Using Neurofeedback to Understand the Relationship Between Stress and Alcohol Consumption

Launched by CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH, MANNHEIM · Jan 30, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring how stress affects the desire to drink alcohol and the actual consumption of alcohol. Researchers want to understand which parts of the brain are involved in this relationship. To do this, they will use brain scans and simple mental tasks, along with questionnaires about participants' habits and personalities. The study aims to help people improve their drinking habits by better understanding their brain's response to stress.

To be eligible for this study, participants should be between 18 and 65 years old and have some issues with alcohol use, but not severe enough to need detoxification treatment. They should have no major mental health diagnoses and must be comfortable using a mobile phone for tracking their daily mood and alcohol consumption over six weeks. Those who participate will fill out questionnaires, complete tasks while in a brain scanner, and try to control their brain activity during the scans. The study is currently recruiting participants of all genders who meet these criteria.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age 18-65 years
• • Presence of 2 to a maximum of 5 criteria for alcohol use disorder according to DSM-5
• • no clinical necessity for detoxification treatment
• • participants may have a moderate cannabis use disorder and tobacco use disorder
• • Capacity for consent and ability to use self-assessment scales
• • Sufficient knowledge of German
• • Willingness to use a mobile phone with Android operating system
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Lifetime diagnosis of bipolar or psychotic disorder or a substance use disorder according to Diagnostical and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5 (DSM-5) that is not alcohol, cannabis, or tobacco use disorder
• • Current substance use other than cannabis and tobacco
• • Current diagnosis of one of the following conditions according to DSM-5: (hypo)manic episode, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder
• • History of severe head trauma or other severe central neurological disorders (dementia, Parkinson\'s disease, multiple sclerosis)
• • Pregnancy or lactation
• • Use of medications known to interact with the central nervous system within the last 10 days; testing at least four half-lives after the last dose
• • Exercising the prerogative of the \"Right not to know\" in the context of incidental findings during an examination or investigation