ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic disorder with various health problems. Reduced functioning of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) is associated with impaired regulation of alcohol-seeking behaviors and increased cravings in individuals with AUD. This study aimed to investigate whether 10 add-on sessions of tDCS, over the left DLPFC in detoxified inpatients with AUD could reduce cravings and increase abstinence rates at three months. METHODS: Detoxified inpatients with AUD were randomly assigned to either treatment as usual (TAU) plus ten sessions of active tDCS over left DLPFC, or TAU plus ten sessions of sham tDCS treatment twice daily for five consecutive days. RESULTS: The results from the generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) revealed that time had a significant effect on OCDS scores, but neither treatment nor interaction between these two factors had a significant effect on OCDS scores The Chi-square test in the intention- to- treat analysis did not show a significant difference in complete abstinence rates between the active treatment group and the sham treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: we found that adding ten sessions of active tDCS over left DLPFC tDCS to the treatment as usual for AUD did not result in improved abstinence rates or reduced craving.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Lifestyle-related diseases have assumed significant public health problem across the globe including developing nations. High rate of nonadherence to treatment poses challenges to family physicians in its treatment. OBJECTIVE: To develop a valid and reliable questionnaire for assessment of adherence to lifestyle modification advices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The questionnaire was developed following a systematic, scientifically accepted methodology which included literature review, focused group discussions, detailed interviews, and expert evaluation. Comprehensibility, replicability, face validity, content validity, patient acceptance, and ease of usage of the questionnaire were analyzed. Five-point Likert scale was employed as response options. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess internal consistency of overall questionnaire. A cross-sectional survey was then performed on 100 obese patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to validate the questionnaire. RESULTS: The developed questionnaire consists of 14 questions under two domains, 12 items under diet and 2 items under the physical activity domain. Each of these questions is on a 5-point Likert scale. The tool has shown satisfactory validity. It also has adequate reliability and internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha value of 0.9. CONCLUSION: It is a valid and reliable tool which can be used in clinical practice to assess adherence to lifestyle modification advices by family physicians.
