Sensory and Physical Reactions to Beverage Cues
ConditionAlcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age21-70
SponsorUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate changes in craving and sensory responses to different beverage cues in adults (aged 21-70) with current mild or greater alcohol use disorder (AUD). The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Does exposure to different beverage cues elicit distinct changes in subjective craving? * How do beverage liking, peak craving, and the return of craving to baseline compare across different test-beverage conditions?
Researchers will compare Session A (Test Beverage Condition A) to Session B (Test Beverage Condition B) in a randomized crossover design to see if sensory and expectancy effects influence craving responses without consumption.
Participants will:
* Complete two separate 3-minute cue reactivity trials per session (a baseline water cue, followed by a test-beverage cue) while listening to guided audio instructions and holding/smelling the beverage without drinking it. * Rate their craving and beverage liking using visual analog scales (VAS) immediately after each trial. * Provide breathalyzer readings (BrAC), vital signs, and safety/medication checks at both study visits. * Complete diagnostic and drinking history assessments (such as the SCID-5, TLFB, and ACQ-SF-R).
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Age 21-70 years.
Current AUD (mild or greater severity on the SCID-5).
Regular drinkers (at least one drink in past week as identified in TLFB) able to identify a preferred alcoholic beverage (e.g., beer, wine, spirits, or mixed) for which a visually matched non-alcoholic alternative exists and can be sourced .
Willing to abstain from alcohol for ≥12 hours prior to each session and arrive with BrAC = 0.000% at visit 1 and ≤ 0.020% at visit 2. BrAC will be collected immediately after the participant signs the consent form at visit 1.
Disqualifiers
CIWA-Ar ≥10 which suggests clinically meaningful withdrawal.
Pregnancy, nursing, or planning pregnancy.
Medical contraindications to any alcohol exposure (e.g., liver disease, unstable cardiovascular condition).
Current use of medications that strongly affect craving or alcohol consumption (e.g., naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram).
Trial design
Design model
Crossover
Treatments tested in this trial
Alcohol Cue Reactivity Paradigm
BehavioralStandardized 3-minute visual, olfactory, and tactile exposure to beverage cues (water, and two similar appearing beverages) accompanied by guided audio instructions.
Treatment groups
20 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Beverage AExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Beverage BExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Change in Subjective Alcohol Craving Score, Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Change in subjective alcohol craving, measured using a 20-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 ("strongly disagree" or "None") to 20 ("Strongly agree" or "Extremely strong"), with higher scores indicating greater craving. Craving will be compared following a water cue versus a visually matched test-beverage cue.
Time frame
Visit 1 (baseline) through Visit 2, an average of 1 week.Secondary outcomes
1
Beverage Liking Rating, Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Beverage liking, peak craving, and return-of-craving-to-baseline, measured using a 20-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 ("Strongly dislike") to 20 ("Strongly like"), with higher scores indicating greater liking. Ratings will be compared between the two different test beverage conditions.
Time frame
Visit 1 (baseline) through Visit 2, an average of 1 weekSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Source ClinicalTrials.gov