Examining the Effectiveness of Dynamic Visual Noise (DVN) for Reducing Alcohol Cravings and Consumption in College Students

Part of paid clinical trials in Laramie, Wyoming.

Sponsor
University of Wyoming
Study ID
NCT07157124
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Alcohol Drinking
  • Craving

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 29 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Dynamic Visual Noise (DVN) — OTHER
    DVN is a brief visual array of patterns of flickering black and white dots. In alignment with prior literature, the DVN array will consist of an 80 x 80 grid of 4 x 4 black and white pixel squares that will change at a rate of 640 frames per second. The DVN will be 30 seconds in duration, though participants will be able to keep watching for as long as desired by restarting the video of the array.
  • Static Visual Noise (SVN) — OTHER
    SVN is similar to DVN, but refers to a static (or still) image of an array of black and white squares. The SVN will consist of an 80 x 80 grid of 4 x 4 black and white pixel squares. SVN has been used in previous working memory-loading studies as a control for DVN. Similar to the DVN, participants in the control group will view the SVN for at least 30 seconds (but they will be able to keep viewing it for as long as desired).

Study Details

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine whether dynamic visual noise (DVN), a short video array of rapidly moving black and white squares, reduces cravings for and consumption of alcohol in college students who drink alcohol and experience cravings for alcohol at least once a week on average. A second goal of this clinical trial is to examine whether changes in attentional bias towards alcohol (that is, the tendency to pay greater mental and visual attention towards alcohol over other things in one's environment) is a mechanism by which DVN reduces alcohol cravings and consumption. Researchers will compare DVN to static visual noise (SVN), which is a still image of black and white squares that has been used as a control condition for DVN in prior literature. Participants will: 1. Visit the laboratory once to complete the baseline data collection 2. Watch the DVN or SVN every day for seven days (including the day of the laboratory visit) 3. Complete daily follow-ups for six days following the day of the laboratory visit 4. Complete a final follow-up on the seventh day following the laboratory visit

Key Dates

Start date
Sep 22, 2025
Status verified
Dec 2025
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2026
Completion
Sep 30, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
62 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Experimental: Dynamic Visual Noise (DVN)
  • Sham Comparator: Static Visual Noise (SVN)

Primary Outcome Measure

Strength of Alcohol Craving [ Time Frame: Baseline and 1-week follow-up ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
University of WyomingLaramieWyoming82072
Emma L Winterlind, MPS
[email protected]
307-314-2177
Alison Looby, PhD
[email protected]
Emma L Winterlind, MPS (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)
Alison Looby, Ph.D (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

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University of Wyoming· Laramie, WY

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