The overall goal of the proposed project is to improve the treatment of individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). We will conduct a pilot feasibility trial of Approach Bias Modification (AABM) training of heavy-drinking non-treatment seeking individuals with AUD. We will measure feasibility with respect to recruitment, retention and tolerability of AABM training and the Alcohol Drinking Paradigm (ADP). We will also assess changes in alcohol craving and alcohol consumption during ADP sessions conducted before and after 2 weeks of AABM training.
Heavy-drinking non-treatment seeking male community volunteers with a diagnosis of AUD will receive 2 weeks of AABM training preceded and followed by a 1-day ADP session. AABM training is a computer training program that participants interact with by pushing and pulling a joystick. Participants are asked to respond to the format of a presented picture, irrespective of the pictures' content. Training effect is achieved by presenting alcohol pictures in push format only and non-alcoholic drinks in pull format only. Training is conducted in 3 sessions per week for 2 weeks, for a total of 6 sessions. The ADP session is a one day human laboratory session taking place at the SFVA Medical Center. This human laboratory session involves the self-administration of alcoholic beverages by research participants under highly structured, observed conditions in order to evaluate the effects of the study intervention (AABM training) on alcohol craving and alcohol consumption. The investigators hoped to recruit 12 participants to enroll and start the clinical trial over the course of 1 year.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
3
Computerized training
San Francisco VA Health Care System
San Francisco, California, United States
Recruitment Feasibility
The number of participants who enrolled and actually started study treatment over the 12-month recruitment period.
Time frame: 12 months
Retention Feasibility
Retention feasibility as measured by the percentage of participants completing Alcohol Drinking Paradigm (ADP) sessions 1 and 2 and completing the 2-week course of 6 AABM training sessions.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Tolerability Feasibility
Tolerability feasibility is measured by the number and percent of participants experiencing each adverse event.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Alcohol Craving
Alcohol craving will be measured during ADP sessions 1 and 2 using the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (AUQ). Alcohol craving will be measured during Alcohol Drinking Paradigm (ADP) sessions 1 and 2, using the total score of the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (AUQ). The AUQ has 8 items. Each item is scored on a 1 to 7 scale (Strongly Disagree = 1 and Strongly Agree = 7; items 2 and 7 are reverse scored). Higher scores reflect greater craving. Total score range is from a minimum of 8 to a maximum of 56. The AUQ is administered before alcohol administration and at various times after alcohol administration. The AUQ score reported here is the highest AUQ score obtained for that ADP session.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Alcohol Consumption (Number of Standard Drinks Consumed)
Alcohol consumption will be measured during ADP sessions 1 and 2 using the number of alcoholic standard drinks consumed during ADP session 1 (before 2 weeks of AABM training) and ADP session 2 (after the 2 weeks of AABM training). Consumption was measured using the number of alcoholic standard drinks consumed during the ADP sessions. A standard drink per NIAAA definition is 14 grams of pure alcohol.
Time frame: 2 days (1 day each for ADP session 1 and 2)
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.