Transdiagnostic CBT for Comorbid Alcohol Use and Anxiety Disorders
Completed · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Alcohol Use Disorder, Anxiety Disorders
In brief
Almost 18 million US adults have alcohol use disorders (AUD), with one third of these individuals also diagnosed with anxiety disorders (AXD). The coexistence of AUD and AXD imposes a high burden via healthcare costs and lost productivity. To date, existing treatment approaches for addressing AUD/AXD comorbidity have been only modestly effective and there is a lack of adequate research to guide treatment decisions. The Unified Protocol (UP) is a transdiagnostic, cognitive-behavioral therapy that has shown efficacy in treating emotional disorders. The efficacy of the UP to facilitate abstinence from alcohol consumption in individuals with comorbid AUD/AXD has also been examined, with results from this study indicating a reduction from baseline in drinks consumed per day. However, further evaluation of the UP for managing AUD/AXD is warranted. In this clinical trial, the investigators will further assess the UP's effectiveness in reducing alcohol consumption in patients with comorbid AUD/AXD. Participants will be randomized to one of two conditions: 1) treatment with the UP or 2) treatment with therapist-guided Take Control (TC; a computerized alcohol reduction program). In addition, in a subset of twenty-five participants, functional magnetic resonance scanning (fMRI) will be used to examine the effects of the UP on changes in brain activity in areas important to regulation of emotional and reward processes implicated in excessive alcohol consumption. The researchers' primary hypotheses are that the UP group will, compared to the TC group: 1) be superior in acute symptom reduction from pre- to post-treatment, and 2) evidence greater reductions in percent days heavy drinking, percent days of drinking per week, and alcohol craving.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT03230006
- Run by
- Boston University Charles River Campus
- People needed
- 75
- Starts
- 2018-03-01
- Expected to finish
- 2024-01-31
- Last updated by the study team
- 2025-04-09
Who can join
Age: 21 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may not qualify if…
- DSM-5 diagnosis of current major depressive disorder (with the exception of substance-induced depressive disorder) that requires immediate treatment with pharmacologic agents, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, current bulimia/anorexia, dementia, or other substance dependence, with the exception of nicotine, marijuana, and caffeine dependence.
- Presence of suicidal ideation or history of suicide attempts
- Non-English speakers
- Previously received an adequate trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT; 8 sessions within the past 5 years)
- Contraindications to MRI scans
- History of head injury with >5-minute loss of consciousness
- Pregnancy Note: Women of childbearing potential (not postmenopausal for at least one year) will be required to provide a negative urine pregnancy test prior to each scan.
- Implantation of anything containing magnetically sensitive material including metal plates, aneurysm clips, and cardiac pacemakers, stents; history of sheet metal work, claustrophobia
- Cognitive impairment (MOCA<21).
- Serious medical illness or instability for which hospitalization may be likely within the next year.
Where it is running
- Boston University, Charles River Campus — Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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