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TerminatedNCT01507909Updated Jul 26, 2016

Quantitative EEG Assessment of Cue-Induced Changes in Brain Activity in Alcohol Use Disorders

An observational study in Alcohol Craving, sponsored by Boston University. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 21 Years to 70 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2016-07-26.

Sponsored by Boston University · Observational

Why this study was terminated
Equipment Failure
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
11
Ages
21 Years to 70 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Exposure to alcohol related cues, such as the sight of alcoholic drinks, may induce craving for alcohol in drinkers. In this study, the effects of exposure to (1) the pictures of alcoholic drinks and (2) the imagining of a scene related to drinking on activity in the frontal region of the brain in heavy social drinkers will be determined. This study is being conducted to develop the methods needed to allow for the detection of cue-induced changes in drinkers using the EEG. The objective of this pilot study is to establish procedures for detecting alcohol-related cue-elicited changes in EEG activity in heavy drinkers.

02

Conditions studied

  • Alcohol Craving

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Keywords

  • EEG
  • related visual
  • and verbal cues
03

In context

Alcoholism

1,606 studies on the registry are indexed under Alcoholism; 329 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 11 is below the median of 180 across 173 observational studies indexed under Alcoholism.

Browse Alcoholism studies →

Lead sponsor

Boston University is the lead sponsor of 266 studies on the registry; 37 are open to participants now.

Of its 30 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 24 (80%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
21 Years to 70 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Local participants not interested in alcohol treatment.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Male or female, aged 21 to 70.
  2. History of heavy drinking: Defined as at least 8 occasions in the past month that individual had at least 5 drinks (males) or 4 drinks (females) in one sitting.
  3. The subject must currently not be in treatment for any alcohol use disorder
  4. Subject must be able to comprehend and perform study related information and tasks in English and have a willingness to complete study procedures.
  5. Subject must be able to provide written informed consent, at time of consent BAC has to be 0.00%.
  6. The subject must have the ability to read/speak English

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Severe impairment of sight, smell, or hearing that would result in a significant alteration in the response to alcohol related cues.
  2. Currently on a medication used to treat alcoholism or is known to alter EEG activity or responsiveness to cue presentation including acamprosate, anticonvulsants, anticholinergics, antipsychotics, benzodiazepine receptor agonists, beta adrenergic receptor antagonists, and naltrexone.
  3. History of any neurological or psychiatric disorder that would result in abnormal EEG activity such as severe brain trauma, seizure disorders, stroke or that would severly alter response to the cue presentation such as schizophrenia or any other psychotic or severe mood disorder.
  4. CIWA-AR score of 8 or higher or any history indicating that the subject is at risk for experiencing severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms if her or his drinking is discontinued for any period of time.
  5. The subject must not be pregnant. -
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
11 participants (actual)
06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. FFT power of five frequency bands

    This study will look at FFT power of five frequency bands. Relative power will be determined by finding absolute power for the range of frequencies (0,1 to 100Hz). Relative power will then be found for each electrode. The Investigator's will examine change over time for relative power for each electrode in the different cue condition and compare change of power using repeated measures analysis with time and condition as within subject factors. Craving values obtained under the different cue conditions will be analyzed using condition as the within-subject factor.

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Boston University Medical Center
    Boston, Massachusetts 02118, United States
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 26, 2016, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01507909
Lead sponsor
Boston University
Responsible party
Ofra Sarid-Segal MD (Medical Director of the Clinical Studies Unit, Boston University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jan 11, 2012
Start date
Jan 2012
Primary completion
Jan 2014
Completion
Jan 2015
Last update
Jul 26, 2016

Study contacts

Ofra Sarid-Segal, MD
principal investigator · Boston University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is terminated, as verified in Jul 2016. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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