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16 active trials for Alcohol Related Disorders

Imaging Biomarker for Addiction Treatment Outcome

Background: Many people suffer from drug addiction. But currently, treatments are not very effective. One group of patients in this study are enrolled in addiction treatment through physician health programs (PHPs). About 70% of these patients are able to stop using drugs for extended periods of time. By studying this specific group of patients, researchers want to understand the difference between those who may or may not respond to treatment. They want to study the brain while people do thinking and feeling tasks and when they relax. They will study brain chemicals, a stress hormone, and certain genes. The results may help them understand the brain basis for addiction and recovery. Objectives: To use brain imaging to find differences between people with and without drug addiction. To see if these differences help predict addiction. Eligibility: Healthy, right-handed adults ages 21-65, enrolled in a physician health program or those with no history of addiction and with at least 16 years of education Design: Participants enrolled in a PHP will be screened under this study and participants with no history of addiction will be screened under another study. At the study visit, participants will: Have a routine check-up, including tests for pregnancy, drugs, and alcohol. Give 11 blood samples. Rate their cravings. Test their frustration with stressful situations by responding to questions on a screen. Practice the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tasks: Shock task. Two electrodes placed on a foot will deliver brief, low-strength electrical shocks that get gradually stronger, but not painful. Participants will see drug or neutral images. They will rate their discomfort. Thinking tasks. Participants will answer questions about pictures, numbers, and money. They will press buttons in response to things they see. Do the MRI tasks in 2 sessions (morning and afternoon) in the scanner. Participants will lie in an MRI machine which will take pictures of the brain while doing these tasks. Some participants will repeat the visit twice over a year at set intervals. Meals will be provided, and visits will include meal breaks and smoking breaks for those who smoke.

Start: July 2019
Neurobiological Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment in Alcohol Use Disorder

Background: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a complex psychiatric disorder, involving several brain areas and neurocircuits. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) allows to stimulate superficial areas of brain using a weak electrical current. Preliminary data suggest that tDCS may reduce alcohol craving and consumption. Objectives: The main outcome is to test if tDCS can reduce alcohol craving and use and to assess the changes in BDNF and pro-BDNF levels. Secondary outcomes are the assessment of other psychiatric dimensions (mood, behavioral and cognitive alterations) associated with prolonged alcohol use. Eligibility: Healthy, right-handed adults ages 18-65 who do have AUD (moderate to severe). Design: This is a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study with three phases: 1) a tDCS intensive treatment phase; 2) follow-up with weekly tDCS stimulation; 3) follow-up without tDCS stimulation. Participants will be screened with: Psychometric Scales Medical history Physical exam Urine tests and breathalyzer After being enrolled, baseline behavioral and laboratory data will be collected. In particular, participants will undergo: Psychometric Scales Venous blood sample (BDNF/proBDNF levels) Participants will be randomized to real or sham tDCS arm. The stimulation will be delivered daily for five days during the first week (intensive treatment phase) and then weekly for 3 months (follow-up with stimulation). During this period patient will be tested with a behavioral and psychometric evaluation.Therefore, participants will receive 3 follow-up monthly visits without tDCS stimulation, in which behavioral and psychometric data will be collected. Treatment includes: tDCS: The tDCS will be delivered with a stimulator connected to two sponge electrodes, soaked in a saline solution. The stimulation will be administered at a current intensity of approximately 1 mA, for the duration of 20 minutes. The anode will be placed on the right DLPFC, the cathode on the contralateral cortical area. BDNF/proBDNF levels: A venous blood sample will be collected before the first stimulation and after the last stimulation of the intensive-stimulation period (first week). The blood sample will be centrifuged within 20 minutes of sampling at 1000 × g for 15 minutes. Then, the serum will be aliquoted and stored at -80 ° C until analysis. Repeat of screening tests and questionnaires Urine toxicological screen and breathalyzer

Start: July 2021
COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Alcohol (PIA) - A Natural History Study

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused a pandemic infection called COVID-19. It is a global threat to people, communities, and health systems. Researchers are concerned about the mental health effects of the pandemic. They want to learn more about how it is affecting people s alcohol use and problems, and how it may continue to affect them over time. Objective: To study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol use and consequences in individuals across the spectrum of alcohol use and those with alcohol use disorder. Eligibility: Participants who have been screened under the NIAAA Screening, Assessment and Management Protocol (14-AA-0181) Design: Participants will complete a baseline survey by phone. It will ask about alcohol use, alcohol dependence, and stress. It covers 2 time periods: the 12 months before the pandemic started and the time since it started. Participants will get an ID code and a link to an online survey. They will complete the online survey within a week of the phone survey. Participants will complete a series of online surveys over 24 months. For the first year, surveys will be completed weekly for the first 4 weeks, then biweekly for the next 8 weeks, and then every 1-2 months for the rest of the year. For the second year, surveys will be completed every 6 months. Surveys will cover the following topics: Alcohol use and its consequences Other substance use Stress Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic Pain Physical health Sleep Quality of life. Because the course of the pandemic may change, the frequency of the surveys may change. Participation lasts 2 years.

Start: June 2020
A Response Modulation Hypothesis of Socioemotional Processing Associated With Alcohol Use Disorder

Background: Problem drinking affects nearly half the people who drink alcohol. Drinking alcohol affects a person s social behavior and brain structure, but researchers don t have a good understanding of how. They want to test a technique called neurofeedback to learn more about how to treat problem drinking. Objectives: To study what happens in the brains of people who drink alcohol when they look at pictures of social things and of alcohol. To learn if people can control brain activity in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and if this helps people with drinking. Eligibility: Adults ages 21 65 who have an alcohol use disorder. Healthy volunteers ages 21 65 Design: Participants will be screened with Physical exam Medical history Blood, urine, and heart tests Mental health interview Questions about their alcohol drinking. At each session, participants will have: A urine test for drugs and pregnancy. If they test positive, they cannot participate. A breath alcohol test and assessment for alcohol withdrawal. Participants will complete surveys, talk to researchers about behaviors, and play games. Participants will have MRI brain scans. The scanner is a metal cylinder in a strong magnetic field. They will lie on a table that slides in and out of the scanner for 1 2 hours. Participants will do tasks in the scanner: They will look at pictures, sometimes of alcohol. They will try to hit a goal. Some participants will get feedback during this task. They will see how their brain activity changes or how someone else s changes. Participants may have follow-up phone questions at least 3 times over about 6 months.

Start: September 2018
Messaging Interventions to Reduce Alcohol Problems Project

The study is designed to develop and test a tailored adaptive text messaging/short message service (SMS) intervention for individuals interested in reducing their alcohol consumption. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, problem or risky drinking is defined as greater than 7 standard drinks per week for women and 14 standard drinks per week for men. Other groups have other criteria (e.g., 10 drinks for women and 14 for men per week). The Institute of Medicine reports that problem drinkers are those with mild-to-moderate problem severity who do not have physical dependence. Heavy drinking individuals with non-abstinence goals rarely seek treatment for excessive alcohol use, and newer methods such as internet screening and mobile apps provide opportunities to engage and treat this difficult to reach population. There are now 96 mobile phone contracts for every 100 people on earth, making mobile interventions a highly viable method for extending care beyond traditional methods. Text messaging or short message service (SMS) is the most widely available mode of mobile communication and despite its simplicity, has been proven to be a reliable and effective method to induce behavior change across behavioral health targets, including problem drinking. However, large scale randomized controlled trials are needed to provide the necessary empirical evidence to validate SMS interventions and understand the mediators and moderators of outcome for help seeking heavy drinkers who are using or unable to attend in-person care.

Start: May 2019