# Approach Bias Modification for the Treatment of Cannabis Use Disorder

> **NIH NIH K23** · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · 2022 · $185,497

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is increasingly common, yet available treatments are inadequate. To date there
are no FDA-approved medications, and while psychosocial interventions are modestly effective, their durability
is limited and abstinence rates are low. Investigation of novel adjunctive treatments for CUD is warranted.
Biases in cognitive processing of drug-related stimuli play an important role in the development and maintenance
of addictive disorders. Growing evidence suggests that attenuation of drug-related automatic approach
tendencies offers a promising new treatment approach. Approach bias modification (ABM) involves manipulating
stimulus-response contingencies during a computerized task in order to attenuate approach bias and reduce
drug use. In recent clinical trials, ABM reduced alcohol relapse rates by 10-13% at one-year follow-up, decreased
mesolimbic neural activity in response to alcohol cues, and reduced nicotine consumption and dependence
severity. ABM has not yet been tested with cannabis users.
The candidate recently completed a four-session laboratory-based pilot study demonstrating that ABM training
is safe, tolerable, and feasible in non-treatment seeking adults with CUD (N=33). Participants receiving ABM
showed blunted cannabis cue-induced craving, and there was a trend for gender modification of ABM on
cannabis use. Given these promising preliminary findings, ABM may be a powerful adjunct to existing
psychosocial interventions.
In the proposed career development award, the candidate aims to determine if a four-session intervention
combining ABM with MET/CBT can reduce cannabis cue-induced reactivity (Aim 1) and improve cannabis use
outcomes (Aim 2) in treatment-seeking adults with CUD. Additionally, the candidate will determine if gender
moderates the effect of ABM on cue-reactivity and cannabis use (Exploratory Aim). Development of a novel,
effective treatment for CUD would have the potential to help the estimated one million cannabis using Americans
that seek treatment each year. Of note, ABM has no side effects, is cost-efficient, and may focally target cognitive
mechanisms associated with CUD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10440451
- **Project number:** 5K23DA045099-05
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- **Principal Investigator:** Brian Sherman
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $185,497
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-15 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10440451

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10440451, Approach Bias Modification for the Treatment of Cannabis Use Disorder (5K23DA045099-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10440451. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*