Question:medium
Which among the following is not used to treat alcohol dependence?
Which among the following is not used to treat alcohol dependence?
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One option is a benzodiazepine antagonist, not an anti-craving or aversive agent.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Flumazenil
- Acamprosate
- Naltrexone
- Disulfiram
Show Solution
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The pharmacotherapy of alcohol dependence relies on a small set of drugs that either reduce craving or create a deterrent to drinking. Recognising these three lets us eliminate them and find the odd one out.
Acamprosate is an anti-craving agent that restores the disturbed glutamate and GABA signalling of chronic alcohol use and supports continued abstinence. Naltrexone, an opioid receptor blocker, dampens the pleasurable reinforcement that alcohol provides and so reduces relapse. Disulfiram works differently, blocking aldehyde dehydrogenase so that any alcohol intake causes a toxic acetaldehyde build-up with flushing, nausea, and palpitations, discouraging drinking.
Flumazenil does not belong to this group. It is a competitive antagonist at the benzodiazepine site, used to reverse benzodiazepine sedation, and it may even provoke seizures in dependent patients. Hence it is the drug with no role in alcohol dependence treatment.
\[\boxed{\text{Flumazenil}}\]
Acamprosate is an anti-craving agent that restores the disturbed glutamate and GABA signalling of chronic alcohol use and supports continued abstinence. Naltrexone, an opioid receptor blocker, dampens the pleasurable reinforcement that alcohol provides and so reduces relapse. Disulfiram works differently, blocking aldehyde dehydrogenase so that any alcohol intake causes a toxic acetaldehyde build-up with flushing, nausea, and palpitations, discouraging drinking.
Flumazenil does not belong to this group. It is a competitive antagonist at the benzodiazepine site, used to reverse benzodiazepine sedation, and it may even provoke seizures in dependent patients. Hence it is the drug with no role in alcohol dependence treatment.
\[\boxed{\text{Flumazenil}}\]
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