The goal of this clinical trial is to examine whether dynamic visual noise (DVN), a short video array of rapidly moving black and white squares, reduces cravings for and consumption of alcohol in college students who drink alcohol and experience cravings for alcohol at least once a week on average. A second goal of this clinical trial is to examine whether changes in attentional bias towards alcohol (that is, the tendency to pay greater mental and visual attention towards alcohol over other things in one's environment) is a mechanism by which DVN reduces alcohol cravings and consumption.
Researchers will compare DVN to static visual noise (SVN), which is a still image of black and white squares that has been used as a control condition for DVN in prior literature.
Participants will:
1. Visit the laboratory once to complete the baseline data collection 2. Watch the DVN or SVN every day for seven days (including the day of the laboratory visit) 3. Complete daily follow-ups for six days following the day of the laboratory visit 4. Complete a final follow-up on the seventh day following the laboratory visit
Must report being between the age of 18 and 29
Must report drinking alcohol at least once per week on average over the past month
Must report having drank beer or alcoholic seltzers in the past month
Must endorse experiencing craving at least once per week over the past month, on average
Major visual impairment (i.e., legal blindness or color blindness)
History of seizures and/or diagnosed seizure disorder
Current medical diagnosis provided by a qualified professional (i.e., psychologist, psychiatrist, neurologist) that is characterized by cognitive impairment (i.e., neurocognitive disorder due to traumatic brain injury, traumatic brain injury, HIV infection, post-concussive syndrome, and intellectual disability)
Concussion in the past month
Parallel
Dynamic Visual Noise (DVN)
Other interventionDVN is a brief visual array of patterns of flickering black and white dots. In alignment with prior literature, the DVN array will consist of an 80 x 80 grid of 4 x 4 black and white pixel squares that will change at a rate of 640 frames per second. The DVN will be 30 seconds in duration, though participants will be able to keep watching for as long as desired by restarting the video of the array.
Static Visual Noise (SVN)
Other interventionSVN is similar to DVN, but refers to a static (or still) image of an array of black and white squares. The SVN will consist of an 80 x 80 grid of 4 x 4 black and white pixel squares. SVN has been used in previous working memory-loading studies as a control for DVN. Similar to the DVN, participants in the control group will view the SVN for at least 30 seconds (but they will be able to keep viewing it for as long as desired).
Strength of Alcohol Craving
Strength of alcohol craving will be measured using the Craving Experiences Questionnaire - Strength (CEQ-S). The measure inquires about the individual's past-week craving experiences. Higher average scores indicate stronger past-week cravings. Changes in mean craving will be calculated as changes in mean strength of past-week alcohol craving at follow-up relative to baseline for each condition.
Frequency of Craving
Frequency of alcohol craving will be measured using the Craving Experiences Questionnaire - Frequency (CEQ-F). The measure inquires about the individual's past-week craving experiences. Higher average scores indicate more frequent past-week craving. Changes will be calculated as changes in mean frequency of past-week alcohol craving at follow-up relative to baseline for each condition.
Alcohol Consumption
At baseline and follow-up, participants will complete the Daily Drinking Questionnaire (DDQ) to indicate the extent of their past-week alcohol consumption. Higher total scores indicate more past-week alcohol consumption. Changes will be calculated as changes in mean past-week alcohol use at follow-up relative to baseline for each condition.
Attentional Bias towards Alcohol
Attentional bias will be measured at the initial laboratory session and at the 1-week final follow-up via the Alcohol Visual Probe task. Changes will be examined as mean changes in reaction time at follow-up minus reaction time at baseline for each condition.
Immediate Changes in Strength of Alcohol Craving Before and After DVN/SVN Task
Participants will view their assigned intervention (i.e., DVN or SVN) as part of the initial baseline visit. Participants will first undergo a craving induction paradigm. Participants will then complete the CEQ-Strength-Now (CEQ-S-N) to indicate the strength of their current craving. Then, participants will view the DVN or SVN (depending on their assigned condition). After viewing the task, participants will complete the CEQ-S-N again. Higher average scores on the CEQ-S-N indicate stronger current moment cravings. Immediate changes in craving will be calculated as the average CEQ-S-N score before viewing the task minus average CEQ-S-N score after viewing the task. A mean change score will be calculated for each condition.
Immediate Changes in Strength of Craving Before and After DVN/SVN
During the intervention phase, participants will be able to freely access their assigned intervention whenever they experience a craving. When they access the intervention, participants will first be asked to indicate, using a 0-100 Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the strength of their current cravings for alcohol (i.e., "How strong is your craving for alcohol RIGHT NOW?"). They will then view their assigned intervention for at least 30 seconds. Immediately after viewing their intervention, they will complete the same VAS item. The change score will be calculated as the craving score before viewing minus the craving score after each viewing. A mean change score will be calculated for each condition.
Changes in Negative Affect from Baseline to Final Follow-Up
Negative affect (NA) is proposed to be an associative stimulus that may elicit cravings under the Elaborated Intrusion theory. However, DVN has never been examined in the context of affect. As such, the one and only exploratory aim of the study is to examine whether DVN affects NA, longitudinally and/or immediately. NA will be measured through the use of the NA subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) at baseline and final follow-up. Changes will be calculated as changes in mean NA at follow-up relative to baseline. Mean change scores will be calculated for each condition.
Changes in Negative Affect Immediately after Viewing DVN/SVN
Negative affect (NA) is proposed to be an associative stimulus that may elicit cravings under the Elaborated Intrusion theory. However, DVN has never been examined in the context of affect. As such, the one and only exploratory aim of the study is to examine whether DVN affects NA, longitudinally and/or immediately. NA will be measured through the use of the NA subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Participants will complete the measure immediately before and after viewing the DVN/SVN during their baseline session. Changes in NA will be calculated as average NA score after viewing minus average NA score before viewing. Mean change scores will be calculated for each condition.
Past-year Alcohol Use Severity
To characterize and describe the sample in terms of their alcohol use and related experiences, participants will complete the Alcohol Symptom Checklist (ASC), a measure of alcohol use severity wherein each item corresponds to a diagnostic criteria of alcohol use disorder outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition. Higher total scores indicate more severe past-year alcohol use. Mean scores will be calculated for each condition.
Past-month Negative Alcohol Consequences
To characterize and describe the sample in terms of their alcohol use and related experiences, participants will complete the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ) at baseline. Higher total scores indicate more negative alcohol consequences experienced in the past month. Mean scores will be calculated for each condition.
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