Semantic Networks in Alcohol Use Disorder Patients: Exploratory Study

NCT05636033 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: C22-012022-A01903-40
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 41
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a major public health problem, characterized by a high rate of relapse. Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption notably induces frontal brain alterations and cognitive impairments such as executive dysfunction and an attentional bias for alcohol, participating to the risk of relapse. In effect, AUD patients preferentially process alcohol-related cues, which could reflect a reorganization of the patients' semantic network. The investigators hypothesize that in AUD patients, semantic associations in memory are reorganized with a higher centrality of alcohol-related elements. To the investigators knowledge, no studies have explored semantic associations and/or semantic networks in AUD. A study, conducted in patients with neurological damage, showed that frontal lesions are associated with excessive strength in semantic associations, and difficulties to generate remote associations. This excessive strength in semantic associations could reduce the ability to inhibit automatisms and to adapt to new context. Objective: The objective of this study is to explore whether and how AUD patients have a different organization of semantic associations than healthy controls, and whether this reorganization influences the alcohol consumption over the months following the withdrawal. The investigators will also explore how it relates to neuropsychological assessment of flexibility, executive functions, and impulsivity. To these purposes, the investigators will use two original verbal tasks (Free Generation of Associates Task, FGAT and Associative Judgment Task, AJT) assessing word associations and allowing the estimation of semantic networks using graph theory, in combination with neuropsychological testing, in AUD patients and in healthy controls. Methods: This study will include a group of 30 AUD patients and a group of 30 healthy controls. Both groups will be assessed twice, at baseline (T1; early in abstinence for AUD patients) and after a three-month period (T3). For the two groups, T1 and T3 assessments will include the two semantic association tasks (FGAT and AJT). For AUD patients, assessments will also involve neuropsychological testing of impulsivity, flexibility, and attentional bias. Besides, in AUD patients, data about alcohol consumptions will be collected six weeks (T2) and three months (T3) following the baseline assessment to classify patients as relapsers or abstainers.

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder

Keywords

alcohol use disorder; semantic association; semantic networks; cognition

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Description of the semantic associations using FGAT

  The Free Generation Associated Tasks will be used in Alcohol use disorder patients and Healthy controls

  At baseline (T1)

• Description of the semantic associations using AJT

  The Associative Judgment Task will be used in Alcohol use disorder patients and Healthy controls

  At baseline (T1)

Secondary Outcomes (16)

• Impact of medications on the semantic association performance

  At baseline (T1)

• Impact of age on the semantic association performance

  At baseline (T1)

• Impact of the study level on the semantic association performance

  At baseline (T1)

• Impact of gender on the semantic association performance

  At baseline (T1)

• Impact of the duration of dependence on the semantic association performance

  At baseline (T1)

Study Arms (2)

Alcohol use disorder patients

Healthy controls

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 30 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Two groups of participants will be included in this study. The first one consists of a pool of alcohol use disorder, the second one consists of a pool of healthy controls ; they will be matched as much as possible on age, gender, and educational level.

You may qualify if:

• For alcohol use disorder patients
• Severe alcohol use disorder
• French as mother tongue
• Right-hander
• Patient who gave his informed written consent
• Currently in outpatient or inpatient care
• For healthy controls
• French as mother tongue
• Right-hander
• Participant who gave his informed written consent

You may not qualify if:

• For alcohol use disorder patients
• Patient under guardianship or under justice safeguard measures
• Patient under measure of therapeutic injunction
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding declared
• Meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 (DSM) criteria for substance use disorder other than Tobacco
• Meeting DSM-5 criteria for non substance use disorder
• Patient presenting severe or progressive disease that interfere with experimental tasks, such as neurological diseases (TBI, epilepsy, stoke) , hepatic diseases, cancer, HIV, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and unstable psychiatric comorbidities.
• For healthy controls
• Participant under guardianship or under justice safeguard measures
• Participant under measure of therapeutic injunction
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding declared
• Meeting DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder
• Meeting DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder other than Tobacco
• Meeting DSM-5 criteria for non substance use disorder
• Currently under benzodiazepine

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France: lead

Study Sites (1)

Fernand Widal Hospital

Paris, Île-de-France Region, 75010, France

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alcoholism

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Alcohol-Related Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Alexandra Dereux, PH (MD)

  APHP

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE CONTROL
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER GOV
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 3, 2022
• First Posted: December 5, 2022
• Study Start: April 19, 2023
• Primary Completion: October 7, 2025
• Study Completion: October 7, 2025
• Last Updated: April 27, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Locations

FR (1)