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Emotional Attention Bias Modification and Targeted Memory Reactivation in Alcohol Use Disorder

Not Applicable
Not yet recruiting
Conditions
Alcohol Use Disorder
Interventions
Behavioral: Emotional Attention Bias Modification
Behavioral: Emotional Attention Bias Modification and Targeted memory reactivation during REM sleep
Registration Number
NCT06457113
Lead Sponsor
Shanghai Mental Health Center
Brief Summary

Through this protocol, researchers examine whether Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR), a technique used to enhance memory, can augment the control of craving levels in patients with Alcohol Use Disorder by enhancing positive emotional attention bias modification.

Detailed Description

This protocol uses TMR during REM sleep to strengthen associative memories generated by emotional attention bias modification (EABM), an effective treatment for controlling craving levels in patients with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). EABM involves exposure to negative emotional words (e.g., frustrated, inferior) associated with alcohol-related cues and positive emotional words (e.g., successful, confident) associated with healthy lifestyle cues. The goal is to reduce alcohol-related cue positive emotional attention bias (EABs). In EABM training, alcohol-related cues and healthy activity (e.g., exercising, reading, playing musical instruments) images are always paired with negative words and positive words, respectively. The TMR group receives the EABM protocol with auditory cue feedback (sound S1-Alcohol; sound S2-Healthy Life); the control group receives the EABM protocol without auditory cue feedback. All patients will perform EABM every evening and will be exposed to sounds S1 and S2 during REM sleep with a wireless headband, which automatically detects sleep stages. Clinical evaluation of the EAB and craving levels of AUD will be conducted before and after (with a 2-week follow-up). The investigators hypothesize that patients treated with EABM and who are exposed during REM sleep to a sound that had previously been associated with the new negative memory of alcohol and the positive memory of a healthy lifestyle (TMR group) will have more reduced EAB and craving levels compared to participants exposed to the same, but non-associated, sound during REM sleep (control group).

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
74
Inclusion Criteria
  • Aged 18-55 years; Meets the diagnostic criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013); Alcohol withdrawal period of less than 6 months; Normal vision and hearing, or corrected to normal; Agrees to participate in the study and is able to cooperate to complete the experiment.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Acute alcohol withdrawal period: Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol Scale (CIWA-Ar) score ≥ 9; History of organic brain diseases or brain trauma; History of seizures, other neuropsychiatric disorders, or family history of psychiatric disorders; Presence of substance abuse/addiction other than alcohol (excluding nicotine addiction).

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Control groupEmotional Attention Bias ModificationPatients will not receive the sound S1 and sound S2 while they generate a correct outcome of Emotional Attention Bias Modification(EABM). During REM sleep, they will receive the same sound as the experimental group (S1 and S2) under the same conditions.
TMR groupEmotional Attention Bias Modification and Targeted memory reactivation during REM sleepPatients will receive a sound S1 and sound S2 while they generate a correct outcome of Emotional Attention Bias Modification(EABM). They will also receive the sound S1 and sound S2 during REM sleep.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Changes in behavioral indicators of positive emotional attention bias towards alcohol-related cuesbaseline, 1 day after treatment, 2 weeks after treatment

Positive emotional attention bias is assessed through emotional attention bias under electroencephalogram recording, with the indicator being D scores calculated from the response time (D alcohol=RT (negative) - RT (positive) )/SD negative+positive).

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change of Craving assessed by Visual Analog Mood Scalebaseline, 1 day after treatment, 2 weeks after treatment

evaluate all participants' mood assessed by Visual Analog Scales (VAS). The scores ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates the absence of the emotion and 10 indicates the emotion is extremely intense.

Change of Craving assessed by Visual Analog Scalebaseline, 1 day after treatment, 2 weeks after treatment

evaluate all participants' craving for for methamphetamine assessed by Visual Analog Scales (VAS). Score of VAS range from 0 to 10, and higher values represent high level of craving.

Changes in behavioral indicators of positive emotional attention bias towards healthy activity cuesbaseline, 1 day after treatment, 2 weeks after treatment

Positive emotional attention bias is assessed through emotional attention bias under electroencephalogram recording, with the indicator being D scores calculated from the response time (D health=RT (negative) - RT (positive) )/SD negative+positive).

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