Cited by 54Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesAlcohol Consumption and Health EffectsNon-Invasive Vital Sign Monitoring

Alcohol Use Disorder in the Age of Technology: A Review of Wearable Biosensors in Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment

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Davis-Martin, Rachel E., Alessi, Sheila M., Boudreaux, Edwin D.·2021·Frontiers in Psychiatry

Abstract

Biosensors enable observation and understanding of latent physiological occurrences otherwise unknown or invasively detected. Wearable biosensors monitoring physiological constructs across a wide variety of mental and physical health conditions have become an important trend in innovative research methodologies. Within substance use research, explorations of biosensor technology commonly focus on identifying physiological indicators of intoxication to increase understanding of addiction etiology and to inform treatment recommendations. In this review, we examine the state of research in this area as it pertains to treatment of alcohol use disorders specifically highlighting the gaps in our current knowledge with recommendations for future research. Annually, alcohol use disorders affect approximately 15 million individuals. A primary focus of existing wearable technology-based research among people with alcohol use disorders is identifying alcohol intoxication. A large benefit of wearable biosensors for this purpose is they provide continuous readings in a passive manner compared with the gold standard measure of blood alcohol content (BAC) traditionally measured intermittently by breathalyzer or blood draw. There are two primary means of measuring intoxication with biosensors: gait and sweat. Gait changes have been measured via smart sensors placed on the wrist, in the shoe, and mobile device sensors in smart phones. Sweat measured by transdermal biosensors detects the presence of alcohol in the blood stream correlating to BAC. Transdermal biosensors have been designed in tattoos/skin patches, shirts, and most commonly, devices worn on the ankle or wrist. Transdermal devices were initially developed to help monitor court-ordered sobriety among offenders with alcohol use disorder. These devices now prove most useful in continuously tracking consumption throughout clinical trials for behavioral treatment modalities. More recent research has started exploring the uses for physical activity trackers and physiological arousal sensors to guide behavioral interventions for relapse prevention. While research has begun to demonstrate wearable devices' utility in reducing alcohol consumption among individuals aiming to cutdown on their drinking, monitoring sustained abstinence in studies exploring contingency management for alcohol use disorders, and facilitating engagement in activity-based treatment interventions, their full potential to further aid in understanding of, and treatment for, alcohol use disorders has yet to be explored.

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  • Studies have shown a high correlation between the concentrations of alcohol in sweat and blood, which enables continuous noninvasive blood alcohol monitoring by monitoring sweat alcohol concentration.

    “Studies have shown a high correlation between the concentrations of alcohol in sweat and blood, which enables continuous noninvasive blood alcohol monitoring to be achieved by monitoring sweat alcohol concentration 91,92 .”

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  1. [24]Bremner J Cheung NG Lam QH Huang S. IntoxiGait Deep Learning (Doctoral dissertation). Worcester, MA: Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2018).

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Authors
Davis-Martin, R. E., Alessi, S. M., & Boudreaux, E. D.
Affiliations
  • University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (US)
  • University of Connecticut (US)
Corresponding author
Davis-Martin, Rachel E.
Venue
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Published
2021-03-22
Volume
12
Pages
642813-642813
ISSN
1664-0640 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3137127954
Cited by
54
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 5
FWCI
1.60
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network (American Medical Association) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
National Institutes of Health (T32 AA007290, P50 AA027055, R01 AA023502)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Non-Invasive Vital Sign Monitoring
Keywords
alcoholism, wearable biosensors, gait analysis, blood alcohol concentration, relapse prevention, contingency management, wearable activity trackers, behavior therapy

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