AAT-APP+: A Novel Brain-training App to Reduce Drinking

Turning Point

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Alcohol Use Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: AAT-APP: A novel smart-phone approach-avoidance bias modification intervention; Behavioral: Sham training control

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04923256

73140

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a smart phone delivered form of cognitive training intervention (Approach Bias Modification (ABM)) in a non-clinical community sample of middle to older adults (>55 years) reporting hazardous alcohol use in a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT). This app is called AAT-APP+

Full description

Alcohol use in older adults is of particular concern, with the 55-74 year old cohort most likely to exceed lifetime alcohol risk. Approach Bias Modification (ABM) is a form of computerised cognitive training that is an efficacious intervention for alcohol use disorder. Previous studies are limited in that the stimuli are not personalised, nor are interventions readily accessible to non-treatment seeking problem drinkers. This has led to the development of a world-first, smart phone version of ABM called AAT-APP+

The current study aims to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of AAT-APP+ in reducing alcohol consumption and cravings in a pilot RCT with a non-clinical community sample of 100 older adults (aged 55+ years) reporting hazardous alcohol use (i.e. a score of 8+ on the AUDIT), recruited via targeted advertising. Participants in active training will upload (or select pre-selected) photos of beverages and meaningful activities, which will form the 'avoid' and 'approach' stimuli, respectively, then complete two training sessions per week for four weeks, with results compared to controls. AAT-APP+ holds promise as an innovate, cost-effective, and remotely accessible adjunctive support tool.

Enrollment: 100 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 55+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adults aged 55+ years
• Score 8 or higher on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (indicates 'hazardous' levels of alcohol use).
• Access to an Android or Apple smart phone and Australian contact number
• Wish to reduce their drinking
• Live within the Eastern Health Primary and Secondary Catchment (see map below)

Exclusion criteria

• Under age 55
• Not concerned about their drinking
• Do not wish to reduce their alcohol use in the next 4-6 weeks
• Do not reside with the appropriate catchment will be excluded.
• Experiencing severe alcohol problems likely to need professional treatment (i.e. presence of withdrawal symptoms in the past year)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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100 participants in 2 patient groups

Experimental: Approach Bias Modification

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will complete 2 x 5-7 min training sessions of approach bias modification for the period of four weeks

Treatment:

Behavioral: AAT-APP: A novel smart-phone approach-avoidance bias modification intervention

Control: Minimal intervention

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will complete a standardised alcohol approach-avoidance training task (AAT) on a weekly basis for four weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Sham training control