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Environment and Alcohol: A Pilot Study

Environment and Alcohol: A Pilot Study

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06860607
Enrollment
44
Registered
2025-03-06
Start date
2026-09-22
Completion date
2028-03-01
Last updated
2026-09-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder

Keywords

Alcohol Use Disorder

Brief summary

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic disease that causes more than 140,000 US deaths each year. AUD treatment often includes therapy and medication. Some people with AUD may also benefit from behavioral and lifestyle changes. Objective: To evaluate the effects of different activities and environments on drinking behaviors and mental health in people with AUD. Eligibility: People aged 21 years and older with AUD. Design: Participants will have up to 10 study visits in Baltimore. Participants will have a baseline visit. They will have a physical exam with blood and urine tests. They will have a breath test for alcohol and a test that measures body composition. They will answer questions about their alcohol and substance use; mental and physical health; mood and anxiety; and sleep quality. Participants will download an app called MetricWire. The app will send 3 sets of questions to be answered at different times throughout the day. The study visits will include 2 stages: 1. Active stage. On these visits, participants will use a virtual reality system called the Meta Quest Pro (MQP) as they choose. Then they may choose among video games, puzzles, books, crafts, and other activities.. These sessions will last for 3 hours. 2. Passive stage. On these visits, participants will watch videos selected by the research team. These sessions will last for 3 hours. On the last visit of each stage, participants will sit in a room that looks like a bar. They will answer questions about their cravings, their urge to drink, and how many drinks they would buy. Participants will be served 1 drink containing alcohol. They will be asked about their cravings and subjective effects of alcohol after drinking it.

Detailed description

Study Description: This study will investigate the effects of cognitive and sensorimotor environmental enrichment (EE) on alcohol drinking, alcohol cue-reactivity, and other related outcomes in participants with alcohol use disorder (AUD). The hypothesis is that the psychological and physiological effects of environmental enrichment will confer therapeutic benefits for people with AUD, especially on measures of alcohol consumption and cue-elicited craving. Objectives: Primary Objectives: 1\. Evaluate the effects of EE on alcohol consumption Secondary Objectives: 1. Evaluate the effects of EE on other ecological momentary assessments (EMA) 2. Evaluate the effects of EE on bar-lab assessments Endpoints: Primary Endpoints: 1\. Self-reported alcohol consumed using ecological momentary assessment Secondary Endpoints: 1. State assessments of varying psychological, social, and environmental domains associated with AUD 2. \- Cue reactivity: AUQ, AAS * APT * Alcohol challenge: B-BAES, DEQ-5, AUQ, BrAC

Interventions

BEHAVIORALEvaluate the effects of Environmental Enrichment (EE) on alcohol consumption

This study investigates how different environments and activities affect alcohol consumption and related outcomes.

Sponsors

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Lead SponsorNIH

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
21 Years to 100 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* INCLUSION CRITERIA: To meet eligibility for this study, participants must meet all the following criteria: 1. At least 21 years old 2. Owns a cellular device ("smart phone") and is willing to download the EMA application and use it to answer the study questionnaires 3. Diagnosis of alcohol use disorder (minimum of 2 DSM-5 criteria on a valid diagnostic tool, e.g., Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) or the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID)) 4. Self-reported drinking, according to alcohol Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB), of \> 7 drinks per week for females or \> 14 drinks per week for males, on average, during the 28-day period prior to screening + at least four days with \> 3 drinks for females or \> 4 drinks for males during the 28-day period prior to screening 5. Most recent Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol - revised (CIWA-Ar) score \< 10 6. If a female of childbearing potential: not pregnant or breastfeeding, no intention to become pregnant during the study duration, and agrees to use a highly effective contraception method to prevent pregnancy for the entire study duration. Highly effective contraception methods will be determined by the MAI or designee.

Exclusion criteria

Any individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from this study: 1. Current use of FDA-approved pharmacotherapy for AUD (or of a medication intended as an off-label use to treat AUD as determined by the MAI), or currently seeking treatment for AUD 2. Medical and/or mental health conditions that are clinically unstable and would therefore compromise the safety and/or scientific integrity of the study, as determined by the MAI or study team respectively. 3. Known history of clinically significant cybersickness. 4. Any other reason or clinical condition that the Investigators judge would interfere with study participation and/or be unsafe for a participant 5. Unable to speak, read, write, and understand English Justification: Many of the assessments have only been validated in English, and therefore, a non-English translation would jeopardize the scientific integrity of the study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Evaluate the effects of EE on alcohol consumption1-3 months for each participantSelf-reported alcohol consumed using ecological momentary assessment

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Evaluate the effects of EE on other EMA assessments1-3 months for each participantReal-time, real-world data collection of state variables and alcohol consumption enhances the ecological validity of the data. This also allows for evaluation of how dynamics in psychological, social and environmental measures are related to changes in alcohol consumption.
Evaluate the effects of EE on bar-lab assessments1-3 months for each participantAlcohol craving (measure here via AUQ) is a key factor and predictor of persistent and heavy alcohol use and is attenuated by some treatments. AAS measures attention to alcohol cues. APT serves as a measure of economic demand for alcohol. The subjective response to alcohol is a predictor of AUD vulnerability and treatment outcomes.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTRyan E Tyler
ryan.tyler@nih.gov(240) 789-0347
CONTACTLorenzo Leggio, M.D.
lorenzo.leggio@nih.gov(667) 312-5188
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORLorenzo Leggio, M.D.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Sep 18, 2026