Translating transdermal alcohol monitoring procedures for contingency management among adults recently arrested for DWI

A qualitative exploration of the experiences of transdermal alcohol sensor devices amongst people in receipt of treatment for alcohol use disorder

Introduction

Transdermal alcohol sensors (TAS) have the potential to be used as a clinical tool in alcohol treatment, but there is limited research with individuals with alcohol dependence using TAS. Our study is a qualitative evaluation of the views of people attending alcohol treatment and their experiences of wearing the BACtrack Skyn, within alcohol services in South London.

Methods

Participants with alcohol dependence wore a BACtrack Skyn TAS for one week and met with the researcher every two days, for a total of four meetings (for example: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Monday). In the final meeting, a post-wear survey (on their physical, social and comfort experience of the TAS) and semi-structured interview were completed. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) informed the topic guide and data analysis.

Results

Adults (N = 16) receiving alcohol treatment were recruited. Three core topics guided analysis: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and attitudes towards use. Participants found the TAS easy to wear and felt positive about its appearance and comfort. The only challenges reported were side effects, mostly skin irritation. The main two perceived uses were 1) TAS working as a drinking deterrent and 2) reducing daily breathalyser visits during detox.

Conclusion

Findings support the use of TAS amongst alcohol service users. Wearing the TAS for one week was acceptable and feasible for objective alcohol concentration measurement. Participants reported high perceived ease of use and usefulness of the Skyn in the context of alcohol treatment. These results are encouraging for the use of TAS in clinical settings.

Transdermal alcohol concentration features predict alcohol-induced blackouts in college students

BACKGROUND

Alcohol-induced blackouts (AIBs) are common in college students. Individuals with AIBs also experience acute and chronic alcohol-related consequences. Research suggests that how students drink is an important predictor of AIBs. We used transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) sensors to measure biomarkers of increasing alcohol intoxication (rise rate, peak, and rise duration) in a sample of college students. We hypothesized that the TAC biomarkers would be positively associated with AIBs.

METHODS

Students were eligible to participate if they were aged 18-22 years, in their second or third year of college, reported drinking 4+ drinks on a typical Friday or Saturday, experienced ≥1 AIB in the past semester, owned an iPhone, and were willing to wear a sensor for 3 days each weekend. Students (N = 79, 55.7% female, 86.1% White, Mage = 20.1) wore TAC sensors and completed daily diaries over four consecutive weekends (89.9% completion rate). AIBs were assessed using the Alcohol-Induced Blackout Measure-2. Logistic multilevel models were conducted to test for main effects.

RESULTS

Days with faster TAC rise rates (OR = 2.69, 95% CI: 1.56, 5.90), higher peak TACs (OR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.64, 7.11), and longer rise TAC durations (OR = 4.16, 95% CI: 2.08, 10.62) were associated with greater odds of experiencing an AIB.

CONCLUSIONS

In a sample of "risky" drinking college students, three TAC drinking features identified as being related to rising intoxication independently predicted the risk for daily AIBs. Our findings suggest that considering how an individual drinks (assessed using TAC biomarkers), rather than quantity alone, is important for assessing risk and has implications for efforts to reduce risk. Not only is speed of intoxication important for predicting AIBs, but the height of the peak intoxication and the time spent reaching the peak are important predictors, each with different implications for prevention.

Experimentally Induced Reductions in Alcohol Consumption and Brain, Cognitive, and Clinical Outcomes in Older Persons With and Those Without HIV Infection (30-Day Challenge Study): Protocol for a Nonrandomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Both alcohol consumption and HIV infection are associated with worse brain, cognitive, and clinical outcomes in older adults. However, the extent to which brain and cognitive dysfunction is reversible with reduction or cessation of drinking is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

The 30-Day Challenge study was designed to determine whether reduction or cessation of drinking would be associated with improvements in cognition, reduction of systemic and brain inflammation, and improvement in HIV-related outcomes in adults with heavy drinking.

METHODS

The study design was a mechanistic experimental trial, in which all participants received an alcohol reduction intervention followed by repeated assessments of behavioral and clinical outcomes. Persons were eligible if they were 45 years of age or older, had weekly alcohol consumption of 21 or more drinks (men) or 14 or more drinks (women), and were not at high risk of alcohol withdrawal. After a baseline assessment, participants received an intervention consisting of contingency management (money for nondrinking days) for at least 30 days followed by a brief motivational interview. After this, participants could either resume drinking or not. Study questionnaires, neurocognitive assessments, neuroimaging, and blood, urine, and stool samples were collected at baseline, 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year after enrollment.

RESULTS

We enrolled 57 persons with heavy drinking who initiated the contingency management protocol (mean age 56 years, SD 4.6 years; 63%, n=36 male, 77%, n=44 Black, and 58%, n=33 people with HIV) of whom 50 completed 30-day follow-up and 43 the 90-day follow-up. The planned study procedures were interrupted and modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021.

CONCLUSIONS

This was the first study seeking to assess changes in brain (neuroimaging) and cognition after alcohol intervention in nontreatment-seeking people with HIV together with people without HIV as controls. Study design strengths, limitations, and lessons for future study design considerations are discussed. Planned analyses are in progress, after which deidentified study data will be available for sharing.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03353701; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03353701.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/53684.

Toward an era of impact of digital contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders

Digital contingency management entails remote methods to obtain biochemical confirmation of drug status and provide desirable, tangible consequences contingent on abstinence. Advances in digital CM suggest that it may be on the cusp of making a public health impact. Specific advances include technological capabilities and affordability, companies that specialize in digital CM, policies and reimbursement models, and the increasing availability of resources related to CM. Digital CM has expanded from cigarette smoking to alcohol and illicit substance misuse, and to include a diverse range of underserved and high-risk groups (e.g., pregnant and postpartum women, socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, adolescents, and rural populations). Although the digital divide continues to narrow, culturally responsive methods may increase uptake and engagement with digital CM. The promise of digital CM is widescale access to an evidence-based treatment with low staff burden, no side effects, high fidelity engagement, acceptability, and effectiveness, and greater equity. We may be close to realizing this promise.

Effectiveness of contingency management using transdermal alcohol monitoring to reduce heavy drinking among driving while intoxicated (DWI) arrestees: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Driving while intoxicated (DWI) is a serious public health problem. However, treatment for DWI arrestees is not readily available. This study examines the effectiveness of a contingency management (CM) procedure using transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) monitoring to reduce drinking among DWI arrestees.

METHOD

The study participants were 216 DWI arrestees under pretrial and included both Mandated participants undergoing court-ordered TAC monitoring and Non-Mandated participants wearing a study-provided TAC monitor. Participants were randomly assigned to either a CM (Mandated = 35; Non-Mandated = 74) or a Control condition (Mandated = 37; Non-Mandated = 70) and completed the 8-week intervention. CM participants received $50/week for not exceeding a TAC of 0.02 g/dL during the previous week. Payments to Controls were yoked to the CM group.

RESULTS

Among Non-Mandated participants, the probability of meeting the contingency was higher and remained stable (about 65%) over time in the CM group, whereas the probability was lower and declined in the Control group, widening the gaps in the probability between the study conditions (16.7%-24.1% greater in the CM group from visit 4 to 8, all p < 0.05). Among Mandated participants, the probability was not significantly different between conditions (p = 0.06-0.95). Furthermore, among Non-Mandated participants, the percentage of heavy drinking days remained low (9.16%-11.37%) in the CM group, whereas it was greater and increased over time (17.43%-26.59%) in the Control group. In Mandated participants, no significant differences in percent heavy drinking days were observed between conditions (p = 0.07-0.10).

CONCLUSION

We found that contingency effects on alcohol use are more pronounced among frequent and heavy alcohol users, i.e., Non-Mandated DWI arrestees. However, for individuals whose drinking was already suppressed by existing contingencies (i.e., court-mandated TAC monitoring), our CM procedure did not produce additional reductions in drinking.

Correspondence between alcohol use measured by a wrist-worn alcohol biosensor and self-report via ecological momentary assessment over a 2-week period

BACKGROUND

Transdermal alcohol biosensors measure alcohol use continuously, passively, and non-invasively. There is little field research on the Skyn biosensor, a new-generation, wrist-worn transdermal alcohol biosensor, and little evaluation of its sensitivity and specificity and the day-level correspondence between transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) and number of self-reported drinks.

METHODS

Participants (N = 36; 61% male, M age  = 34.3) wore the Skyn biosensor and completed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys about their alcohol use over 2 weeks. A total of 497 days of biosensor and EMA data were collected. Skyn-measured drinking episodes were defined by TAC > 5 μg/L. Skyn data were compared to self-reported drinking to calculate sensitivity and specificity (for drinking day vs. nondrinking day). Generalized estimating equations models were used to evaluate the correspondence between TAC features (peak TAC and TAC-area under the curve (AUC)) and number of drinks. Individual-level factors (sex, age, race/ethnicity, body mass index, human immunodeficiency virus status, and hazardous drinking) were examined to explore associations with TAC controlling for number of drinks.

RESULTS

Using a minimum TAC threshold of 5 μg/L plus coder review, the biosensor had sensitivity of 54.7% and specificity of 94.6% for distinguishing drinking from nondrinking days. Without coder review, the sensitivity was 78.1% and the specificity was 55.2%. Peak TAC (β = 0.92, p < 0.0001) and TAC-AUC (β = 1.60, p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with number of drinks. Females had significantly higher TAC levels than males for the same number of drinks.

CONCLUSIONS

Skyn-derived TAC can be used to measure alcohol use under naturalistic drinking conditions, additional research is needed to accurately identify drinking episodes based on Skyn TAC readings.

Acceptability and Feasibility of Wearable Transdermal Alcohol Sensors: Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Transdermal alcohol sensors (TASs) have the potential to be used to monitor alcohol consumption objectively and continuously. These devices can provide real-time feedback to the user, researcher, or health professional and measure alcohol consumption and peaks of use, thereby addressing some of the limitations of the current methods, including breathalyzers and self-reports.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aims to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the currently available TAS devices.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in CINAHL, EMBASE, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus bibliographic databases in February 2021. Two members of our study team independently screened studies for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. The study's methodological quality was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The primary outcome was TAS acceptability. The secondary outcome was feasibility. The data are presented as a narrative synthesis.

RESULTS

We identified and analyzed 22 studies. Study designs included laboratory- and ambulatory-based studies, mixed designs, randomized controlled trials, and focus groups, and the length the device was worn ranged from days to weeks. Although views on TASs were generally positive with high compliance, some factors were indicated as potential barriers and there are suggestions to overcome these.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a lack of research investigating the acceptability and feasibility of TAS devices as a tool to monitor alcohol consumption in clinical and nonclinical populations. Although preliminary evidence suggests their potential in short-term laboratory-based studies with volunteers, more research is needed to establish long-term daily use with other populations, specifically, in the clinical and the criminal justice system.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42021231027; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=231027.

Sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with transdermal alcohol concentration from the SCRAM biosensor among persons living with and without HIV

BACKGROUND

Transdermal alcohol biosensors can objectively monitor alcohol use by measuring transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC). However, it is unclear how sociodemographic and clinical factors that influence alcohol metabolism are associated with TAC. The main aim of this study was to examine how sociodemographic factors (sex, age, race/ethnicity) and clinical factors (body mass index, liver enzymes: alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and aspartate transaminase [AST]), alcohol use disorder, and HIV status were associated with TAC while controlling for level of alcohol use.

METHODS

We analyzed data from a prospective study involving contingency management for alcohol cessation among persons living with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that used the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) biosensor. Forty-three participants (M_age  = 56.6 years; 63% male; 58% people living with HIV) yielded 183 SCRAM-detected drinking days. Two indices derived from SCRAM: peak TAC (reflecting level of intoxication) and TAC area under the curve (TAC-AUC; reflecting alcohol volume)-were the main outcomes. Self-reported alcohol use (drinks/drinking day) measured by Timeline Followback was the main predictor. To examine whether factors of interest were associated with TAC, we used individual generalized estimating equations (GEE), followed by a multivariate GEE model to include all significant predictors to examine their associations with TAC beyond the effect of self-reported alcohol use.

RESULTS

Number of drinks per drinking day (B = 0.29, p < 0.01) and elevated AST (B = 0.50, p = 0.01) were significant predictors of peak TAC. Positive HIV status, female sex, elevated AST, and number of drinks per drinking day were positively associated with TAC-AUC at the bivariate level, whereas only self-reported alcohol use (B = 0.85, p < 0.0001) and female sex (B = 0.67, p < 0.05) were significant predictors of TAC-AUC at the multivariate level.

CONCLUSIONS

HIV status was not independently associated with TAC. Future studies should consider the sex and liver function of the participant when using alcohol biosensors to measure alcohol use.

Wearable and Wireless mHealth Technologies for Substance Use Disorder

Purpose of review

The goal of this scoping review is to evaluate the advances in wearable and other wireless mobile health (mHealth) technologies in the treatment of substance use disorders.

Recent findings

There are a variety of wireless technologies under investigation for the treatment of substance use disorder. Wearable sensors are the most commonly used technology. They can be used to decrease heavy substance use, mitigate factors related to relapse, and monitor for overdose. New technologies pose distinct advantages over traditional therapies by increasing geographic availability and continuously providing feedback and monitoring while remaining relatively non-invasive.

Summary

Wearable and novel technologies are important to the evolving landscape of substance use treatment. As technologies continue to develop and show efficacy, they should be incorporated into multifactorial treatment plans.

Mobile alcohol biosensors and pharmacotherapy development research

Recent advances in biosensor technology herald a major shift in the way alcohol use will be tracked in humans. Wearable biosensors can passively and continuously monitor wearers' alcohol consumption in real time. An important application of these biosensors is to improve the way medication for alcohol use disorder (AUD) is tested in clinical research. Both laboratory-based screening paradigms and clinical trials have methodological problems that impact their efficiency and predictive validity. Medication screening using laboratory-based methods is a resource-intensive assessment of a single episode of behavior in a non-representative setting. Clinical trials rely on participant self-report to document medication-induced changes in drinking behavior. This review describes how mobile biosensors can be leveraged to improve AUD medication development research. We first review the current state of alcohol biosensor technology with a focus on strengths and limitations of the devices. We describe how multiple biosensors can be combined to create a far more detailed record of drinking compared to single biosensor platforms. We then discuss each phase of the medication development pipeline in turn (i.e., phases 1-4) and describe how mobile biosensors can be incorporated in standard medication testing paradigms to improve efficiency and predictive validity. We conclude with discussion of challenges associated with using currently available biosensors for medication testing and recommendations for researchers wishing to incorporate alcohol biosensors into their own research.

Processing transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) data to detect low-level drinking

BACKGROUND

Several studies have objectively quantified drinking through the use of Alcohol Monitoring System's (AMS) transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) device known as SCRAM CAM. Criteria that AMS uses to detect drinking are known to be conservative and only reliably detect heavy drinking equivalent to 5 or more standard drinks. Our group has developed Research Rules used to process TAC data in a manner that will detect low-level and moderate drinking even though it is below the AMS criteria for detection.

METHODS

Sixteen male and 14 female paid research volunteers wore TAC monitors for 28 days in their natural environments and responded daily to text message prompts to self-report the previous day's drinking. Current analyses describe the Research Rules that we developed and how use of those rules impacts the detection of self-reported drinking treated as the standard in sensitivity/specificity analysis.

RESULTS

We observed 606 occurrences of positive TAC events over a total of 867 days and processed the TAC data to retain 345 as possible drinking events, even though AMS criteria confirmed drinking for only 163 of these events. The kinds of TAC events removed or retained by our rules are illustrated as cases of low and moderate drinking days that were detected by our rules but not by the conservative AMS criteria. AMS-confirmed TAC events have a high specificity (99.8%) to detect primarily heavy drinking, but have a poor sensitivity to detect lower-level drinking and a poor specificity as an indicator of alcohol abstinence. In contrast, our Research Rules detected 100% of TAC events detected by AMS but also detected 31% of the lower-level drinking events not detected by AMS, with 91% specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

Reliance upon the AMS criteria for alcohol detection affords a high specificity for detection of heavy drinking but is a poor indicator of abstinence rates. In contrast, use of our Research Rules provides more sensitive means to quantify either any drinking or low-moderate levels of drinking while still maintaining good specificity.

Technology-Based Contingency Management in the Treatment of Substance-Use Disorders

Contingency management is one of the most efficacious interventions to promote drug abstinence. Contingency management has traditionally been delivered in person so that clinicians could confirm drug abstinence and provide access to additional therapeutic services. Now, new technologies not only permit remote confirmation of abstinence, but also remote delivery of incentives. We discuss several technology-based tools to assess substance use, and new ways to deliver contingency management to promote tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis abstinence. These new tools have the potential to dramatically increase access while maintaining high levels of treatment fidelity. Technology-based methods also allow arranging group contingencies that harness online communities, and they permit targeting multiple health-risk behaviors with a combination of sensor-based technologies. Overall, there are unprecedented opportunities to link technology with contingency management to promote drug abstinence.

Considerations for Implementing Contingency Management in Substance Abuse Treatment Clinics: The Veterans Affairs Initiative as a Model

Contingency management (CM) is an efficacious intervention for the treatment of substance use disorders that is widely applicable across a range of client populations and characteristics. Despite its strong evidence base, CM remains underutilized in real world practice. This article introduces CM for clinicians interested in adopting CM and briefly reviews this research evidence. In addition, CM protocols are described, with emphasis on the specific design considerations important to CM's efficacy. The recent Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiative, which represents the first successful large-scale implementation effort, is presented. It provides a model for the training and supervision components that may be critical to implementation with fidelity. Continued research in this area, as well as further demonstrations of successful dissemination and implementation, will be critical for improving the adoption of this intervention in clinical, nonresearch settings.

What Do Real Alcohol Outpatients Expect about Alcohol Transdermal Sensors?

Objective: Little is known about the potential acceptability of alcohol transdermal sensors among alcohol-dependent outpatients in routine clinical settings. The aim of the present study was to investigate patients’ attitudes towards alcohol transdermal sensors, as well as features associated with enhanced acceptability and usability. Methods: A cross-sectional survey among routine alcohol outpatients was conducted. The Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-10) was adapted to the field of alcohol transdermal sensors for attitudes assessment. Likert-type and multiple-choice questions were used for acceptability and usability evaluation. Results: 68 patients completed the questionnaire, and the DAI-10 mean score was 3 (standard deviation (SD) = 6.5). Internal consistency revealed a Cronbach alpha of 0.613. The score of a single The score of a single Likert-type question about overall perceived value was 7.4 (SD = 2.6). Its correlation with mean DAI-10 scores was r = 0.633, with p < 0.001. Relapse prevention and a stricter treatment control from therapists were the main reported advantages. Perceived stigma was the main disadvantage. Features increasing device discretion would enhance its acceptability. Conclusions: The data suggest that transdermal sensors could play a role in the clinical treatment of alcohol outpatients and concerns regarding stigma should be taken into account. Future designs should try to minimize size and visibility and stigma concerns should be discussed with patients.

Assessment of Alcohol Use in the Natural Environment

The current article critically reviews 3 methodological options for assessing drinking episodes in the natural environment. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) typically involves using mobile devices to collect self-report data from participants in daily life. This technique is now widely used in alcohol research, but investigators have implemented diverse assessment strategies. This article focuses on "high-resolution" EMA protocols that oversample experiences and behaviors within individual drinking episodes. A number of approaches have been used to accomplish this, including using signaled follow-ups tied to drinking initiation, asking participants to log entries before and after individual drinks or drinking episodes, and delivering frequent signaled assessments during periods of the day when alcohol use is most common. Transdermal alcohol sensors (TAS) are devices that are worn continuously and are capable of detecting alcohol eliminated through the skin. These methods are appealing because they do not rely upon drinkers' self-report. Studies using TAS have been appearing with greater frequency over the past several years. New methods are making the use of TAS more tractable by permitting back-translation of transdermal alcohol concentration data to more familiar estimates of blood alcohol concentration or breath alcohol concentration. However, the current generation of devices can have problems with missing data and tend to be relatively insensitive to low-level drinking. An emerging area of research investigates the possibility of using mobile device data and machine learning to passively detect the user's drinking, with promising early findings. EMA, TAS, and sensor-based approaches are all valid, and tend to produce convergent information when used in conjunction with one another. Each has a unique profile of advantages, disadvantages, and threats to validity. Therefore, the nature of the underlying research question must dictate the method(s) investigators select.