Severe Alcohol-use Disorder: a tDCS and Response Inhibition Training Intervention

NCT ID: NCT03447054

Last Updated: 2020-11-04

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

136 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-01-01

Study Completion Date

2020-09-01

Brief Summary

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Most severe forms of alcohol-use disorder are thought to reflect an abnormal interplay between two neural systems: an overly active impulsive one driven by immediate rewards prospects and a weak reflective one, tuned on long-term prospects. The investigators propose that two non-pharmacological interventions, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Inhibitory Control Techniques (ICT) may act on both systems when combined, which might ultimately result is a reduction of alcohol relapse rate.

Detailed Description

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Treating Alcohol dependence remains notoriously difficult despite use of several medications, psychotherapeutic and psychosocial interventions. Alcohol dependence is thought to reflect an abnormal interplay between two neural systems: an overly active impulsive one driven by immediate rewards prospects and a weak reflective one, tuned on long-term prospects. The investigators proposes that two non-pharmacological interventions, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Inhibitory Control Techniques (ICT) may act on both systems when combined. tDCS has been found to improve working memory, which is necessary to evaluate long-term consequences of actions. ICT is able to modify the automatic approach tendencies towards appetitive cues.

The investigators will recruit 160 alcohol-dependent patients and divide them randomly between four treatment conditions : real transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) with active or control Inhibitory Control Technique (ICT ); or sham (placebo) tDCS with active or control ICT.

Patients will be evaluated with primary outcome measures (alcohol consumption patterns) and secondary outcome measures (working memory and changes in alcohol-related stimuli affective values).

Conditions

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Alcohol Use Disorder

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

2 (active, sham tDCS) x 2 (active, inactive response inhibition training) factorial design
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Caregivers Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Combined TDCS active and ICT active

Five consecutive days: Twenty minutes of TDCS on the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex while performing an alcohol-cue inhibitory control training consisting to systematically paired go responses with non-alcohol pictures and no-go responses with alcohol-related pictures.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Combined TDCS active and ICT active

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS (2 MicroAmperes during 20 minutes) and ICT, 5 consecutive days

Combined TDCS sham and ICT active

Five consecutive days: Twenty minutes of sham TDCS on the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, while performing a no-cue go/no-go training consisting to carry out a go/no-go paradigm with no alcohol-related content.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Combined Sham TDCS and inactive ICT

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS and no-cue inhibition training, 5 consecutive days

Combined TDCS active and ICT inactive

Five consecutive days: Twenty minutes of active TDCS in association with no-cue go/no-go training consisting to carry out a go/no-go paradigm with no alcohol-related content.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Combined TDCS active and ICT inactive

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS sham and no-cue inhibition training, 5 consecutive days

Combined Sham TDCS and inactive ICT

Five consecutive days: Twenty minutes of Inactive TDCS combined with an non alcohol-cue inhibitory control training consisting to carry out a go/no-go paradigm with no alcohol-related content.

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

Combined TDCS sham and ICT active

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS sham (non active) and ICT, 5 consecutive days

Interventions

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Combined TDCS active and ICT active

Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS (2 MicroAmperes during 20 minutes) and ICT, 5 consecutive days

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Combined TDCS sham and ICT active

Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS sham (non active) and ICT, 5 consecutive days

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Combined TDCS active and ICT inactive

Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS sham and no-cue inhibition training, 5 consecutive days

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Combined Sham TDCS and inactive ICT

Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS and no-cue inhibition training, 5 consecutive days

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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Experimental Sham/active Sham/inactive Active/inactive

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Patients with severe alcohol-use disorder (DSM-5 criteria), hospitalized for detoxification.
* Severity of alcohol use disorder must be at least moderate (at least 4 DSM-5 criteria)
* Aged between 18 and 65 years
* Comorbidity with anxiety disorders and depressive disorders is allowed
* Patients must be illegal drug free for 3 weeks at beginning of trial
* Pharmacotherapy: patients should be benzodiazepines free at the moment of inclusion. They are allowed to continue other psychotropic medication (antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers), providing they are following a stable regimen that will not be changed during the protocol time.
* Patients must be reachable for follow-up

Exclusion Criteria

* Previous neurological conditions (epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke)
* Present delirium, confusion or severe cognitive disorder
* Schizophrenia, chronic psychotic disorders, bipolar type 1 disorder.
* Any severe, life-threatening disorders
* High suicidal risk
* Specific contraindications for tDCS: metallic plates in the head
* Alcohol medication treatment initiated during the rehab: acamprosate, disulfiram, baclofen, nalmefen.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University Ghent

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Université Libre de Bruxelles

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Brugmann University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Xavier NOËL

Research Associate at the F.R.S/FNRS

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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CHU-Brugmann

Brussels, , Belgium

Site Status

Countries

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Belgium

References

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Dubuson M, Kornreich C, Vanderhasselt MA, Baeken C, Wyckmans F, Dousset C, Hanak C, Veeser J, Campanella S, Chatard A, Jaafari N, Noel X. Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with alcohol cue inhibitory control training reduces the risk of early alcohol relapse: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Brain Stimul. 2021 Nov-Dec;14(6):1531-1543. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.10.386. Epub 2021 Oct 20.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 34687964 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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Baudoin_2016_J1130650_206500

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id