Alcohol dependence
Conditions
Interventions
Attentional bias modification training or active placebo will be given at random and double blind to a group of alcohol dependent outpatients from clinics recruited in and around Amsterdam.
The real
Sponsors
Department of Developmental psychology, University of Amsterdam
Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Centre Amsterdam.
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: • Male and female patients, aged between 18-70 years • Current DSM-V diagnosis of alcohol dependence • Right-handed. • Within the normal BMI range (18-30). • Able to speak and understand Dutch. • Able to speak and understand English.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: • Impairments in visual processing or in hand-eye coordination (this would make it difficult for patients to perform properly in the scanner) • Being on any anti-craving medication (baclofen, acamprosate, naltrexone, disulfiram, or topiramate) • No previous or current abuse of drugs other than alcohol (excluding nicotine, cannabis and caffeine) • Pregnancy, trying to conceive or breastfeeding. • Having any metal implants, working or having worked with metal, teeth braces or bridges, tattoos above the shoulder, or cardiac pacemaker.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| fMRI indices of attentional processing of alcohol-associated images will be taken both before and after the end of the training regimen. Changes in neural effects will be one outcome variable. Changes in biases to alcohol-associated stimuli will also be investigated. Propensity to relapse and number of drinks consumed and frequency of alcohol use in the month following the training | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Propensity to relapse and number of drinks consumed and frequency of alcohol use in the month following the training | — |
Outcome results
None listed