Long-term recovery from alcohol use — relapse, daily functioning, and brain-behavior markers

Longitudinal Study of Recovery: Psychosocial Functioning, Relapse, and Neuro-Behavioral Markers

NIH-funded research Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ · NIH-11326693

This project follows people recovering from alcohol use disorder over many years to track relapse, everyday functioning, and brain-behavior signs.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVirginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Blacksburg, United States)
Project IDNIH-11326693 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would join an online registry of people who have quit or reduced drinking and complete regular surveys and computer-based tasks. The team enrolls people at different lengths of recovery so they can combine results to represent up to 12 years of recovery experience. The work looks at decision-making tied to impulsive versus control systems in the brain using computerized measures and repeated questionnaires. Most participation is remote through the International Quit & Recovery Registry with ongoing follow-up over time.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults with a history of alcohol use disorder who are in recovery (including a range of recovery lengths) and who can join the online International Quit & Recovery Registry are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: People without a history of problematic alcohol use or those unable or unwilling to participate in repeated online follow-up are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal when and how relapse risk changes over the long term and point to better-timed or targeted relapse-prevention supports.

How similar studies have performed: Short-term studies have linked brain-behavior measures to relapse risk, but few projects have combined an accelerated longitudinal design and a large online recovery registry to map decade-long recovery trajectories, making this approach relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

Blacksburg, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Disease remission
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.