Severe Alcohol-use Disorder: a tDCS and Response Inhibition Training Intervention
Condition: Alcohol Use Disorder
MeSH terms: Alcoholism; Alcohol Drinking
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Most severe forms of alcohol-use disorder are thought to reflect an abnormal interplay
      between two neural systems: an overly active impulsive one driven by immediate rewards
      prospects and a weak reflective one, tuned on long-term prospects. The investigators propose
      that two non-pharmacological interventions, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
      and Inhibitory Control Techniques (ICT) may act on both systems when combined, which might
      ultimately result is a reduction of alcohol relapse rate.
    

Detailed description: 
      Treating Alcohol dependence remains notoriously difficult despite use of several medications,
      psychotherapeutic and psychosocial interventions. Alcohol dependence is thought to reflect an
      abnormal interplay between two neural systems: an overly active impulsive one driven by
      immediate rewards prospects and a weak reflective one, tuned on long-term prospects. The
      investigators proposes that two non-pharmacological interventions, Transcranial Direct
      Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Inhibitory Control Techniques (ICT) may act on both systems
      when combined. tDCS has been found to improve working memory, which is necessary to evaluate
      long-term consequences of actions. ICT is able to modify the automatic approach tendencies
      towards appetitive cues.

      The investigators will recruit 160 alcohol-dependent patients and divide them randomly
      between four treatment conditions : real transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) with
      active or control Inhibitory Control Technique (ICT ); or sham (placebo) tDCS with active or
      control ICT.

      Patients will be evaluated with primary outcome measures (alcohol consumption patterns) and
      secondary outcome measures (working memory and changes in alcohol-related stimuli affective
      values).
    

Intervention name(s): Combined TDCS active and ICT active; Combined TDCS sham and ICT active; Combined TDCS active and ICT inactive; Combined Sham TDCS and inactive ICT
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS (2 MicroAmperes during 20 minutes) and ICT, 5 consecutive days; Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS sham (non active) and ICT, 5 consecutive days; Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS sham and no-cue inhibition training, 5 consecutive days; Five 20-minute long sessions including TDCS and no-cue inhibition training, 5 consecutive days
Other intervention name(s): Experimental; Sham/active; Sham/inactive; Active/inactive
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: 2 (active, sham tDCS) x 2 (active, inactive response inhibition training) factorial design
Masking: Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Alcohol; tDCS; inhibition; cognitive training; implicit cognition; relapse; craving