# Approach Bias Modification for Co-Occurring Cannabis and Alcohol Use among Treatment-Seeking Adolescents

> **NIH NIH K23** · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · 2024 · $208,980

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Alcohol and cannabis are the first and second most commonly used substances among adolescents.
Adolescence is a period of considerable development, making the adolescent brain particularly vulnerable to
negative effects of alcohol and cannabis use. Developing and testing interventions that target both alcohol and
cannabis use during adolescence are vital to decreasing costly consequences. Biases in cognitive processing
of drug-related stimuli play an important role in the development and maintenance of problematic substance use.
The Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT) is a computerized program, effective in assessing implicit approach biases
for both alcohol and cannabis, in which participants push or pull a joystick in response to an irrelevant feature of
an image presented on a computer screen (e.g., push when in portrait, pull when in landscape). A modified
version of the AAT (mAAT) is also used as a Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) intervention, to retrain
participants’ implicit biases toward or away from stimuli by presenting the target stimuli predominantly in one
format (e.g., push or pull). Despite research demonstrating the effectiveness of mAAT interventions to reduce
problematic alcohol and cannabis use, there is a dearth of research examining this intervention among
adolescents. The proposed research will test a pilot randomized controlled trial of an integrated mAAT
intervention to target co-occurring alcohol and cannabis use among treatment-seeking adolescents (N=52).
Specific aims include to test the effect of the intervention on approach biases for cannabis/alcohol stimuli (Aim
1) and cannabis/alcohol use at 1- and 3-months post-intervention (Aim 2), and to examine the role of intentions
and cravings as mediators in the relationship between treatment condition and use. The research environment,
facilities, and resources at MUSC are ideally suited for mentored career development in addiction research. K23
training objectives are to: 1) increase knowledge of etiological and treatment mechanisms for cannabis use; 2)
acquire essential knowledge and experience across the stages of clinical trial research among treatment-seeking
adolescents with substance use problems, including incorporating EMA methods; 3) develop expertise in CBM;
4) gain experience incorporating EEG to identify change mechanisms in substance use interventions; and 5)
enhance scientific communication and overall academic productivity. Structured mentorship from Drs. Carla
Kmett Danielson, Lindsay Squeglia, Lisa McTeague, and Robert Miranda Jr. will ensure training goals are met.
The candidate’s long-term career goal Is to direct a research portfolio that: 1) develops and tests innovative
intervention approaches for substance use problems among adolescents and emerging adults; 2) delivers these
innovative interventions in existing real-world settings; and 3) identifies change mechanisms within interventions
using multiple units of analysis. The tra...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10812371
- **Project number:** 5K23DA050800-04
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- **Principal Investigator:** Austin Matthew Hahn
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $208,980
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10812371

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10812371, Approach Bias Modification for Co-Occurring Cannabis and Alcohol Use among Treatment-Seeking Adolescents (5K23DA050800-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10812371. Licensed CC0.

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