Alcohol use disorders represent a major societal concern in terms of both physical and psychological well- being. Research to date has demonstrated that many different types of treatments for alcohol use disorders are similarly effective. This suggests that one or more as yet unspecified factors may be serving as underlying mechanisms accounting for the behavioral changes associated with treatment. A growing research literature has suggested that level of impulse control may be an important factor in the development, maintenance, and treatment of addictive disorders. Further, it seems likely that for individuals with an alcohol use disorder, any ? decision to initiate drinking is indicative of a momentary lapse in impulse control. As a result, the current ? proposal takes a multi-modal measurement approach to the assessment of impulse control before, during, and after a cognitive behavioral treatment for alcohol dependence. The first specific aim is to investigate whether changes in impulse control during treatment are related to alcohol use during treatment (as compared to pretreatment).
The second aim i s to investigate whether changes in impulse control during treatment result in changes in post treatment alcohol use (as compared to pretreatment). Participants will be fifty men and women who meet DSM-IV criteria for Alcohol Dependence. A two-group design will be used: a Standard Assessment group, assessed at pretreatment, end of treatment, and at 3- and 6-months post treatment, and a Frequent Assessment group, assessed at the same time points as the Standard group, and at weeks 3, 6, and 9 during treatment. Impulse control will be assessed using self-report, behavioral, and neurophysiological (event-related brain potential) measures taking into account the multi-dimensional nature of the impulsivity construct. It is anticipated that results from this study will better define the role of impulse control as a potential mechanism of behavioral change and inform the development of subsequent avenues of investigation on this mechanism in the treatment of alcohol use disorders. Insight into this and other mechanisms of change during alcohol treatment will provide information to refine existing treatments and to develop new treatment methods. Each year alcohol use disorders are related to serious adverse physical, psychological, interpersonal, and economic effects. In an attempt to gain a better understanding of factors that impact treatment response, the current proposal aims to evaluate the role of impulse control as a mechanism of change in the treatment of alcohol use disorders. ? ? ?
| Houston, Rebecca J; Schlienz, Nicolas J (2018) Event-Related Potentials as Biomarkers of Behavior Change Mechanisms in Substance Use Disorder Treatment. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 3:30-40 |
