Brief Computerized Intervention for Reducing Adolescent Cannabis and Alcohol Use
Medical University of South Carolina
Summary
The study will test a computerized treatment with subjects ages 13-17 years who are seeking treatment for alcohol and/or cannabis use. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at one- and three-months following treatment.
Eligibility
- Age range
- 13–17 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * between the ages of 13 and 17 * be seeking treatment for either cannabis or alcohol use; * report co-occurring alcohol and cannabis use during the past three months (i.e., participants who report using both alcohol and cannabis during the three months prior to participation in the study, regardless of if the use was simultaneous) * have a caregiver willing to participate and provide consent.
Interventions
- Behavioralmodified Approach-Avoidance Task (mAAT), which aims to modify automatic approach bias
Participants will undergo a baseline assessment before completing computerized tasks. During the baseline assessment, participants will be asked questions about alcohol and cannabis use. We will also ask questions about the way participants think about things, past life experiences related to substance use, and questions about how participants feel about reducing their substance use. Then, participants will complete a series computerized tasks where they will push and pull a joystick in response to images that are presented on a screen or where they will try to get a high score. During the computerized tasks, we will also be measuring brain activity using EEG. During the study, participants will also be asked to respond to questions about their health and behavior using an app on a smartphone or tablet using a secure program. Participants in the Treatment Group will then complete four sessions of the modified Approach-Avoidance Task (mAAT), which aims to modify automatic approach bias.
- Behavioralmodified Approach-Avoidance Task (mAAT) that does not aim to modify automatic approach bias.
Participants will undergo a baseline assessment before completing computerized tasks. During the baseline assessment, participants will be asked questions about alcohol and cannabis use. We will also ask questions about the way participants think about things, past life experiences related to substance use, and questions about how participants feel about reducing their substance use. Then, participants will complete a series computerized tasks where they will push and pull a joystick in response to images that are presented on a screen or where they will try to get a high score. During the computerized tasks, we will also be measuring brain activity using EEG. During the study, participants will also be asked to respond to questions about their health and behavior using an app on a smartphone or tablet using a secure program. Participants in the Control Group will then complete four sessions of an Approach-Avoidance Task (mAAT) that does not aim to modify automatic approach bias.
Location
- Medical University of South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina