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

Inclusion Criteria:

* Informed Consent as documented by signature
* In- and outpatients aged 18 to 65 years of all sexes.
* DSM-IV diagnosis of alcohol use disorder (mild - severe).
* Motivation to reduce or stop alcohol use
* Normal level of language comprehension (German or Swiss-German)
* Good physical health with no unstable medical conditions
* Participants of childbearing potential must use an effective and established method of contraception for the entire study duration
* Comply with the study protocol as explained by investigator

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of DSM-IV severe drug dependence other than alcohol (except for caffeine or nicotine) and any opiod use disorder within two months prior to enrolment.
* Hallucinogen and ketamine use 3 months prior to study participation (including regular microdosing).
* Alcohol withdrawal symptoms at any of the treatment visits (V2 and V3) (CIWA-Ar Scale \>9).
* Current or lifetime psychotic disorders
* History of severe substance-induced psychosis
* Current or lifetime bipolar I or II disorders
* Current suicidality
* Previous suicide attempts during the last 2 years
* High risk of adverse emotional and behavioral reactions
* Unmedicated or unstable hypertension
* Severe illness (e. g. myocardial ischemia or arrythmias, severe pulmonary secretions, glaucoma, congestive heart failure or angina, significant renal or hepatic impairment)
* Acute infection (e. g. pulmonary or upper respiratory tract infection)
* Insufficient treated or uncorrected hyperthyroidism
* Severe central nervous system related traumas or disorders (e. g. stroke, cerebral trauma with loss of consciousness over more than 24h, epilepsy)
* During the study, new use or dose changes of already existing concomitant medication without prior informing the investigators.
* Taking medications that are known to modualte uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase-enzyme
* Medication directly affecting glutamate signaling (e. g. anticonvulsant medication)
* Inhibitors of UGT1A9 and 1A10 should be discontinued at least five half-lives prior to the administration of ketamine.
* Monoamine oxidase and aldehyde or alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitors should be discontinued at least 5 half-lives prior to the dose of ketamine.
* Pregnancy or lactation
* Women of childbearing potential with no use of medically accepted contraceptive (e. g. condoms, contraceptive diaphragm, birth control pill, hormone injection, intrauterine device)
* BMI \< 17 or \> 35
* Allergy, hypersensitivity, or other adverse reaction to previous use of ketamine
* Contradictions to magnetic resonance imaging
* Concurrent participation in other clinical study