An observational study in Addictive Behavior, Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and Tobacco Use Disorder, sponsored by Technische Universität Dresden. Completed at 1 site in Germany. Open to participants aged 19 Years to 27 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-08-09.
Sponsored by Technische Universität Dresden · Observational
The aim of this project is to elucidate whether impairments of cognitive control, performance-monitoring, and value-based decision-making and dysfunctional interactions between underlying brain systems are mediating mechanisms and vulnerability factors for daily self-control failures and addictive disorders.
Failures of self-control during conflicts between long-term goals and immediate desires are a key characteristic of many harmful behaviors, including unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise and problematic substance use, which often have adverse personal consequences and incur great societal costs. The project aims to elucidate neurocognitive mechanisms mediating deficient self-control, both in daily self-control failures and in substance use disorders and behavioral addictions, which are characterized by a loss of control despite awareness of adverse consequences. A prospective cohort study was launched using a multi-level approach that combines (i) a comprehensive clinical assessment, (ii) behavioral task batteries assessing cognitive control and decision-making functions, (iii) task-related and resting state fMRI, and (iv) Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment of daily self-control failures. From a representative community sample, three groups of participants were recruited (each n = 100; age 20 - 26) with (a) symptoms of non-substance related and (b) substance-related addictive disorders and (c) syndrome-free controls. Participants are invited to yearly clinical follow-up assessments and further multi-level assessments 3 and 6 years after initial recruitment. Results obtained so far (until 06/2020) provide converging evidence that task performance as well as brain activity in monitoring, control, and valuation networks is reliably associated with the propensity to commit real-life self-control failures. Results support a process model, according to which deficient performance-monitoring leads to an insufficient recruitment of control networks, which attenuates the impact of long-term goals on neural value signals and increases the likelihood of self-control failures. In the final funding period (until 06/2024), the clinical follow-up period will be extended to 7 years. In addition, stress markers will be assessed as possible moderators of self-control. With the cross-lagged panel design it is expected to make a substantial contribution to the central unresolved question whether dysfunctions of cognitive control are causally involved in the development and trajectories of self-control failures and addictive behaviors, as well as to the disputed question of communalities and differences between different addictive disorders. Thereby, the project will to contribute to mechanism-based models of self-control impairments as a foundation for improved prevention and therapy.
1,606 studies on the registry are indexed under Alcoholism; 329 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 338 is above the median of 180 across 173 observational studies indexed under Alcoholism.
Browse Alcoholism studies →Technische Universität Dresden is the lead sponsor of 237 studies on the registry; 45 are open to participants now.
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The age range was 19 to 27 years at baseline. As expected for our sampling procedure, the addictive disorder severity was mainly mild (baseline 62%) and moderate (baseline 28%).
Exclusion Criteria (at baseline):
In the substance use disorder (SUD) group, participants had a diagnosis of alcohol and/or tobacco use disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) but no lifetime non-substance-related addictive disorder (ND).
Other: Observational study without interventions
In the non-substance-related addictive disorder (ND) group, participants were included who fulfilled two or more criteria for a DSM-5 gambling disorder or for an addictive behavior related to Internet use (not for gambling, gaming, or shopping), gaming, or shopping assessed with adapted criteria from DSM-5 substance use disorder (SUD). Participants in the ND group had no lifetime SUD.
Other: Observational study without interventions
The control participants had no current or lifetime substance use disorder (SUD) or non-substance-related addictive disorder (ND).
Other: Observational study without interventions
Changes in addictive disorder severity
Changes in number of fulfilled criteria according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5)
Time frame: At baseline and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 years after baseline
Changes in quantity and frequency of addictive behaviors
Changes in quantity and frequency of addictive behaviours, which are combined into a quantity-frequency index.
Time frame: At baseline and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 years after baseline
Changes in cognitive control abilities
The Cognitive Control Task Battery of the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 940 with nine executive function tasks (Stroop, AX continuous performance, color-shape, stop signal, letter memory, number-letter, go-nogo, 2-back, category switch) is used to derive a latent variable representing individual differences in general executive functioning (GEF). For the latent variable modelling error rates and reaction times from the tasks were combined, were appropriate, into inverse efficiency scores (IESs).
Time frame: At baseline and 3 and 6 years after baseline
Changes in impulsive decision-making
The Value-Based Decision-Making (VBDM) battery of the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 940 including four decision-making tasks with a Bayesian adaptive algorithm was used to adaptively assess impulsive decision-making. For the delay and probability discounting tasks, a hyperbolic value function was used describing that the subjective values of delayed (or probabilistic) reward decline hyperbolically according to the discounting rate k. For the mixed gambles task, a simple linear function was used in which loss aversion (λ) is the relative weighting of losses to gains in the participant's. Individuals with higher impulsive decision-making are assumed to display higher k values in the delay discounting task, lower k values in probability discounting tasks, and lower λ values in the mixed gambles task.
Time frame: At baseline and 3 and 6 years after baseline
Changes in neural correlates of response inhibition
Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses in tasks measuring response inhibition (Go/Nogo, Stroop) using 3 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Time frame: At baseline and 3 and 6 years after baseline
Changes in neural correlates of error monitoring
BOLD responses in a task measuring error monitoring (Stroop) using 3 Tesla fMRI.
Time frame: At baseline and 3 and 6 years after baseline
Changes in neural correlates of value-based decision-making
BOLD responses in a task measuring value-based decision-making using 3 Tesla fMRI.
Time frame: At baseline and 3 and 6 years after baseline
Changes in structural brain characteristics
Gray matter volume, cortical thickness and white matter properties in theoretically motivated regions of interest (e.g., right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG), ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), anterior insula (aINS)) using 3 Tesla structural MRI.
Time frame: At baseline and 3 and 6 years after baseline
Changes in real-life self-control
Everyday self-control was assessed using an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) protocol adapted from Hofmann, Baumeister, Förster, and Vohs (2012). Self-control was defined as enactment of desires in conflict-laden situations.
Time frame: At baseline and 3 and 6 years after baseline
Intelligence
As control variable we assessed the intelligence quotient (IQ) using the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Adults (WIE).
Time frame: At baseline
Personality
As moderator variable we assessed the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI; outcomes are the sum scores).
Time frame: At baseline
Positive and negative affect
As moderator variable we assessed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; outcomes are the sum scores).
Time frame: At baseline
Changes in the action and state orientation
As moderator variable we assessed the Action-State Orientation Scale (ACS-90; outcomes are the sum scores).
Time frame: At baseline and 3 and 6 years after baseline
Changes in impulsivity
As moderator variable we assessed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11; outcome is the sum score).
Time frame: At baseline and 3 and 6 years after baseline
Changes in self control
As moderator variable we assessed the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS; outcome is the sum score).
Time frame: At baseline and 3 and 6 years after baseline
Changes in chronic stress
As moderator variable we assessed the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress (TICS; outcome is the sum score).
Time frame: At baseline and 3 and 6 years after baseline
Plan to share: Yes — Data and analytic codes within publications will be shared via the Open Science Framework (OSF). Final archiving of the participant data will be conducted with the Open Access Repository and Archive at the Technische Universität Dresden (OpARA).
Supporting information: Analytic code
This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Technische Universität Dresden