NCT02193204

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine potential stress and immune systems adaptations underlying craving and relapse vulnerability in alcohol dependent (AD) individuals and social drinkers (SDs) with and without high levels of depressive symptomatology (+dep / - dep). Using the investigators experimentally validated guided imagery procedure, the investigators propose to examine the response of brain stress and immune systems to personalized guided stressful imagery using subjective, physiological and neurobiological assessments in 60 healthy controls and 60 alcoholic dependent individuals with and without depressive symptomatology.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
116

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Sep 2011

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

September 1, 2011

Completed
2.9 years until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

July 15, 2014

Completed
2 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

July 17, 2014

Completed
12 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

July 1, 2015

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

July 1, 2015

Completed
Last Updated

March 6, 2020

Status Verified

March 1, 2020

Enrollment Period

3.8 years

First QC Date

July 15, 2014

Last Update Submit

March 4, 2020

Conditions

Keywords

Alcohol dependenceStressCytokinesDepressive Symptomatology

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • cytokine levels

    At each of the six time-points (-25, -5, +5, +15, +30, +45), serum cytokine concentrations of IL-6, TNFa, TNFR1, IL-10, IL1-ra, IL-4, IL1beta, and IL-12 will be collected. Levels will be determined by enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assays using the DuoSet ELISA Development Kit from R\&D systems (Minneapolis, MN, USA). Plasma Cortisol and ACTH levels will also be colected and assays will be measured using standard radioimmunoassay procedures.

    Day 1 and 2, (-25, -5, +5, +15, +30, +45)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

  • Alcohol Craving

    Day 14, Day 30 and Day 90

  • Anxiety and Negative Mood

    Day 14, Day 30 and Day 90

  • Alcohol Relapse

    14, 30 and 90 day follow-ups

Study Arms (4)

Social Drinkers Depressive Symptoms

EXPERIMENTAL

30 non-dependent light socially drinking (SD) smokers with depressive symptoms will be recruited to participate in two laboratory sessions (Stress and Neutral / Relaxing). This arm will be exposed to both the personal stress imagery and neutral imagery interventions.

Behavioral: Personal Stress ImageryBehavioral: Neutral Imagery

Social Drinkers No Depressive Symptoms

EXPERIMENTAL

30 non-dependent light socially drinking (SD) smokers without depressive symptoms will be recruited to participate in two laboratory sessions (Stress and Neutral / Relaxing). This arm will be exposed to both the personal stress imagery and neutral imagery interventions.

Behavioral: Personal Stress ImageryBehavioral: Neutral Imagery

Alcohol Dependent, Non-Depressive

EXPERIMENTAL

30 treatment-engaged 28-day abstinent, alcohol dependent (AD) smokers, without Depressive symptoms. All AD subjects will either be admitted to the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit (CNRU) of the Connecticut Mental Health Center for five weeks of inpatient stay and study participation (inpatient), or they will be scheduled for a two night stay on the CNRU following 3 weeks of abstinence (outpatient). This arm will be exposed to both the personal stress imagery and neutral imagery interventions.

Behavioral: Personal Stress ImageryBehavioral: Neutral Imagery

Alchohol Dependent Depressive Symptoms

EXPERIMENTAL

30 treatment-engaged 28-day abstinent, alcohol dependent smokers with depressive symptoms. All AD subjects will either be admitted to the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit (CNRU) of the Connecticut Mental Health Center for five weeks of inpatient stay and study participation (inpatient), or they will be scheduled for a two night stay on the CNRU following 3 weeks of abstinence (outpatient). This arm will be exposed to both the personal stress imagery and neutral imagery interventions.

Behavioral: Personal Stress ImageryBehavioral: Neutral Imagery

Interventions

The stress imagery script will be based on participants' description of a recent personal event experienced as "most stressful", and determined as such by rating it above 8 on a 10-point stress scale. These may include breakup with a significant other or job-related stress. A 5-minute 'script' of each scenario will be written using Scene Construction Questionnaires where physiological, bodily sensations regarding the event will be obtained. Scripts will then be recorded onto audiotape for guided imagery in the laboratory sessions.

Alchohol Dependent Depressive SymptomsAlcohol Dependent, Non-DepressiveSocial Drinkers Depressive SymptomsSocial Drinkers No Depressive Symptoms
Neutral ImageryBEHAVIORAL

The neutral script will be developed from a personal non-alcohol-related relaxing situation. A 5-minute 'script' of each scenario will be written using Scene Construction Questionnaires where physiological, bodily sensations regarding the event will be obtained. Scripts will then be recorded onto audiotape for guided imagery in the laboratory sessions.

Alchohol Dependent Depressive SymptomsAlcohol Dependent, Non-DepressiveSocial Drinkers Depressive SymptomsSocial Drinkers No Depressive Symptoms

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 50 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • ADs: Male and females, aged 18-50 years, meeting current DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence consuming more than 25 drinks / week.
  • SDs: Male and females, aged 18-50 years. Must not meet either current or lifetime DSM-IV criteria for alcohol/drug abuse. They must have demonstrated weekly alcohol use over the past year but no more than 25 drinks / month with no occasion of binge drinking (5 or more drinks-men; 4 or more -women).
  • ADs and SDs must self-report depression ratings at levels to match one of the two following groups: a) a score of 20 or above in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale (CES-D), or b) a score between 3 -20 on the CES-D
  • Weekly alcohol use as documented by positive urine toxicology screens (AD only).
  • Good health as verified by screening examinations and medical and screening
  • Able to read English and complete study evaluations.
  • All participants must voluntarily provide informed consent and sign the informed consent document.

You may not qualify if:

  • Meeting current criteria for dependence on another psychoactive substance, excluding nicotine.
  • Having any current Axis I psychiatric disorders and requiring treatment/medication for these conditions.
  • Having significant underlying medical conditions requiring medication.
  • Women who are pregnant or nursing.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

CT Mental Health Center

New Haven, Connecticut, 06519, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alcoholism

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Alcohol-Related DisordersSubstance-Related DisordersChemically-Induced DisordersMental Disorders

Study Officials

  • Helen Fox, PhD

    Yale University

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
DOUBLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
Purpose
BASIC SCIENCE
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

July 15, 2014

First Posted

July 17, 2014

Study Start

September 1, 2011

Primary Completion

July 1, 2015

Study Completion

July 1, 2015

Last Updated

March 6, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-03

Locations