Virtual Incentive Treatment for Alcohol

The overall objective of this program of research is to utilize phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a blood-based biomarker that can detect alcohol use for up to 28 days to deliver a feasible telehealth-based 26-week CM intervention. This study will test a telehealth PEth-based CM model in a sample of adults with AUD (n=200), recruited via online platforms by randomizing individuals to six months of 1) an online cognitive behavioral therapy for AUD (CBT4CBT) and telehealth PEth-based CM (CM condition) or 2) CBT4CBT and reinforcers for submitting blood samples (no abstinence required) (control condition). Investigators will assess group differences in PEth-defined abstinence and regular excessive drinking (PEth \>= 200 ng/mL), and alcohol-related harms (e.g., smoking, drug use). This study will address important gaps in CM research by assessing outcomes during a 12-month follow-up, which is much longer than most previous CM studies; using a conceptual model to identify predictors of post-treatment abstinence. Investigators will conduct an economic analysis to place the cost of this model in the context of downstream CM-associated cost-offsets and improvements in personal and public health.

NCT Number	NCT06265506
Lead Sponsor	Washington State University Collaborators: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Conditions	Alcohol Use Disorder, Alcohol Drinking, Alcohol Abuse, Alcohol Dependence
Enrollment	200 participants
Start Date	2024-06-18
Primary Completion	2027-04-03 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-04-04 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-05-30