Predicting heavy drinking during early recovery with wearable sensors and AI
Characterizing initial recovery from alcohol use disorder and predicting heavy drinking using mobile biosensors
Using wearable sensors and AI to spot when adults in early recovery from alcohol use disorder are at higher risk of heavy drinking so supports can be offered sooner.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11194435 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would wear small biosensors (like a chest patch and a transdermal alcohol monitor) during daily life and answer brief reports about mood and behavior. The research team will combine heart rate variability, skin-alcohol readings, and self-reports with artificial intelligence models to look for patterns that come before heavy drinking. They will build and test algorithms that could predict high-risk periods in real time and help explain physiological and neuroclinical signs tied to relapse. Participation may involve scheduled visits at the study site and continuous remote monitoring while you go about your routine.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 and over who are in initial recovery from alcohol use disorder and are willing to wear biosensors and share self-report data.
Not a fit: People under 21, not in early recovery, unwilling to wear monitoring devices, or without the ability to participate in site visits or remote monitoring likely would not benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could provide early warnings of high-risk drinking periods and enable timely help to prevent relapse.
How similar studies have performed: Early pilot studies using wearable sensors and AI have shown promise in detecting alcohol use signals (notably heart rate variability), but real-time prediction of heavy drinking during initial recovery is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mckee, Sherry Ann — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Mckee, Sherry Ann
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.