induced cravings. The Intensity of cues will adjust based on the participants neural activity in response to cues. This dynamic feedback mechanism allows for personalized training aimed at improving the participant's ability to manage cravings.

Single dose of placebo (0.9% NaCl infusion)

Participants get a real time neurofeedback based on a control regions' activity, which serves as a sham region and receive 0.8 mg ketamine (i.v.) per kilogram bodyweight. The use of sham-NFT allows for a rigorous assessment of the specific effects of combined rt-fMRI NFT and ketamine by controlling for non-specific factors such as expectancy effects or the therapeutic context.