Integration of Neurofunctional Phenotyping Into Investigation of CBT4CBT for AUD

Nationally, alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of death. In 2019, 14.1 million adults had an alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, most people with AUD do not receive treatment, and treatments are only moderately effective among those who do receive treatment largely due to the heterogeneity of people with AUD. Precision medicine is a method to guide tailoring individual treatment regimens and improve outcomes in evidence-based treatments. Recently, neurofunctional phenotyping approaches have emerged as a promising avenue to advance precision medicine in AUD. For example, studies of the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) framework-a neuroscience-based framework that uses three neurofunctional domains that are considered critical to the development and maintenance of AUD-suggest there are associations between ANA domains and drinking behavior. However, the utility of phenotyping approaches has not been investigated in behavioral treatment modalities for AUD. Additionally, although AUD is the most common substance use disorder (SUD), fewer people in need of AUD treatment receive it compared to treatment for other use disorders. Many of these individuals, particularly those with mild AUD, can reduce or cease alcohol use without specialized treatment. However, efforts to refer those with more severe AUD to community residential or outpatient programs have been largely unsuccessful, especially among women who often face practical barriers like lack of transportation and childcare. Technology offers innovative opportunities to make treatment more readily accessible to those in need. Computer-Based Training for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT4CBT) is a web-based intervention with demonstrated effectiveness as an adjunct to standard AUD and other drug use disorder treatment programming. To-date, however, it has not been tested with non-treatment seeking men and women with AUD. For the proposed study, a sample of non-treatment seeking people with AUD will be recruited using ResearchMatch.org and randomized (3:1) to complete the mobile CBT4CBT program or an assessment only control condition stratified by sex (N=248 total; females: n=93 CBT4CBT, n=31 Control; males: n=93 CBT4CBT, n=31 Control). Feasibility and acceptability of CBT4CBT will be assessed among participants in the CBT4CBT condition. Study assessments that include self-reported AUD outcomes and neurofunctional assessments will be administered to all participants at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at one month following the intervention period. All outcomes will also be assessed for sex differences using sex-stratified analyses.

Inclusion criteria

• at least 18 years of age
• Male or female sex assigned at birth
• Meet DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorder criteria
• report recent heavy alcohol use during the past month
• access to a smart mobile device or computer
• English-speaking.
• We are not excluding any participants based on gender identity.

Exclusion criteria

• currently receiving specialized professional SUD treatment
• presenting with language barriers, cognitive impairment, or serious medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude them from providing informed consent or participating in the ResearchMatch.