Digital Therapeutics Smartphone Application for Methamphetamine Use Disorder

November 29, 2022 updated by: Adai Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Preliminary Efficacy of a Digital Therapeutics Smartphone Application for Methamphetamine Use Disorder

One hundred participants were recruited and randomized into a digital therapeutics (DTx) group (n=52) and a treatment as usual (TAU) group (n=48). The DTx group used a smartphone application to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy, approach bias modification, cognitive training, and contingency management for eight weeks. The TAU group received counseling from social workers and psychoterapists. Cue-induced craving, cognitive functions, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 were measured at baseline and post-intervention.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Sichuang
      • Chengdu, Sichuang, China
        • Huangshui Township Municipal Government

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 50 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • currently undergoing community-based rehabilitation were recruited voluntarily from four community
  • meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for methamphetamine dependence.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • could not fluently operate an Android or an iOS smartphone
  • having mental health conditions other than MUD

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Digital Therapeutics
The DTx group was asked to download and install a smartphone application (WonderLab Harbor) that incorporated Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ICBT), Approach Bias Modification (ApBM), cognitive function training, and Contingency Management (CM). During the 8-week treatment program, the participants in the DTx group were instructed to complete ICBT, cognitive trainings, and ApBM trainings. Reward points (which can be redeemed for cellphone plan credit) were rewarded following completing each task as part of the positive reinforcement following CM principles.
Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
The cognitive behavioral therapy program consisted of eight interactive sessions, each requiring approximately 15 minutes to complete. Each ICBT session includes interactive multimedia modules (videos, pictures, and texts), the contents of which were based on the community reinforcement approach. The ICBT sessions covered the following topics: (1) introduction to digital therapeutics and CBT, (2) recognizing the triggers of craving, (3) coping with craving, (4) refusing skills/assertiveness, (5) problem-solving skills, (6) changing thoughts about drugs, (7) seemingly irrelevant decisions, and (8) HIV risks and prevention.
Behavioral: Approach Bias Modification
In an ApBM session, users were instructed to swipe upward (downward) when they saw portrait (landscape) format images. A shrinking (growing) animation comes after swiping upward (downward) to simulate the visual effect of moving away (moving towards). The images were related to methamphetamine usage (methamphetamine crystals, powders, and paraphernalia) or healthy lifestyles (wealth, sports, gourmet, family activities, etc.). Each ApBM session was composed of presenting each one of the healthy lifestyle (methamphetamine) cues 12 times in landscape (portrait) and once in portrait (landscape).
Behavioral: Cognitive Training
The DTx application incorporated a game-based cognitive function training module for improving working memory. In this game, a matrix of squares is displayed at the center of the screen. Between 3 and 5 target symbols are randomly placed in the matrix and displayed for 2 seconds. Next, the symbols disappear, and the matrix randomly rotates. The participants were asked to click the correct locations of the target symbols within the prescribed time limit. The game becomes more difficult as the size of the matrix, the number of target symbols, and the complexity of the matrix rotation change at each level. Each cognitive function training session lasted between 3 and 5 minutes.
Active Comparator: Treatment as Usual
Upon enrollment, TAU participants were informed that they would receive weekly counseling sessions from a social worker for eight weeks. The counseling covered topics including work, family, stress management, and drug craving suppression.
Behavioral: Counseling
Counseling provided by social workers and psychotherapists on topics including work, family, stress management, and drug craving suppression.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cue induced craving for methamphetamine
Time Frame: baseline, pre-intervention
The cue-induced craving was assessed by showing the participants images related to methamphetamine (methamphetamine crystals, powders, and paraphernalia) on a smartphone and asking them to rate their cravings on a 0-10 visual analog scale (0 being least craved and 10 being most craved).
baseline, pre-intervention
Cue induced craving for methamphetamine
Time Frame: immediately after the intervetion
The cue-induced craving was assessed by showing the participants images related to methamphetamine (methamphetamine crystals, powders, and paraphernalia) on a smartphone and asking them to rate their cravings on a 0-10 visual analog scale (0 being least craved and 10 being most craved).
immediately after the intervetion
Cognitive Function Score
Time Frame: baseline, pre-intervention
We use the Meaningless Figure Recognition Test (MFRT) to assess the cognitive function score. This test has eight blocks, and each block has two phases. In the first phase, the participant is presented with a series of meaningless figures one by one for three seconds. The participants were asked to memorize these figures. In the second phase, the previously presented meaningless figures and the same number of the novel meaningless figures are presented on one screen in random order. The participants were asked to recall their memory and click all the previously presented figures within 15 seconds. The correct rate of clicks is used for measuring the cognitive function scores.
baseline, pre-intervention
Cognitive Function Score
Time Frame: immediately after the intervetion
We use the Meaningless Figure Recognition Test (MFRT) to assess the cognitive function score. This test has eight blocks, and each block has two phases. In the first phase, the participant is presented with a series of meaningless figures one by one for three seconds. The participants were asked to memorize these figures. In the second phase, the previously presented meaningless figures and the same number of the novel meaningless figures are presented on one screen in random order. The participants were asked to recall their memory and click all the previously presented figures within 15 seconds. The correct rate of clicks is used for measuring the cognitive function scores.
immediately after the intervetion

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
PHQ-9
Time Frame: baseline, pre-intervention
Patient Health Questionaire-9 administered on a smartphone
baseline, pre-intervention
PHQ-9
Time Frame: immediately after the intervetion
Patient Health Questionaire-9 administered on a smartphone
immediately after the intervetion
GAD-7
Time Frame: baseline, pre-intervention
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item administered on a smartphone
baseline, pre-intervention
GAD-7
Time Frame: immediately after the intervetion
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item administered on a smartphone
immediately after the intervetion

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Adai Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Huangshui Township Municipal Government, Shuangliu District, Chengdu, Sichuang

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 31, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 15, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 19, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 22, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 2, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 29, 2022

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Feidao

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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