Studying a Brief Visual Pattern Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Cravings and Drinking in Young Adults

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying whether dynamic visual noise DVN, a brief video of rapidly moving black and white squares, can reduce alcohol cravings and consumption in college students who drink and experience cravings at least once a week. The study also explores whether changes in attentional bias toward alcohol help explain how DVN affects cravings and drinking. This is an interventional trial comparing DVN to static visual noise SVN, a still image of black and white squares used as a control. Participants will be randomly assigned to watch either the DVN or SVN daily for seven days, including during a laboratory visit. The DVN consists of a 30-second video of flickering black and white pixel squares that can be restarted as desired. The SVN is a similar static image shown for at least 30 seconds with the option to continue viewing. This design allows comparison of the two visual noise types and their effects on alcohol cravings and consumption. Participants will visit the lab once for baseline data collection, then watch the assigned visual noise daily for seven days. Daily follow-ups will occur for six days after the lab visit, with a final follow-up after one week. Researchers will measure craving strength, craving frequency, alcohol consumption, and attentional bias toward alcohol at baseline and one week later. Immediate changes in craving strength before and after watching the visual noise will also be assessed. The total study duration for participants is about one week.

Examining the Effectiveness of Dynamic Visual Noise (DVN) for Reducing Alcohol Cravings and Consumption in College Students