Cognitive Interference Task on Alcohol Craving and Consumption

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Craving; Alcohol Drinking

Treatments: Other: Assessment Only; Behavioral: Tetris and Assessments

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT04924283

00102351

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to test a brief task of playing the game Tetris to reduce alcohol cravings and alcohol use. Women who are seen at primary care and recruited through the community will be asked to rate alcohol craving and use for a 1-week baseline period. Then they will be randomly assigned to play the Tetris game on their phones daily or to a control condition for a 2-week period. Participants will also complete a cue-reactivity task, that involves viewing pictures of alcohol and rating cravings.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 21 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Female, any race or ethnicity, age 21 to 65 years old.
2. Able to comprehend English.
3. At least one heavy drinking per week (i.e., consuming at least four or more drinks in one day) for the last two weeks
4. Internet access and reliable electronic device

Exclusion criteria

1. More than four heavy drinking days per week.
2. Currently engaged in treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).
3. Current clinically significant bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, or psychotic disorder.
4. Pregnant.
5. Imminently suicidal or homicidal.
6. Participants taking psychoactive medications that may affect alcohol craving or consumption.
7. A score of 10 or higher on the Clinical Institute of Alcohol Withdrawal Revised (CIWA-R).24

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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40 participants in 2 patient groups

Cognitive Interference Task

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this arm will complete random assessments of alcohol use and cravings on their phone, and be prompted to play Tetris on their phone after reporting cravings for alcohol.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Tetris and Assessments

Assessment Only

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this arm will complete random assessments of alcohol use and cravings on their phone.

Treatment:

Other: Assessment Only