Mobile alcohol-specific inhibition training in adolescents and young adults with alcohol use disorder: study protocol for a randomized controlled feasibility trial

Alcohol misuse is a major global risk factor for morbidity and mortality among adolescents and young adults. During adolescence and young adulthood, alcohol can disrupt brain maturation, alter brain connectivity, and persistently weaken self-regulation. The limited effectiveness of current evidence-based treatments underscores the need for adjunctive interventions. Neuroscientific models suggest that an imbalance between the appetitive system and executive control processes contributes to alcohol misuse. Alcohol-specific inhibition training (Alc-IT) addresses this imbalance and has shown first indications of beneficial effects in inpatient settings. However, app-based delivery and its use in adolescents and young adults are novel and have not yet been systematically investigated for feasibility, preliminary effectiveness, and neurophysiological effects. This multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled feasibility trial aims to assess the implementation of app-based Alc-IT as an add-on to outpatient treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Up to 210 participants (14–27 years) will be randomized to Alc-IT or an active control condition. Both groups complete six training sessions over a two-week period and six booster sessions one month later. Feasibility outcomes include recruitment and completion rates. Changes in drinking behavior will be assessed at one-month and three-month follow-up using the Timeline Follow-Back method. In a sub-study with up to 60 participants, neurophysiological correlates of inhibitory control (N2 and P3 event-related potentials) will be measured. EEG will be recorded during a modified Go/NoGo task before and after training. This study will inform the feasibility, preliminary effectiveness, and potential neurophysiological mechanisms of app-based Alc-IT for young people with AUD. The findings will guide the design of a subsequent fully powered randomized controlled trial. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov , ID: NCT07071779; SNCPT, ID: SNCTP000006292.