Clinical Intervention in Alcohol Use Disorder

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)

Overseen byJazmin Camchong, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Waitlist Available

Sponsor: University of Minnesota

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

Long-term abstinence from alcohol is supported by a compensatory mechanism in functional brain connectivity, a potential brain biomarker that could be an intervention target. These findings provide a compelling case to explore whether this brain biomarker can be modulated to enhance patients' ability to remain abstinent. There is a need to investigate methods that can be used to increase functional brain connectivity. The overall objective of this proposal is to enhance brain functional connectivity in short-term abstinent alcoholics as a therapeutic intervention that supports abstinence.

Research Team

Jazmin Camchong, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Minnesota

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

up to 75 abstinent individuals (18-65 years old; 2 weeks of abstinence) who meet DSM-V criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD) will be recruited from the Lodging Plus Program, part of University of Minnesota Medical Center

This 28-day program provides a supervised environment to treat alcoholism in which patients receive random drug/alcohol screenings daily. Lodging Plus has 50 beds and admits an average of 20 patients per week and 59% of patients admitted have a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder.

ability to provide written consent and comply with study procedures

See 1 more

Treatment Details

Interventions

tDCS (Behavioural Intervention)

Participant Groups

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Placebo Group

Group I: active tDCSExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Subjects that are randomly assigned to this arm will receive 10 active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) sessions

Group II: sham tDCSPlacebo Group1 Intervention

Subjects randomly assigned to sham-tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation) will receive very low current stimulation at beginning and end of session, mimicking the feeling of current stimulation in the scalp, but not reaching levels that will stimulate brain function.