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Neuroeconomic Decision-Making for Alcoholism

N/A
Waitlist Available
Led By Michael Amlung, PhD
Research Sponsored by McMaster University
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be between 18 and 65 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 1 hour during mri scan
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial uses techniques from neuroeconomics, which is a mix of psychology, neuroscience, and economics, to study how the brain makes decisions about alcohol consumption. They will be using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at brain activity while participants make hypothetical decisions about alcohol consumption at various prices. There will be an in-scanner alcohol cue exposure task where participants will view images of alcoholic or neutral beverages before making their decisions.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for right-handed, English-speaking adults aged 21-55 who drink heavily (more than 14/7 drinks per week for males/females) and have at least one heavy drinking episode weekly. It's not for those seeking alcohol treatment, with other substance use disorders (except tobacco), frequent recreational drug use, certain mental health conditions, brain injuries, or MRI contraindications like metal implants.
What is being tested?
The study tests how the brain values alcohol when exposed to alcohol-related cues versus neutral ones using fMRI scans. Participants will make hypothetical choices about alcohol consumption at different prices while their brain activity is monitored after seeing images of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.
What are the potential side effects?
There are no direct side effects from the interventions being studied as they involve viewing images and making decisions in an fMRI scanner. However, participants may experience discomfort from lying still in the scanner for long periods.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~1 hour during mri scan
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 1 hour during mri scan for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Alcohol demand decision making
Secondary study objectives
Alcohol craving
Subjective affect

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Alcohol CueExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Alcohol cue exposure in scanner
Group II: Neutral CueActive Control1 Intervention
Neutral cue exposure in scanner

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

McMaster UniversityLead Sponsor
916 Previous Clinical Trials
2,615,152 Total Patients Enrolled
2 Trials studying Alcoholism
277 Patients Enrolled for Alcoholism
Michael Amlung, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorUniversity of Kansas
2 Previous Clinical Trials
80 Total Patients Enrolled

Media Library

Alcohol cue Clinical Trial Eligibility Overview. Trial Name: NCT04067765 — N/A
Alcoholism Research Study Groups: Alcohol Cue, Neutral Cue
Alcoholism Clinical Trial 2023: Alcohol cue Highlights & Side Effects. Trial Name: NCT04067765 — N/A
Alcohol cue 2023 Treatment Timeline for Medical Study. Trial Name: NCT04067765 — N/A
~13 spots leftby Nov 2025
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