Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in Alcohol Dependent Patients

NCT ID: NCT01828866

Last Updated: 2016-09-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 109 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2013-09-30
• Study Completion Date: 2016-08-31

Brief Summary

One interesting approach to the treatment of addiction is the use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) (Shapiro, 1989). Although research on the feasibility and efficacy of EMDR on addiction is limited and often lacks methodological rigor, the results are promising and suggest that further research on this subject is warranted.

This proposal consists of two studies to test and determine the acceptability, feasibility and efficacy of EMDR as an intervention to reduce craving and alcohol use in alcohol dependent outpatients as well as to gain further understanding in underlying working mechanisms.

Conditions

Alcohol Dependence

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Community Reinforcement Approach

Treatment as usual, provided in out-patient setting

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Community Reinforcement Approach

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

CRA is based on behavioural therapy principles:

1. Functional analysis

2. Communication skills

3. Problem-solving skills

4. Sobriety sampling

5. Social networking

6. Refusal of substances

7. Reinforcing activities

8. Relapse management

9. Medication monitoring

Community Reinforcement Approach + EMDR

Treatment as usual + additional sessions of EMDR

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

EMDR

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

EMDR is a protocolized, evidence-based treatment for PTSD. Here we use it to target addiction memory representations that elicit craving and may influence drinking behavior. The EMDR study protocol is based on the standard EMDR protocol and other EMDR approaches used in addiction.

Community Reinforcement Approach

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

CRA is based on behavioural therapy principles:

1. Functional analysis

2. Communication skills

3. Problem-solving skills

4. Sobriety sampling

5. Social networking

6. Refusal of substances

7. Reinforcing activities

8. Relapse management

9. Medication monitoring

Interventions

EMDR

EMDR is a protocolized, evidence-based treatment for PTSD. Here we use it to target addiction memory representations that elicit craving and may influence drinking behavior. The EMDR study protocol is based on the standard EMDR protocol and other EMDR approaches used in addiction.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Community Reinforcement Approach

CRA is based on behavioural therapy principles:

1. Functional analysis

2. Communication skills

3. Problem-solving skills

4. Sobriety sampling

5. Social networking

6. Refusal of substances

7. Reinforcing activities

8. Relapse management

9. Medication monitoring

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing; CRA

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• A primary diagnosis of alcohol dependence or abuse (meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV-TR criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2000);
• Age of at least 18 years or older;
• Can speak and read Dutch language;
• Consent (written) to postponed information given.

Exclusion Criteria

• Meeting the DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria for current (in the past 2 weeks) addiction and regular use (at least once per week in the last two weeks before baseline screening) of drugs other than alcohol or nicotine (relative exclusion: decision on case-by-case basis whether it leads to therapy-interference);
• Meeting the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria for current (in the last two weeks before baseline screening) regular alcohol use (at least > 21E (women) or > 28E (men) per week) (relative exclusion: decision on case-by-case basis) (relative exclusion: decision on case-by-case basis whether it leads to therapy-interference);
• Meeting the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria for current post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
• Severe, current (since the start of regular treatment) psychiatric symptoms (especially manic, psychotic, suicidal and aggressive symptoms) that may endanger participants or others and jeopardize study adherence.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Fonds Psychische Gezondheid

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Dutch EMDR Association

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

EMDR Research Foundation

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

IrisZorg

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

W. Markus

MSc

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Wiebren Markus, MSc

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

IrisZorg, NISPA, BSI (Radboud University)

Locations

IrisZorg

Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands

Countries

Netherlands

References

Markus W, de Weert-van Oene GH, Becker ES, DeJong CA. A multi-site randomized study to compare the effects of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) added to TAU versus TAU to reduce craving and drinking behavior in alcohol dependent outpatients: study protocol. BMC Psychiatry. 2015 Mar 18;15:51. doi: 10.1186/s12888-015-0431-z.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 25884223 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

IZ / NISPA / BSI / WM04

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id