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Symposia

Technology/Digital Health

Broadening the Reach of Passive Sensing: Insights and Lessons Learned from Clinical Researchers

2 - (SYM 10) Using Passive Sensing to Isolate a Biosignature for Craving Among Individuals in Early Alcohol Use Disorder Recovery

Friday, November 15, 2024
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM EST
Location: Liberty B, Level 3, Marriott Downtown
Abstract Body
Alcohol craving strongly predicts treatment dropout and relapse for individuals in early recovery for alcohol use disorder (AUD; Andersson et al., 2019; Gossop et al., 2002). However, craving can onset rapidly (Epstein et al., 2009) and the ability to predict or modulate craving varies within- and between-person (Ellis et al., 2022; Joos et al., 2013)  which makes implementation of change strategies in the moment challenging. If we could measure and detect craving dynamics passively in real time using widely available metrics to alert an individual, this would provide intervention opportunities. One such process is heart rate variability, the variation in time between consecutive heartbeats, which is already widely available in most passive monitoring systems. High-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) has been identified as a potential biomarker of craving among those with AUD using laboratory paradigms (Quintana et al., 2013; Ralevski et al., 2019). However, it is unclear if this can be replicated using ambulatory assessment or any other indices of parasympathetic nervous system activity are relevant. This study aimed to characterize the biosignature of alcohol craving by pairing wearables with ecological momentary assessment (EMA) among individuals in early AUD recovery (N=40, observations=400) and to explore the significance of additional indicators in parasympathetic activity. Multilevel model results indicated a positive momentary association between craving and HF-HRV (p=.048). This suggests HF-HRV is potentially a viable candidate for passive monitoring of craving among those in early recovery from AUD and may support just-in-time interventions by providing real-time information for intervention in critical moments.