Efficacy and Safety of Levetiracetam in Prevention of Alcohol Relapse in Recently Detoxified Alcohol Dependent Patients

Inclusion Criteria:

• At least 18 and not older than 70 years

• Good knowledge of the German language

• The criteria of an alcohol dependence after DSM IV and ICD 10 fulfill

• To the recruiting time alkoholabstinently living, i.e. after successful alcoholdecontamination, the patients must have understood the meaning and consequence of thestudy and have delivered before beginning of study your written agreement to theparticipation.

• Negative drug screening regarding Benzodiazepines and Opiates.

• With Females either o at least 1 year Menopause or after Sterilization orcontraceptive pill, mini pill, three-monthly syringe, Implanton, Vaginalring, hormoneplaster, hormone spiral at least 1 month before study inclusion or use of the doublebarrier method with Spermiziddiaphragma plus condom use or renouncement of sexualintercourse during the entire study duration and resolution a pregnancy to avoid withnegative β-HCG-test

Exclusion Criteria:

• Alcohol withdrawal syndrome beginning or existing

• Simultaneous one ambulatory or stationary curing therapy, not however participation ingroups of self-helps

• Specific ones behavior or deep-psychological single therapy or manual-led grouptherapies parallel to the clinical study

• Any further substance dependence except nicotine and/or Caffeine dependence A abuseaccording to the criteria of DSM-IV and/or ICD-10 is not considered as exclusionreason.

• Idiopathic epilepsy, not however admitted alcohol withdrawal convulsions

• Anamnesis of heavy cerebral traumas or other heavy neurological illnesses, not howeveralcohol-associated neurological disturbances, e.g. Polyneuropathie

• current CO-medication by means of medicines, which can affect significantly withdrawalsymptoms or Craving or promote the Abstinent( Benzodiazepines, Antiepileptics,antipsychotics, Clonidin, antidepressives or Naltrexon (or substances with comparableeffect mechanism) or Acamprosat, Disulfiram, or further substances, which can affectglutamaterge, dopaminerge, cholinergic, serotonerge or opiode system the GABAerge,

• Contraindications or heavy side effects in relation to the study medication,hypersensitivity opposite Pyrrolidonderivate

• Pregnancy or quiet time or insufficient Contraception

• Acute severe psychiatric disturbances in need of treatment of the axle I after DSM-IV

• Acute Suizidalität, not convincingly arrangementable

• Severe internal illnesses, e.g. Pancreatitis, pneumonia, cardiac infarct,gastrointestinal bleedings etc.)

• Severe kidney damage (starting from dekompensierter retention - stage 3 after thatnational Kidney Foundation) or heavy liver damage (starting from Child A after ChildPugh Score with living ore erring trousers) and/or creatinin Clearance of small 30ml/min

• Simultaneous participation or within the last 4 weeks at another clinical study,however does not exist an exclusion with previous participation in the decontaminationstudy with Keppra ® (Keppra 1).