NCT03661853

Brief Summary

This proposed R21, Effect of CBT Microinterventions on Mechanisms of Behavior Change among Adults with AUD: Using Eye Tracking to Measure Pre-Post Cognitive Control, uses a translational team science approach to isolate and examine the effect of three different Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions (functional analysis (FA), cognitive restructuring for alcohol related thoughts (CR), and dealing with cravings (DC)) on specific hypothesized mechanisms (cognitive control, stimulus salience, or craving/arousal, respectively).

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

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

Enrollment
83

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Aug 2018

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

August 8, 2018

Completed
28 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

September 5, 2018

Completed
2 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

September 7, 2018

Completed
10 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

June 19, 2019

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

July 26, 2019

Completed
Last Updated

January 27, 2021

Status Verified

January 1, 2021

Enrollment Period

11 months

First QC Date

September 5, 2018

Last Update Submit

January 26, 2021

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Changes in Drinking Behavior

    Changes in drinking behavior are measured by tracking eye movement patterns using antisaccade + attentional bias eyetracking tasks. Specifically, outcome mediators include changes in cognitive control (# of errors in antisaccade eye-tracking task), changes in stimulus salience (stimulus dwell time measurements), and changes in craving/arousal (pupil diameter changes in response to stimuli presentation.)

    Weekly for up to 3 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Alcohol Use Questionnaire (AUQ)

    Weekly for up to 3 weeks

Other Outcomes (5)

  • Barratt Impulsivity Questionnaire

    Weekly for up to 3 weeks

  • Treatment Services Review

    Given at Week 2 and Week 3 appointments out of 3 week program

  • Working Alliance Inventory Short Form

    Week 2 appointment out of 3 week program

  • +2 more other outcomes

Study Arms (4)

Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This microintervention is intended to control for the effect of nonspecific therapy factors such as therapeutic alliance, time spent with a therapist, talking about alcohol, and/or effects related to assessment reactivity, and consists of 60 minutes of psycho-education on alcohol and drugs. The therapist will talk about historical and scientific information on different types of alcohol and drugs and will not overlap with CBT treatment. The participants will not be encouraged to personalize this information, make any behavioral changes, or do homework. The control does not have any active interventions that would specifically target or affect our outcome variables.

Behavioral: Control

Functional Analysis

EXPERIMENTAL

Functional Analysis (FA) is a core intervention in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for AUD, and helps to "break the chain" of events (external and internal) that lead from cue (trigger) to alcohol use to consequences of use. The FA microintervention teaches the patient to think and behave in new, more controlled ways in response to triggers, to identify maladaptive, impulsive behavior chains and to replace them with more deliberate ones.

Behavioral: Functional Analysis

Cognitive Restructuring

EXPERIMENTAL

Cognitive Restructuring of Thoughts About Alcohol (CR) is a core technique in CBT to help patients identify "automatic" (habituated) thoughts that happen quickly and are often not noticed, and change automatic thoughts occurring in response to alcohol triggers.

Behavioral: Cognitive Restructuring

Dealing with Cravings

EXPERIMENTAL

Dealing with Cravings (DC) is designed to directly target the reward and arousal systems, helping the patient accept the nature of cravings as time limited and deflated by continued abstinence so that craving is no longer associated with urgency. DC also teaches skills to reduce cravings by conjuring images such as a spider floating in a glass of wine, or of older versions of oneself sitting alone and dejected in a bar. Distraction techniques and breathing skills to reduce physiological arousal occurring in response to alcohol cues are also taught.

Behavioral: Dealing With Cravings

Interventions

ControlBEHAVIORAL

60 minute psycho-education on alcohol and drugs.

Control

Component of standard CBT that helps to "break the chain" of events (external and internal) that lead from cue (trigger) to alcohol use to consequences of use.

Functional Analysis

CR is used to to help identify and change automatic, habituated thoughts that occur in response to alcohol triggers.

Cognitive Restructuring

DC is used reduce cravings for alcohol by conjuring negative images associated with alcohol, teaching distraction techniques, and teaching breathing techniques to reduce physiological arousal.

Dealing with Cravings

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Age 18 or older
  • Current Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Diagnosis
  • Drank Alcohol within 60 days prior to telephone screen
  • Able to read and understand English at the 7th grade education level

You may not qualify if:

  • Participant diagnosed with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder
  • Participant has a head injury with symptoms in the last 30 days
  • Current inpatient or outpatient treatment for AUD or Drug use Disorder (DUD)

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Elizabeth E Epstein

Worcester, Massachusetts, 01730, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alcoholism

Interventions

Cognitive Restructuring

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Alcohol-Related DisordersSubstance-Related DisordersChemically-Induced DisordersMental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Cognitive Behavioral TherapyBehavior TherapyPsychotherapyBehavioral Disciplines and Activities

Study Officials

  • Elizabeth Epstein, PhD

    University of Massachusetts, Worcester

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Model Details: 4 arms: 3 CBT microinterventions + control condition
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

September 5, 2018

First Posted

September 7, 2018

Study Start

August 8, 2018

Primary Completion

June 19, 2019

Study Completion

July 26, 2019

Last Updated

January 27, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-01

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Individual participant data will not be shared with investigators outside the core study team.

Locations