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NCT Number: NCT06302413

Enhancing Prospective Thinking in Early Recovery (HOME)

The goal of this clinical trial is to use a novel virtual reality intervention to test for efficacy in reducing alcohol use and increasing abstinence, with concomitant increases in future self-identification, future time perspective, and delay-of-reward, in early recovering alcohol use disorder (AUD) persons. The main question[s] this trial aims to answer are:

Will the Virtual Reality (VR) intervention decrease the number of stimulant use days? Will the VR intervention produce longer abstinence periods during follow-up visits? Will the VR intervention increase alcohol abstinence rates? Will the VR intervention increase future self-identification? Will the VR intervention increase self-reported future time perspective? Will the VR intervention increase preference for delayed rewards in a laboratory delay discounting task on the study day? Will the VR intervention produce gains in the behavioral effects of future self-identification, future time perspective, and delayed rewards at the 30-day and 6-month follow-ups? Researchers will compare the experimental and control groups to see if there are differences in the results for the questions outlined above.

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Key information

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder Alcohol-Related Disorders Alcoholism Chemically-Induced Disorders Mental Disorders Substance-Related Disorders

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Indiana University School of Medicine - Goodman Hal

Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Brandon G Oberlin, PhD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Sarah Turo, BA

CONTACT

[email protected]

317-963-7220

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Abstinence between ≥14 days and ≤1 year
  • Verbal endorsement of commitment to recovery
  • Outpatient
  • Psychotropic drugs for SUD-comorbidity
  • Drug/alcohol abstinence ≥ 24 hours at the time of the study day visit
  • English comprehension

Exclusion criteria

  • Unstable medical disorders
  • Habitual drug use
  • Mu-opioid drugs
  • Smell/taste disorders
  • Unstable psychiatric conditions
  • Extravagant/elaborate face tattoos

Treatment and study plan

Virtual reality

Device

They will receive a Virtual Reality Park experience, which is an empty park with no avatars. They will then have a Virtual Reality Avatar experience, where they will see an avatar resembling themselves in a park setting.

Primary outcomes

  1. Reduced Use of Drug Using Days

    Time frame: Day 2-Study Day Visit; 30-day Follow-up Visit; 6-month Follow-up Visit

    The Virtual Reality Avatar experience will reduce drug using days.

  2. Increased Length of Abstinence

    Time frame: Day 2-Study Day Visit; 30-day Follow-up Visit; 6-month Follow-up Visit.

    The Virtual Reality Avatar experience will increase the length of abstinence periods.

  3. Increased (overall) Abstinence

    Time frame: Day 2-Study Day Visit; 30-day Follow-up Visit; 6-month Follow-up Visit.

    The Virtual Reality Avatar experience will increase abstinence.

  4. Future Self-identification with Future Self Continuity Questionnaire

    Time frame: Day 2-Study Day Visit; 30-day Follow-up Visit; 6-month Follow-up Visit

    The Virtual Reality Avatar experience will increase future self-identification.

  5. Future Time Perspective with the Delayed Discounting Behavioral Task and Future Self Continuity Questionnaire

    Time frame: Day 2-Study Day Visit; 30-day Follow-up Visit; 6-month Follow-up Visit.

    The Virtual Reality Avatar experience will increase future time perspective.

  6. Delayed Reward Preference with the Delayed Discounting Behavioral Task

    Time frame: Day 2-Study Day Visit; 30-day Follow-up Visit; 6-month Follow-up Visit.

    The Virtual Reality Avatar experience will increase preference for delayed rewards.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Colton Lind, BS

CONTACT

[email protected]

317-963-2554

Sarah Turo, BA

CONTACT

[email protected]

317-963-7220

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Indiana University

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Registry information

Official study title

Enhancing Prospective Thinking in Early Recovery

Acronym: HOME

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Mar 8, 2024
Registry last updated
May 4, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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