Alcohol CravingNCT01507909
Quantitative EEG Assessment of Cue-Induced Changes in Brain Activity in Alcohol Use Disorders
An observational study of Alcohol Craving, run by Boston University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Exposure to alcohol related cues, such as the sight of alcoholic drinks, may induce craving for alcohol in drinkers. In this study, the effects of exposure to (1) the pictures of alcoholic drinks and (2) the imagining of a scene related to drinking on activity in the frontal region of the brain in heavy social… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 21 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Alcohol Craving
- How many people
- 11 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Jan 2012to Jan 2015
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 21 to 70 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Local participants not interested in alcohol treatment.
Who may be able to join
- Male or female, aged 21 to 70.
- History of heavy drinking: Defined as at least 8 occasions in the past month that individual had at least 5 drinks (males) or 4 drinks (females) in one sitting.
- The subject must currently not be in treatment for any alcohol use disorder
- Subject must be able to comprehend and perform study related information and tasks in English and have a willingness to complete study procedures.
- Subject must be able to provide written informed consent, at time of consent BAC has to be 0.00%.
- The subject must have the ability to read/speak English
Who cannot join
- Severe impairment of sight, smell, or hearing that would result in a significant alteration in the response to alcohol related cues.
- Currently on a medication used to treat alcoholism or is known to alter EEG activity or responsiveness to cue presentation including acamprosate, anticonvulsants, anticholinergics, antipsychotics, benzodiazepine receptor agonists, beta adrenergic receptor antagonists, and naltrexone.
- History of any neurological or psychiatric disorder that would result in abnormal EEG activity such as severe brain trauma, seizure disorders, stroke or that would severly alter response to the cue presentation such as schizophrenia or any other psychotic or severe mood disorder.
- CIWA-AR score of 8 or higher or any history indicating that the subject is at risk for experiencing severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms if her or his drinking is discontinued for any period of time.
- The subject must not be pregnant. -
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Boston University Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, 02118
About this study
Exposure to alcohol related cues, such as the sight of alcoholic drinks, may induce craving for alcohol in drinkers. In this study, the effects of exposure to (1) the pictures of alcoholic drinks and (2) the imagining of a scene related to drinking on activity in the frontal region of the brain in heavy social drinkers will be determined. This study is being conducted to develop the methods needed to allow for the detection of cue-induced changes in drinkers using the EEG. The objective of this pilot study is to establish procedures for detecting alcohol-related cue-elicited changes in EEG activity in heavy drinkers.
- Conditions
- Alcohol Craving
- Keywords
- EEG, related visual, and verbal cues
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
FFT power of five frequency bands
This study will look at FFT power of five frequency bands. Relative power will be determined by finding absolute power for the range of frequencies (0,1 to 100Hz). Relative power will then be found for each electrode. The Investigator's will examine change over time for relative power for each electrode in the different cue condition and compare change of power using repeated measures analysis with time and condition as within subject factors. Craving values obtained under the different cue conditions will be analyzed using condition as the within-subject factor.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted11 Jan 2012 (estimated)
- Study startJan 2012
- Primary completionJan 2014
- Study completionJan 2015
Why it stopped: Equipment Failure
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Alcohol CravingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Boston UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 11 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Boston University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ofra Sarid-Segal MD, Boston University
- Investigators
- Ofra Sarid-Segal, MD, Principal investigator, Boston University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01507909
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- EEG CUE study-H-31322
- Status last verified
- Jul 2016
- First submitted
- 9 Jan 2012
- Last updated
- 26 Jul 2016
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Jul 2016. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Quantitative EEG Assessment of Cue-Induced Changes in Brain Activity in Alcohol Use Disorders
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01507909
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- EEG CUE study-H-31322
- Conditions
- Alcohol Craving
- Keywords
- EEG, related visual, and verbal cues
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: Equipment Failure
- Enrolment
- 11 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Boston UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Jan 2012
- Primary completion
- Jan 2014 (actual)
- Study completion
- Jan 2015 (actual)
- First posted
- 11 Jan 2012 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Exposure to alcohol related cues, such as the sight of alcoholic drinks, may induce craving for alcohol in drinkers. In this study, the effects of exposure to (1) the pictures of alcoholic drinks and (2) the imagining of a scene related to drinking on activity in the frontal region of the brain in heavy social drinkers will be determined. This study is being conducted to develop the methods needed to allow for the detection of cue-induced changes in drinkers using the EEG. The objective of this pilot study is to establish procedures for detecting alcohol-related cue-elicited changes in EEG activity in heavy drinkers.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 21 to 70 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Local participants not interested in alcohol treatment.
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Male or female, aged 21 to 70.
- History of heavy drinking: Defined as at least 8 occasions in the past month that individual had at least 5 drinks (males) or 4 drinks (females) in one sitting.
- The subject must currently not be in treatment for any alcohol use disorder
- Subject must be able to comprehend and perform study related information and tasks in English and have a willingness to complete study procedures.
- Subject must be able to provide written informed consent, at time of consent BAC has to be 0.00%.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Severe impairment of sight, smell, or hearing that would result in a significant alteration in the response to alcohol related cues.
- Currently on a medication used to treat alcoholism or is known to alter EEG activity or responsiveness to cue presentation including acamprosate, anticonvulsants, anticholinergics, antipsychotics, benzodiazepine receptor agonists, beta adrenergic receptor antagonists, and naltrexone.
- History of any neurological or psychiatric disorder that would result in abnormal EEG activity such as severe brain trauma, seizure disorders, stroke or that would severly alter response to the cue presentation such as schizophrenia or any other psychotic or severe mood disorder.
- CIWA-AR score of 8 or higher or any history indicating that the subject is at risk for experiencing severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms if her or his drinking is discontinued for any period of time.
- The subject must not be pregnant. -
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
FFT power of five frequency bands
This study will look at FFT power of five frequency bands. Relative power will be determined by finding absolute power for the range of frequencies (0,1 to 100Hz). Relative power will then be found for each electrode. The Investigator's will examine change over time for relative power for each electrode in the different cue condition and compare change of power using repeated measures analysis with time and condition as within subject factors. Craving values obtained under the different cue conditions will be analyzed using condition as the within-subject factor.
Results and safety
The study was stopped early (reason given: Equipment Failure). Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 26 Jul 2016.
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Endotoxin Exposure to Examine the Role of Inflammation in Alcohol Use
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Probenecid Administration for Alcohol Craving and Consumption
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Examining the Effectiveness of Dynamic Visual Noise (DVN) for Reducing Alcohol Cravings and Consumption in College Students
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Alcohol Use Disorder, Stress Reaction
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Ofra Sarid-Segal, MD principal investigator
Boston University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Alcohol Craving, run by Boston University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Jul 2016. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was stopped early (reason given: Equipment Failure). Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
FFT power of five frequency bands. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Jul 2016; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.