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The following is a summary of “DAILY – A personalized circadian Zeitgeber therapy as an adjunctive treatment for alcohol use disorder patients: results of a pilot trial,” published in the  February 2025 issue of Frontiers in Psychiatry by Springer et al. 

Circadian rhythm disturbances and irregular daily structures characterize alcohol use disorder (AUD). Sleep, activity, and meals act as Zeitgebers that synchronize the circadian system. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study on a therapy designed to strengthen circadian rhythms in patients with AUD. 

They implemented personalized structure plans alongside standard therapy in a 6-week, single-blinded, randomized trial. About 41 patients with AUD were assigned to either an intervention group (IG) or a control group (CG). 

The results showed lower variability in daily activities in the IG group than in the CG group. About 2 IG participants relapsed (<12%) vs 10 in the CG group (>60%). IG participants had 3 alcohol consumption days, while CG participants had 52. Abstinent participants had less variability in daily activities than those who relapsed. Craving was linked to variability in wake-up times and increased before relapses. IG participants showed greater improvement in well-being than CG participants. 

Investigators found that adherence to a personalized daily structure helped patients with AUD remain abstinent. Increased variability in daily activities was linked to a higher risk of relapse. 

Source: frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1477895/full