This randomized controlled trial examines whether a gamified smartphone-based attentional control training program (AACTP) enhances the effectiveness of standard treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Patients receiving outpatient treatment are randomized to either AACTP plus treatment as usual (TAU) or AACTP-sham version plus TAU (n=236). The intervention targets alcohol-related attentional bias, a key implicit cognitive mechanism associated with craving, relapse, and poor treatment outcomes.
The AACTP is based on modified Stroop paradigms and trains patients to disengage attention from alcohol-related cues and redirect focus toward neutral stimuli through repeated, progressively more demanding tasks. Delivered via a gamified smartphone application, the intervention incorporates feedback, increasing difficulty, and motivational elements to enhance engagement and adherence.
Outcomes include alcohol consumption, craving, and attentional bias, assessed from baseline through follow-up. By targeting implicit cognitive processes not directly addressed in standard psychological treatments, the intervention aims to strengthen overall treatment response.
If effective, the program represents a scalable, low-cost add-on intervention that can be easily integrated into routine clinical care to improve outcomes in AUD.