About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to better understand how blood flow in the brain, levels of the hormone, cortisol, and levels of an immune factor, interleukin-6, change in response to pictures of alcohol versus water pictures of water in healthy people who regularly consume alcohol. Researchers will learn about how the brain processes our environment and how it relates to people's drinking behaviors. This information is important because it may allow us to develop new treatments for Alcohol Use Disorders.
Participants will be asked to fill out psychological questionnaires at the first appointment. Then, they will do MRI scans with blood draws at visits 2-6. After each MRI scan, participants will undergo the Alcohol Taste Test, which involves drinking beer.
There will be a total of 3 visits at baseline, 2 visits one year later, and 2 visits one year after that. Each visit will last 2 hours. Each year, participants will do 21 days of surveys on a smart phone (4 surveys a day; each survey takes less than 2 minutes). The total time commitment for the entire study will be 23 hours.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Male and Females between the ages of 21-25
able to read and write in English and complete study evaluations
able to provide negative breathalyzer and negative toxicology screenings for substances at all study appointments
able to provide written and verbal consent.
Disqualifiers
Any psychotic disorder or current psychiatric symptoms requiring specific attention, including active symptoms of psychosis or suicidal/homicidal ideation
meets criteria for current or past moderate or severe substance use disorder
women who are pregnant or lactating
inability to give informed consent
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Alcohol Cue Reactivity and Laboratory Alcohol Administration Paradigm