Effects of tDCS Paired With Cognitive Training on Brain Networks Associated With Alcohol Use Disorder in Veterans (tDCS/AUD)

Alcohol misuse is an epidemic among Veterans in the United States. Nearly 1/3 of Veterans have a lifetime history of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). In 2014, there were 15,306 unique patients treated in inpatient VA treatment programs alone, which represents a 10.7% increase from just two years prior. Unfortunately, about 2/3 of those entering treatment will relapse within one year.

Cognitive impairments found in chronic alcohol use interfere with adaptive behavior needed for successful recovery. These cognitive impairments and their underlying neural substrates may provide promising new targets for interventions that can reduce relapse rates. Evidence suggests that cognitive training can improve cognition in individuals with AUD, strengthen neural networks mediating cognition, and improve treatment outcome. However, cognitive training is effort intensive, has small effect sizes, and may have limited durability. The primary objective of this study is to investigate if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can increase the effectiveness of cognitive training to enhance cognition in alcohol use disorder and improve treatment outcome.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Alcohol Use Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS); Device: Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 45
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Minnesota
    • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55417-2309
      • Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of moderate to severe Alcohol Use Disorder, according to DSM-5 within 12 months of enrollment (Participants may have current comorbid drug use, but their primary substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis needs to be alcohol use based on self-report.)
• Veterans receiving outpatient clinical care services through the MVAHCS
• Abstinent from alcohol use for at least one week prior to the baseline study visit (Visit 1) (i.e., not in acute withdrawal) (Abstinence will be determined primarily via self-report, supplemented by breathalyzer, and clinical judgment based on other available data [e.g., perusal of medical records which may include urine test results and reports from clinicians in the Addiction Recovery Services Intensive Outpatient Program]).
• Men and women 22-70 years of age
• In the medical opinion of the PI, has been on a stable dose of all prescription and non-prescription medications (except for PRN medication) for at least 30 days prior to the baseline visit (Visit 1)
• Capable and willing to provide voluntary informed consent, in the medical opinion of the PI

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of a medical, psychiatric, physical or non-physical disease, disorder, condition, injury, disability or pre-existent history such that study participation, in the opinion of the PI: (a) may pose a significant risk to the participant; (b) raises the possibility that the participant is unlikely to successfully complete all of the requirements of the study according to the study protocol; or (c) might adversely impact the integrity of the data or the validity of the study results.
• Cognitive impairment as indicated by a score lower than or equal to 20 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) or determined by the PI's judgment
• Psychosis or mania within 30 days of enrollment, as determined by the PI, based on a psychiatric history and examination and/or a review of available medical records
• Participant answers YES to Question 3 and NO to Question 6 (Moderate Risk) or participant answers YES to Question 4, 5, or 6 (High Risk) on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Screen Version - Recent Contraindications for tDCS (e.g., metallic cranial plates/screws or implanted device, eczema or skin lesions on scalp, presence of pacemakers, cochlea implants, or metal implants (excluding standard orthodontic braces, fillings, etc.))
• Contraindications for MRI (e.g., unapproved metallic implants, pacemakers or any other implanted electrical device, shrapnel, metallic braces, non-removable body piercings, significant breathing or movement disorder, claustrophobia) as assessed by completing the UMN CMRR Subject Safety Screening Form
• A positive pregnancy test result in a woman of childbearing age/potential as agreed upon by the PI

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: tDCS with Cognitive Training; Participants will receive 10 sessions of cognitive training concurrent with transcranial direct current stimulation (anode over left frontal cortex, cathode over right frontal cortex; 2 mAmps for 20 minutes)	Device: Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS); Cognitive training concurrent with 2 mAmps of anodal stimulation applied to the left frontal cortex for 20 minutes.
Sham Comparator: Sham tDCS with Cognitive Training; Participants will receive 10 sessions of cognitive training concurrent with sham tDCS. For sham tDCS, electrodes are placed at the same locations as for active tDCS, but current is ramped up for the initial 30 secs, then immediately ramped back down. This method mimics the initial physical sensation of stimulation, but there is no active current for the remainder of the session.	Device: Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS); Cognitive training concurrent with sham tDCS (30 secs ramp up/ramp down of current at beginning and end of session).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Differences in change in frontal-striatal functional connectivity	Participants will complete MRI sessions on a 3T scanner located in the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) at the University of Minnesota. Participants will undergo resting-state MRI over a 12-minute scan in order to gather resting state functional connectivity (RSFC). Hierarchical linear models will examine differences in change in target engagement (frontal-striatal RSFC) between active and sham tDCS conditions.	Change between baseline and post-intervention (3 week) follow-up
Change in Trail Making Test (TMT) score	The TMT is a neuropsychological test of visual attention and task switching. The test consists of two parts in which the participant is instructed to connect a set of 25 dots as quickly as possible while still maintaining accuracy. The test can provide information about visual search speed, scanning, speed of processing, mental flexibility and executive functioning.	Change between baseline and post-intervention (3 week) follow-up; 1 and 2 months following intervention
Change in Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT) score	The SCWT is a neuropsychological test of the ability to inhibit cognitive interference which occurs when the processing of a stimulus feature affects the simultaneous processing of another attribute of the same stimulus.	Change between baseline and post-intervention (3 week) follow-up; 1 and 2 months following intervention
Change in binge drinking days per week as measured using the Timeline Followback questionnaire	The TLFB questionnaire measures substance use disorder severity. The questionnaire asks the participant about substance use in the past 30 days. The participant reports on a binary scale as to whether or not they have used a given substance. Binge drinking is defined as men consuming 5 or more drinks or women consuming 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours.	Change between baseline and post-intervention (3 week) follow-up; 1 and 2 months following intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
• Collaborators: Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center; University of Minnesota
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Kelvin O Lim, MD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 6, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): March 6, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 28, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 28, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): October 5, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 13, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 12, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Alcohol-Related Disorders; Alcoholism
• Other Study ID Numbers: MHBB-011-19S; VAM-19-00460 (Other Identifier: Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center); 1594744 (Other Identifier: IRBNet)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Deidentified data may be shared upon request.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No