Alcohol's Impact on Decision-Making in PTSD
(PACS Trial)
Trial Summary
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial requires that participants have been taking their medications for more than 4 weeks, meaning you must be stable on your current medications to participate.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Approach-Avoidance and Alcohol Challenge Study, Minipress for PTSD and alcohol use?
The Approach Avoidance Training (AAT) has shown provisional evidence as a helpful addition to treat alcohol use disorder, especially in veterans with other mental health conditions. Additionally, integrated treatments for PTSD and alcohol use disorder have been associated with improvements in psychosocial functioning, suggesting potential benefits for combined approaches.12345
Is the treatment for alcohol's impact on decision-making in PTSD safe for humans?
The studies reviewed do not provide specific safety data for the treatment of alcohol's impact on decision-making in PTSD, but they do suggest that interventions for alcohol misuse and PTSD, such as text message interventions and personalized feedback, are generally well-received and feasible, with participants showing reduced alcohol consumption and PTSD symptoms.15678
How does this treatment differ from other treatments for PTSD?
The treatment in this trial is unique because it focuses on understanding how alcohol affects decision-making in individuals with PTSD, particularly by examining impulsivity and working memory as factors influencing alcohol use. This approach is different from standard treatments as it aims to integrate evidence-based strategies that target both alcohol use and impulsivity within the context of PTSD.29101112
What is the purpose of this trial?
Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have greater prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs), with this comorbidity associated with worse illness outcomes, yet there remains limited mechanistic understanding of how PTSD confers risk for AUD. Understanding risk factors that associate with and predict the development of AUDs in PTSD could inform interventions and prevention efforts to reduce the rate of this comorbidity and improve outcomes of both disorders. Identifying predictors of risk requires longitudinal studies in PTSD aimed at capturing the mechanisms leading to the emergence of AUDs. There is growing evidence PTSD is related to biased decision-making during approach-avoidance conflict. Alcohol is also suggested to alter approach-avoidance decision-making. AUDs and acute alcohol intoxication is associated with a bias to seek out reward despite the possibility of threat (e.g., contributing to relapse following alcohol cue exposure and risky behavior during intoxication respectively). Alcohol-induced changes in approach-avoidance decision-making have not been investigated in the context of PTSD, but emerging data support the investigators' hypothesis that an interaction between alcohol and approach-avoidance conflict in PTSD may occur and contribute to risk for alcohol misuse and development of alcohol problems. No current data, cross-sectional or longitudinal, have tested the role of alcohol-induced changes in approach-avoidance conflict as a mechanism of risk for AUD among individuals with PTSD. To address this gap, the investigators propose to leverage the group's expertise in placebo-controlled alcohol administration procedures, longitudinal modeling, functional neuroimaging, and computational neuroscience approaches to investigate the effects of acute alcohol on approach-avoidance decision-making and mediating changes in multivariate neurocircuitry patterns in limbic, striatal, and salience networks.
Research Team
Elizabeth Lippard, PhD
Principal Investigator
University of Texas at Austin
Josh Cisler, PhD
Principal Investigator
University of Texas at Austin
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for adults aged 21-60 with PTSD who have had at least two occasions in the past year where they consumed a significant amount of alcohol (4 drinks for men, 3 for women). They must be diagnosed with PTSD through an interview.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Treatment
Participants undergo placebo-controlled alcohol administration procedures to investigate the effects of acute alcohol on approach-avoidance decision-making
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for changes in alcohol use and symptoms of AUDs over a one-year period
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Approach-Avoidance and Alcohol Challenge Study
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of Texas at Austin
Lead Sponsor