Computerized Exercise to Alter Stimulant Approach Responses

NCT ID: NCT03902405

Last Updated: 2021-06-21

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-06-11

Study Completion Date

2022-03-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Computerized Exercise to Alter Stimulant Approach Responses (CEASAR), a novel stimulant use cessation intervention, for clients currently enrolled in a treatment centre for mental health and addiction. The investigators plan to conduct a randomized, single-blind controlled trial involving inpatients presenting with concurrent disorders to test the impact of this novel computerized intervention. This pilot study will be conducted at the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction (BCMHA) in Burnaby, BC, Canada.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Purpose: To examine a novel computerized exercise intervention as an add-on to currently available evidence-based stimulant use cessation treatments. This study will evaluate whether or not this intervention can improve stimulant use disorder outcomes in a population with concurrent disorders that are difficult to treat.

Hypothesis: 1) The intervention will be easy to integrate in the existing program. 2) Participation in the experimental (stimulant-avoidance) condition will reduce craving (as assessed by the stimulant craving questionnaire brief version), show reduction in an automatic association of activities with stimulant use and stimulant relapses (as assessed by behaviour association questionnaires) and have reduced relapses as assessed by urine drug screens in 12 weeks following initiation of the intervention.

Justification: Stimulant use disorders are among the most challenging disorders, specifically in individuals suffering from concurrent disorders or also identified as dual diagnosis. While medication is available to support the treatment of other substance use disorders (alcohol, opioids, tobacco), currently there is none to treat stimulant use disorders, such as cocaine use disorder and methamphetamine use disorder. Recently, a group in Europe developed the "retraining of automatic approach" intervention, which is based on simple mechanistic retraining for avoidance of substances. This method was successfully applied to change drinking behaviour in a sample of alcoholic inpatients. Participants respond to substance cues by initiating a distancing activity (pushing a joystick away). In contrast, healthy activities are "approached" or pulled in using the joystick. This differential activity trains participants to alter initial responses and "cognitive biases" to simply and automatically avoid substances.

Objectives: Test the hypothesis and evaluate whether or not the Computerized Exercise to Alter Stimulant Approach Responses (CEASAR) can improve stimulant use disorder outcomes in a population with concurrent disorders that are difficult to treat.

Research design: This study is a randomized, single blind, controlled trial involving in-patients with a stimulant use disorder. The participants will be split up equally into 2 groups: the active CEASAR intervention (experimental condition) and the placebo intervention (control). Patients are able to stay at the BCMHA for 6 months with the average being 4-5 months and the study will take place over 12 weeks during their stay. Both groups will use a joystick to push away ("avoid") or pull in ("approach") randomized stimulant and healthy cues presented on a computer screen. In the experimental condition, pushed pictures will exclusively be stimulant use-related pictures, while pulled pictures will be exclusively healthy. In the control condition, stimulant use-related pictures will be equally divided into push and pull conditions. Some of the cues will be visual (e.g. pictures of cocaine powder, pipes, needles etc.) and some of them will be textual (e.g. words like eight ball, rock, etc.).

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Amphetamine-Related Disorders Cocaine-Related Disorders Substance-Related Disorders

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Active CEASAR Intervention

Participants will be given the active CEASAR intervention where they will be trained to "avoid" cues associated with stimulant use and approach healthy cues based on the orientation of the images presented. Individuals will be asked to approach (pull in) portrait images and avoid (push away) landscape images. In the active condition, pushed pictures (landscape orientation) will exclusively be stimulant-use related pictures. Conversely, healthy images will be in the portrait orientation which will be pulled in.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Active CEASAR Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Healthy and stimulant-use related pictures will be presented on a computer screen. Using a joystick, participants will be trained to pull in pictures that are presented in portrait orientation, and push those presented horizontally. In the active experimental condition, pushed pictures will exclusively be stimulant-related pictures.

Placebo CEASAR

In the control condition, stimulant use-related pictures will be randomized and equally divided into push (landscape) and pull (portrait) conditions.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo CEASAR

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

In the control condition, stimulant cues and healthy cues will be randomized and stimulant use-related pictures will be equally divided into push and pull conditions.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Active CEASAR Intervention

Healthy and stimulant-use related pictures will be presented on a computer screen. Using a joystick, participants will be trained to pull in pictures that are presented in portrait orientation, and push those presented horizontally. In the active experimental condition, pushed pictures will exclusively be stimulant-related pictures.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Placebo CEASAR

In the control condition, stimulant cues and healthy cues will be randomized and stimulant use-related pictures will be equally divided into push and pull conditions.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* In-patient of the Burnaby Centre of Mental Health \& Addiction
* 19 years of age or older
* Individuals with a current stimulant use disorder (cocaine, crack cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, crystal meth), active before intake at BCMHA (as assessed by the MINI)
* Proficiency to read and write English and competent to provide consent

Exclusion Criteria

* Individuals not stabilized enough to allow for regular participation in the intervention (determined by treating psychiatrist)
Minimum Eligible Age

19 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

70 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

University of British Columbia

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Christian Schutz

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Christian Schutz, MD PhD MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of British Columbia

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Canada

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Anastasia Frank Cheng, MPH

Role: CONTACT

604-827-4381

Christian Schutz, MD PhD

Role: CONTACT

778-873-4785

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Anastasia Frank Cheng, MPH

Role: primary

604-827-4381

Christian Schutz, MD PhD MPH

Role: backup

778-873-4785

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Wiers RW, Eberl C, Rinck M, Becker ES, Lindenmeyer J. Retraining automatic action tendencies changes alcoholic patients' approach bias for alcohol and improves treatment outcome. Psychol Sci. 2011 Apr;22(4):490-7. doi: 10.1177/0956797611400615. Epub 2011 Mar 9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21389338 (View on PubMed)

Wiers RW, Rinck M, Kordts R, Houben K, Strack F. Retraining automatic action-tendencies to approach alcohol in hazardous drinkers. Addiction. 2010 Feb;105(2):279-87. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02775.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20078486 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Download supplemental materials such as informed consent forms, study protocols, or participant manuals.

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

H16-01099

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.