Boosting future-focused thinking during early recovery from alcohol use disorder
Enhancing Prospective Thinking in Early Recovery
NA · Indiana University · NCT06283472
This trial will test whether strong personal future-thinking cues help people with alcohol use disorder choose delayed rewards more often and increase interest in treatment.
Quick facts
| Phase | NA |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 21 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 60 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Indiana University (other) |
| Locations | 1 site (Indianapolis, Indiana) |
| Trial ID | NCT06283472 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This interventional project compares high-intensity versus low-intensity episodic future-thinking cues in adults with alcohol use disorder. Participants who meet heavy-drinking criteria will generate personally relevant cues and be assigned to a high- or low-intensity cue group, complete delay-discounting and a novel decision-making task, and provide measures of treatment interest. Brain activity and resting-state nucleus accumbens–precuneus connectivity will be measured alongside behavioral choices to link neural mechanisms with decision outcomes. The study tests whether higher-intensity cues produce larger shifts toward delayed rewards and greater engagement of prospective-thinking brain regions.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults aged 18–60 who meet heavy-drinking thresholds (per NIAAA) or have AUDIT scores ≥8, can comprehend English, and do not have unstable medical or psychiatric conditions or smell/taste disorders are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People outside the 18–60 age range, those who do not meet heavy-drinking criteria, or those with unstable medical or psychiatric conditions or smell/taste disorders are unlikely to receive benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help people with alcohol use disorder make less impulsive choices and increase interest in treatment by strengthening future-oriented thinking.
How similar studies have performed: Prior episodic future-thinking work has reduced impulsive choices and craving in substance-use populations, but using high-intensity personalized cues together with neural connectivity measures is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Individuals who meet current heavy drinking (≥2 heavy drinking days/month OR ≥7 drinks/week for biological females, and ≥14 drinks/week if biological male \[NIAAA definition\] and/or AUDIT scores ≥8) * English comprehension Exclusion Criteria: * Unstable medical disorders * Outside the age range of 18-60 * Smell/taste disorders * Unstable psychiatric conditions
Where this trial is running
Indianapolis, Indiana
- Indiana University School of Medicine - Goodman Hall — Indianapolis, Indiana, United States (RECRUITING)
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions: Alcohol Use Disorder, Alcohol Abuse, Heavy Drinking, Alcohol