Cue Effects in Human Addiction: Pavlovian to Instrumental Transfer

Launched by CHARITE UNIVERSITY, BERLIN, GERMANY · Aug 7, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how stress affects people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and other substance use issues. Researchers want to understand how certain cues related to alcohol can influence a person's desire to drink, especially under stress. They are also looking at how people’s ability to control their drinking behavior changes in these situations. The trial aims to create a new way to assess these interactions so that we can better differentiate between those with AUD and those without.

To participate, you need to be between 16 and 65 years old, meet specific criteria for alcohol use disorder, and be a current smoker (either daily or non-daily). It's important that you can understand and consent to the study, and you should be available for two consecutive afternoons for testing. If you join, you will engage in tasks that help researchers learn more about the impact of stress on cravings and control over drinking. Remember, there are some health conditions and situations, like being pregnant or having certain mental health disorders, that would prevent you from participating. This study could help develop better treatments for people struggling with substance use.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • males and females between 16-65 years of age
• • AUD subjects only: meet a minimum of 2 criteria for DSM-5 alcohol-related disorder (AUD) (not requiring withdrawal as assessed by an independent psychiatrist) and AUDIT \> 4
• • Smokers: Daily smokers only: smoke 7 days/week during the last three months
• • Non-daily smokers only: smoke at least once but less than 7 days/week during the last three months
• • Ability to consent to the study and complete the questionnaires
• • Sufficient language skills: German
• • Availability between 3pm-6pm on 2 consecutive days (Experiment 1, acute stress question)
• • Females only: luteal phase (Experiment 1, acute stress question)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Lifetime diagnosis according to DMS-5 for: Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizophrenia spectrum disorder, substance dependence except for alcohol, nicotine, or cannabis
• • Currently meeting DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for a depressive episode, suicidal ideation
• • Past traumatic brain injury or severe neurological disease (such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis)
• • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• • Ingestion of medications known to interact with the CNS in the 10-day period prior to study participation or less than 4 half-lives after last ingestion (rapid urine test)
• • MR contraindications (e.g., pacemakers, metallic or electronic implants, metallic splinters, surgical staples)
• • Color vision deficiency
• • Sensorineural hearing loss of 30 dB or greater,
• • Tinnitus
• • Presence of claustrophobia
• • Acute alcohol intoxication at MRI appointments verified by breath alcohol testing or drug intoxication verified by rapid urine testing
• • For women only: not peri- or postmenopausal, not taking contraceptives (Experiment 1, acute stress question)