The Approach and Avoidance Task (AAT) in Alcoholic Inpatients
Alcohol Dependence
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Alcohol Dependence focused on measuring Approach and Avoidance Task, Inhibition
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of alcohol dependence (SKID-I)
- Abstinence from alcohol (at least 72 hours) and absence of major withdrawal symptoms
- Being in between 18-76 years of age
- Being able to understand rationales of the study and signing written informed consent
- Currently being inpatient seeking help overcoming alcohol dependence
- Medication allowed: Antiepileptic's (such as Carbamezepin), antidepressants, substances to treat other non-psychiatric diseases
Exclusion Criteria:
- Impaired ability to cooperate
- Presence of another substance dependency than alcohol and nicotine within the last year
- Presence of another axis-I disorder that interferes with the ability to cooperate within the study programme
- Current episode of a major depression
- Presence of axis-II disorders
- Presence of schizoaffective disorders
- Alcohol consumption in between withdrawal and start of the study
- Somatic or neurological disease that precludes the proper execution of the study
- Long-term intake of neuroleptics or hypnotics
- Current intake of benzodiazepines or Clomethiazol (in the period of five half-value times prior to the start of the study)
- Participation in other studies or other treatments than treatment as usual
- Planned long-term therapy after 3-week withdrawal programme
- Being homeless
- Prior electroconvulsive therapy
- Language barriers that preclude proper understanding of study contents
Sites / Locations
- University Clinic Hamburg-EppendorfRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Experimental
Experimental
Sham Comparator
Inhibition group
Classical AAT group
Control group
The inhibition group gets the instructions to respond to pictures containing soft drinks by swiping/pulling them towards themselves, whereas pictures with alcoholic content shall be ignored. Up on pulling the pictures successively enlarge, whereas they shrink when ignored and slowly fade out.
The classical AAT group is provided with a tablet on which an explicit AAT training is installed. Thus, just as participants in the inhibition group, participants are instructed to react upon soft drinks by swiping/pulling towards themselves the picture. Pictures containing alcoholic content shall be pushed away. Up on pulling pictures enlarge and up on pushing they shrink until they fade out.
This type of active control group receives the instructions to swipe alcohol pictures to the left and soft drink pictures to the right (or vice versa depending on the sequential counterbalancing procedure).