Older adults Brain-Training Trial

Overview

Turning Point was funded by the Eastern Health Foundation to trial a brain-training app that delivers alcohol avoidance training to middle-and older aged adults in the community.

Study name: AAT-App+: A double-blind, pilot randomised controlled trial of a novel personalised smartphone intervention to reduce hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption among middle–older adults

Summary of Findings:

This study investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a personalised smartphone intervention that utilises approach bias modification (ApBM) with the aim of reducing hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption among adults over 55 years in Australia. It is the first pilot randomised controlled trial exploring smartphone ApBM for alcohol harms in people over 55. Results indicated good feasibility and acceptability, with a significant reduction in past-week standard drinks after two weeks of training, but showed no sustained difference compared to those who received sham training (a control condition) at the primary endpoint. Further research, including co-design, is needed before progressing to a large-scale randomised controlled trial. 

For more information see published papers below:

Project team

Professor Victoria Manning, Ms Georgia Bolt, Mr Hugh Piercy, Dr Bosco Rowland, Prof Dan Lubman.

Publications

Bolt, G. L., Piercy, H., Bradshaw, J., Manning, V. (2024). Smartphone-Delivered Approach Bias Modification for Reducing Harmful Drinking amongst middle-older adults: Secondary analyses of a single-arm pilot study. Drug and Alcohol Review, 43(4), 956-968, https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13827

Bolt, G. L., Rowland, B., Piercy, H., Bradshaw, J., Lubman D.I., Manning, V. (2026). AAT-APP+: A double-blind, pilot randomised controlled trial of a novel personalised smartphone intervention to reduce hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption among middle–older adults. Addictive Behaviors, 173, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108560