Temporal Window and Episodic Future Thinking in CUD

NCT05507814 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: VT IRB #22-529
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 141
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The primary objective is to test the theory of Reinforcer Pathology via manipulation of the temporal window with successive Episodic Future Thinking generation in individuals with cocaine use disorder.

Conditions

Cocaine Use Disorder

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Change in Delay Discounting

  Delay discounting tasks provide a measure of the temporal window and examine the devaluation of awards as a function of the delay to the receipt. These computerized assessments provide participants with hypothetical choices between smaller amounts of a reward available immediately and a larger amount of a reward after a range of delays (1 day-25 years). Discounting rates will be measured using adjusting amount delay discounting and minute delay discounting tasks. Change in discounting rates will be compared within-subjects across sessions and between groups.

  Over four-weeks of participation (Weekly for four weeks)

• Change in Cocaine Demand

  Intensity and elasticity of cocaine demand will be determined from a cocaine demand curve via a Cocaine Purchase Task (CPT). Change in cocaine demand will be compared within-subjects across sessions and between groups.

  Over four weeks of participation (Weekly for four weeks)

• Cocaine Craving

  The Desires for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ) will be used to assess instant craving for cocaine. Change in cocaine craving will be compared within-subjects across sessions and between groups.

  Over four weeks of participation (Weekly for four weeks)

• Neural activation during fMRI delay discounting task

  Brain maps will be compared between groups and time points.

  Over four weeks of participation (Baseline, Week 1, Week 4)

• Neural activation during fMRI cocaine purchase task

  Brain maps will be compared between groups and time points.

  Over four weeks of participation (Baseline, Week 1, Week 4)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Daily Cocaine Use

  Over four weeks of participation

• Cocaine Urinalysis

  Over four weeks of participation

Study Arms (2)

Episodic Future Thinking (EFT)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will generate positive future events they are looking forward to at several time points in the future (e.g., 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 1 year, and 5 years). Participants will be reminded of these events using cues throughout the study and instructed to think about these cues as they make their decisions. This intervention will be tested in both the presence and absence of stress probes.

Behavioral: Episodic Future Thinking (EFT)

Control Episodic Thinking (CET)

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participants will generate positive recent past events that have happened to them at several time points in the previous day (e.g., 7pm-10pm, 4pm-7pm, 1pm-4pm, 10am-1pm, and 7am-10am). Participants will be reminded of these events using cues throughout the study and instructed to think about these cues as they make their decisions. This intervention will be tested in both the presence and absence of stress probes.

Behavioral: Control Episodic Thinking

Interventions

Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) BEHAVIORAL

Participants will generate descriptions of vivid positive future events.

Also known as: EFT

Episodic Future Thinking (EFT)

Control Episodic Thinking BEHAVIORAL

Participants will generate descriptions of vivid positive future events.

Also known as: CET

Control Episodic Thinking (CET)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• demonstrate recent cocaine use and CUD (use in last month, DSM-5 for CUD \> 4)
• be 18 years of age or older
• have a desire to quit or cut down on their cocaine use, but do not have proximate plans to enroll in treatment for CUD during the study period

You may not qualify if:

• meeting moderate to severe DSM-5 criteria for opioid use disorder
• having a current diagnosis of any psychotic disorder
• having a history of seizure disorders or traumatic brain injury
• having any contraindication for participation in the MRI sessions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: lead
• Arizona State University: collaborator
• Carilion Clinic: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC

Roanoke, Virginia, 24016, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Stephen LaConte, PhD

  Virginia Polytechnic and State University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: The experimental group will compare episodic future thinking (EFT) to the control group, control episodic thinking (CET).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 5, 2022
• First Posted: August 19, 2022
• Study Start: November 30, 2022
• Primary Completion: November 24, 2025
• Study Completion: November 24, 2025
• Last Updated: December 2, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Locations

US (1)