NCT07157124

Examining the Effectiveness of Dynamic Visual Noise (DVN) for Reducing Alcohol Cravings and Consumption in College Students

A Theory-Informed Examination of a Brief Visuospatial Intervention and Its Mechanisms for Reducing Alcohol Cravings and Consumption

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 62 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Wyoming · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 29 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine whether dynamic visual noise (DVN), a short video array of rapidly moving black and white squares, reduces cravings for and consumption of alcohol in college students who drink alcohol and experience cravings for alcohol at least once a week on average. A second goal of this clinical trial is to examine whether changes in attentional bias towards alcohol (that is, the tendency to pay greater mental and visual attention towards alcohol over other things in one's environment) is a mechanism by which DVN reduces alcohol cravings and consumption. Researchers will compare DVN to static visual noise (SVN), which is a still image of black and white squares that has been used as a control condition for DVN in prior literature. Participants will: 1. Visit the laboratory once to complete the baseline data collection 2. Watch the DVN or SVN every day for seven days (including the day of the laboratory visit) 3. Complete daily follow-ups for six days following the day of the laboratory visit 4. Complete a final follow-up on the seventh day following the laboratory visit

Conditions

• Craving
• Alcohol Drinking

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Dynamic Visual Noise (DVN)	DVN is a brief visual array of patterns of flickering black and white dots. In alignment with prior literature, the DVN array will consist of an 80 x 80 grid of 4 x 4 black and white pixel squares that will change at a rate of 640 frames per second. The DVN will be 30 seconds in duration, though participants will be able to keep watching for as long as desired by restarting the video of the array.
OTHER	Static Visual Noise (SVN)	SVN is similar to DVN, but refers to a static (or still) image of an array of black and white squares. The SVN will consist of an 80 x 80 grid of 4 x 4 black and white pixel squares. SVN has been used in previous working memory-loading studies as a control for DVN. Similar to the DVN, participants in the control group will view the SVN for at least 30 seconds (but they will be able to keep viewing it for as long as desired).

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-09-22
• Primary completion: 2026-09-01
• Completion: 2026-09-01
• First posted: 2025-09-05
• Last updated: 2025-12-29

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States