AAT for Alcohol Use Disorder in Veterans

Conditions

• Alcohol Use Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - 65 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Approach Avoidance Training — BEHAVIORAL
  AAT condition, participants use a joystick to respond to the color of the border surrounding the stimulus images presented (i.e., "pull for green, push for blue"). The stimuli used are alcohol-related images and neutral beverage images. To experimentally manipulate automatic action tendencies, a contingency is set between alcohol stimuli and avoidance behaviors
• Sham Training — BEHAVIORAL
  In the Sham participants use a joystick to respond to the color of the border surrounding stimulus images presented. There is no contingency between instruction type and pictures (i.e., non-training version of the task)

Study Details

The proposed study will test a novel treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUD) to determine if it helps Veterans reduce their hazardous drinking and recover from alcohol-related functional impairments across social, occupational, and domestic domains. To do so, the investigators will evaluate clinical, cognitive, and neural effects of a computer-delivered Approach Avoidance Training (AAT) treatment - which changes implicit tendencies to approach alcohol-related cues - in conjunction with standard VA care. The project will support RR\&D's mission to improve Veterans' participation in their lives and community by determining if this innovative alternative technique can improve recovery outcomes for Veterans with AUD and exploring how the intervention works.

Key Dates

Start date

Feb 3, 2023

Status verified

Jun 2026

Primary completion

Jun 30, 2026

Completion

Sep 30, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment

176 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Arms

• Experimental: Approach Avoidance Training
  AAT condition, participants use a joystick to respond to the color of the border surrounding the stimulus images presented (i.e., "pull for green, push for blue"). The stimuli used are alcohol-related images and neutral beverage images. To experimentally manipulate automatic action tendencies, a contingency is set between alcohol stimuli and avoidance behaviors
• Sham Comparator: Sham Training
  In the Sham participants use a joystick to respond to the color of the border surrounding stimulus images presented. There is no contingency between instruction type and pictures (i.e., non-training version of the task)

Primary Outcome Measure

Change in the Drinker Inventory of Consequences (DrInC) [ Time Frame: Baseline, post (week 6), follow up 1 (3 mo.), followup 2 (6 mo.) ]

Central Contacts

• Jessica A Bomyea, PhD
  (858) 642-3720
  [email protected]
• Andrea Spadoni Townsend, PhD
  (858) 855-8585
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in San Diego, CA

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