Recruiting

Cannabis & AlcoholCARS: Cannabis and Alcohol Reduction Study

Sponsor:

Medical University of South Carolina

Code:

NCT05486234

Conditions

Cannabis Use

Alcohol Use, Unspecified

Substance Use

Substance Use Disorders

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 13 - 17

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

modified Approach-Avoidance Task (mAAT), which aims to modify automatic approach bias

modified Approach-Avoidance Task (mAAT) that does not aim to modify automatic approach bias.

Study Details

Brief summary:

The study will test a computerized treatment with subjects ages 13-17 years who are seeking treatment for alcohol and/or cannabis use. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at one- and three-months following treatment.

Conditions

Cannabis Use

Alcohol Use, Unspecified

Substance Use

Substance Use Disorders

Study ID

NCT05486234

Start date

Jan 25, 2023

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Oct 1, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep 30, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 13 - 17

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

between the ages of 13 and 17
be seeking treatment for either cannabis or alcohol use;
report co-occurring alcohol and cannabis use during the past three months (i.e., participants who report using both alcohol and cannabis during the three months prior to participation in the study, regardless of if the use was simultaneous)
have a caregiver willing to participate and provide consent.

Study Design

Enrollment

52 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Group A: Treatment Group

sham comparator: Group B: Control Group

Interventions

modified Approach-Avoidance Task (mAAT), which aims to modify automatic approach bias

Participants will undergo a baseline assessment before completing computerized tasks. During the baseline assessment, participants will be asked questions about alcohol and cannabis use. We will also ask questions about the way participants think about things, past life experiences related to substance use, and questions about how participants feel about reducing their substance use. Then, participants will complete a series computerized tasks where they will push and pull a joystick in response to images that are presented on a screen or where they will try to get a high score. During the computerized tasks, we will also be measuring brain activity using EEG. During the study, participants will also be asked to respond to questions about their health and behavior using an app on a smartphone or tablet using a secure program. Participants in the Treatment Group will then complete four sessions of the modified Approach-Avoidance Task (mAAT), which aims to modify automatic approach bias.

modified Approach-Avoidance Task (mAAT) that does not aim to modify automatic approach bias.

Participants will undergo a baseline assessment before completing computerized tasks. During the baseline assessment, participants will be asked questions about alcohol and cannabis use. We will also ask questions about the way participants think about things, past life experiences related to substance use, and questions about how participants feel about reducing their substance use. Then, participants will complete a series computerized tasks where they will push and pull a joystick in response to images that are presented on a screen or where they will try to get a high score. During the computerized tasks, we will also be measuring brain activity using EEG. During the study, participants will also be asked to respond to questions about their health and behavior using an app on a smartphone or tablet using a secure program. Participants in the Control Group will then complete four sessions of an Approach-Avoidance Task (mAAT) that does not aim to modify automatic approach bias.

Primary outcome measure

Change in cannabis use as assessed by Timeline Followback [ Time Frame: Baseline and Three-Month Follow-up ]
Change in alcohol use as assessed by Timeline Followback [ Time Frame: Baseline and Three-Month Follow-up ]
Change in Cannabis Approach Bias (D-Score) [ Time Frame: Baseline, One-Week Follow-up, and Three-Month Follow-up ]
Change Cannabis Approach Bias (D-Score) [ Time Frame: Baseline, One-Week Follow-up, and Three-Month Follow-up ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Austin M Hahn, Ph.D.

854-444-9456 hahna@musc.edu

Locations

Medical University of South Carolina

Recruiting

Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29425

Contacts

Austin Hahn, Ph.D.

854-444-9456

More Information

Sponsor

Medical University of South Carolina

Last update posted

Aug 13, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Medical University of South Carolina on 2026-08-13.