Rutgers University is proposing an Alcohol Research Center devoted to research on the treatment of alcoholism. The application is a collaborative effort among the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies, the Rutgers Alcohol Behavior Research Lab, Carrier Foundation and the Stonington Institute. The theme of the center is the linking of treatment studies to recent findings in the psychological and biological sciences. The first grant period will test models of recent findings in the areas of psychosocial treatment, subtyping and the psychophysiology of alcoholism. The Center includes the following components: 1. Cue Exposure Treatment of Alcoholism. This study tests the comparative effectiveness of cue exposure and control treatment among alcoholics of different levels of alcohol dependence. The study also investigates rival theories of the therapeutic mechanisms underlying cue exposure treatment. 2. A Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor and Cue Exposure in Reducing Craving. This study tests the relative effectiveness of two different approaches to reducing craving among alcoholics - a serotonin reuptake inhibitor or cue exposure treatment. 3. Medical Patients: Matching consultation to Stage of Change. This study tests the hypothesis that patients who are harmful or hazardous drinkers will respond differentially to clinical interventions that focus on motivational factors or skills acquisition, depending on level of motivation. 4. Elder-Specific Addictions Programming. This study tests the matching hypothesis that treatments specifically tailored to different patterns of substance abuse among elderly patients result in a more positive treatment outcome than a generic treatment. 5. A Causal Model of Addiction Treatment Outcome. This study develops and tests an expanded causal model of treatment outcome, examining the interactions among patient characteristics, treatment processes, and post-treatment environment in predicting treatment outcome. 6. Alcoholic Subtypes as Predictors of Treatment Outcome. This study draws data from the five core treatment outcome studies, and tests specific questions about the contribution of psychopathology, family history, substance abuse pattern, and personality to treatment outcome. 7. Neuropsychological Functioning and Pattern of recovery over Time as Predictors of Treatment Outcome. This study also draws data from the five core treatment outcome studies, and tests the relative strength of, and interaction between level of impairment at the start of treatment and extent of recovery over time in predicting outcome.
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