MedTrace Logo

Web-based Alcohol- or Cocaine-specific Inhibition Training in Adolescents and Young Adults With Substance Use Disorder

NCT07071779 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 210

Last updated 2026-02-18

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Substance misuse is one of the most common risk factors for health problems and premature death among adolescents and young adults worldwide. Although there are effective treatments for substance use disorder (SUD), there is still a need to further improve their effectiveness and make them easier to access. Early research suggests that substance-specific inhibition training, when used in addition to specialized treatment, can improve treatment outcomes. This training aims to strengthen inhibition specifically in situations with substance-related cues. The goal of this project is to offer this training for the first time in the form of a smartphone app, which is expected to increase the availability of the training. The main aim of the study is to evaluate whether this new app-based cognitive training is feasible as an add-on to the treatment of SUD in adolescents and young adults. In addition, the study will gather preliminary insights into whether the training affects drinking behavior and related brain processes. The project will be conducted as a double-blind, clinical pilot study. A total of 210 adolescents and young adults between 14 and 35 years old will be recruited from five specialized treatment centers. After the first study visit, participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: (1) an intervention group receiving the alcohol-specific inhibition training or (2) a control group receiving a similar alcohol-nonspecific inhibition training. During their participation, all participants will complete six short training sessions with the app. About one month later, they will complete six additional booster training sessions. This research may help develop effective, easily accessible tools to support young people with substance use disorder.

Conditions

  • Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
  • Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD)
  • Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

Interventions

OTHER

Substance-specific inhibition training

Twelve sessions of substance-specific inhibition training

OTHER

Control training

Twelve sessions of unspecific inhibition training

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Bern

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Maria Stein, PD Dr. · University of Bern

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
14 Years
Max Age
35 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-07-23
Primary Completion
2026-08-31
Completion
2026-08-31

Countries

  • Switzerland

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07071779 on ClinicalTrials.gov