NCT03447054

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

Treating Alcohol Dependence : Testing a Combined Treatment Model Using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Inhibitory Control Training (ICT)

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 136 (actual)
• Sponsor: Brugmann University Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

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

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

• Alcohol Use Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Combined TDCS active and ICT active	Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS (2 MicroAmperes during 20 minutes) and ICT, 5 consecutive days
BEHAVIORAL	Combined TDCS sham and ICT active	Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS sham (non active) and ICT, 5 consecutive days
BEHAVIORAL	Combined TDCS active and ICT inactive	Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS sham and no-cue inhibition training, 5 consecutive days
BEHAVIORAL	Combined Sham TDCS and inactive ICT	Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS and no-cue inhibition training, 5 consecutive days

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-01-01
• Primary completion: 2020-03-18
• Completion: 2020-09-01
• First posted: 2018-02-27
• Last updated: 2020-11-04

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Belgium