The purpose of this three-year Coordinating Center (CC) application is to continue the coordination of Project MATCH, a multi-site clinical trial of patient-treatment matching at nine designated collaborating centers (Clinical Research Units or CRUs). The long-term objectives of the trial are to test hypotheses derived from treatment research and alcoholism theory that suggest that treatment efficacy Can be improved significantly by matching alcoholics to appropriate therapeutic interventions. The project consists of two independent treatment matching studies, which are designed to evaluate the interaction between selected patient characteristics and three treatment modalities: l) a Twelve-Step approach, designed to facilitate affiliation with Alcoholics Anonymous; 2) Cognitive-Behavioral therapy derived from social learning principles; and 3) a Motivational Enhancement approach that aims to mobilize the patient's own resources in the service of recovery. The trial is nearing the end of its first five years of funding, having successfully completed three of its four stages (planning, pilot testing, and implementation). Although preliminary data analyses will be completed by the end of the fifth project year, the work proposed in this application allows for an extension of the fourth and final stage, which will be devoted to data analyses, the reporting of findings, and the collection of long-term follow-up data. To achieve these objectives, the CC will perform the following tasks: A) Project Coordination. In addition to the coordination of trial-wide data analytic efforts, the CC will continue to exercise """"""""executive secretariat"""""""" functions (e.g. communications, meetings) that facilitate the work of the Steering Committee. B) Data Management.
This aim i nvolves data cleaning and preparation of codebooks and documentation; distribution of trial datasets for analysis by individual investigators and working groups; and maintenance of study archives. C) Data Analysis.
A third aim of the CC is to conduct trial-wide analyses of ten a priori primary matching hypotheses In accordance with the data analysis plan approved by the Steering Committee. In addition, the CC has major responsibility for the analyses of treatment process data, which are necessary for studying the """"""""casual chains"""""""" associated with individual matching hypotheses. D) Investigator-Initiated Activities. During the continuation period, CC investigators will have responsibility for two of the trial's primary matching hypotheses (gender and typology), will implement a highly sophisticated analysis of treatment processes, and complete work on an innovative study of interviewer reliability. E) Information Dissemination.
This aim concerns the CC's role in reporting to the Data Monitoring Board, the NIAAA, and the scientific community. As specified in the Steering Committee's publication plan, CC Investigators will prepare research reports on gender, typology, and treatment process, and will edit a book that summarizes the trial's major accomplishments.
