Personalized relapse risk tool for people with alcohol use disorder

Personalized relapse prediction in Alcohol Use Disorder

NIH-funded research University of Minnesota · NIH-11326632

This project aims to build a personalized tool using brain and behavior data plus machine learning to predict relapse risk for adults with alcohol use disorder.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Minnesota NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Minneapolis, United States)
Project IDNIH-11326632 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you join, researchers will collect brain measures, behavioral tests, and drinking-history data to learn what predicts relapse. They will apply machine learning to large datasets to find patterns and group people into subtypes like 'reward,' 'relief,' or 'low-functioning' drinkers. The team plans to create a sparse, easy-to-use relapse-risk score that can be tracked during treatment. That score would be designed to update over time to help guide clinical decisions.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults aged 21 and older with a history of alcohol use disorder, especially those in or recently completing treatment, are the intended candidates.

Not a fit: People without alcohol use disorder, individuals under 21, or those unable or unwilling to complete brain or behavioral testing are unlikely to benefit directly.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could give patients and clinicians an early warning of rising relapse risk so treatment can be adjusted sooner.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked brain and behavioral markers to relapse and the investigators have promising preliminary data, but using machine learning to provide a real-time personalized relapse prediction tool is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Minneapolis, 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.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 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.