Actively Recruiting
Cerebellar Involvement in Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
Led by Johns Hopkins University · Updated on 2026-05-11
122
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
202 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
J
Johns Hopkins University
Lead Sponsor
N
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
The goal of this observational and interventional study is to better understand the involvement of the cerebellum in the brain reward system in persons with alcohol use disorder (AUD). The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. What is the nature of cerebellar input to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the brain reward system, and how is it perturbed in AUD? 2. What is the relationship between measures of cerebellar integrity and magnitude of reward activation to alcohol-related cues in cerebellar, VTA and other brain reward structures? 3. What is the therapeutic potential of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for modulating alcohol cue reactivity, associated alcohol craving, and cerebellar - VTA functional connectivity in the brain reward system? Persons with AUD will be compared with healthy control participants.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Cerebellar Involvement in Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Completed at least 8 years of education
You will not qualify if you...
- Estimated Intelligence Quotient (IQ) less than 90
- Reading level below 5th grade
- Left handed
- Not fluent in English
- Current drug use disorder other than alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine or recent drug use in the last 90 days
- Positive breath alcohol level at time of MRI or unresolved discrepancies between alcohol biomarker and self-report
- Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal at first visit
- Significant current psychiatric distress or treatment
- History of central nervous system disorder, seizure disorder, or use of anticonvulsant medication in past 3 months
- Serious medical condition or liver function tests more than three times normal
- History of metal implants or devices contraindicated for MRI
- Abnormal MRI scan or history of major head trauma
- Evidence of dementia
- Pregnancy for women
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21205
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
J
John E Desmond, PhD
CONTACT
J
JoAnna Mathena
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
DOUBLE
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Number of Arms
3
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