Mind over alcohol: brain scan training helps cravings
NCT ID NCT04828577
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether real-time brain scans (fMRI) could help 21 adults with alcohol use disorder learn to control their cravings. Participants practiced shifting their brain activity toward future goals instead of alcohol. The goal was to see if this mental training could reduce the urge to drink.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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21 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2023
- Finished
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Aug 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * self-report alcohol abuse * be 21 years of age or older * have a desire to quit or cut down on their drinking, but do not have proximate plans to enroll in treatment for AUD during the study period Exclusion Criteria: * meeting moderate to severe DSM-5 criteria for substance-use disorders other than alcohol or nicotine * having a current diagnosis of any psychotic disorder * having a history of seizure disorders or traumatic brain injury * having any contraindication for participation in the MRI sessions * reporting current pregnancy or lactation
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Roanoke, Virginia, 24016, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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