Enhancing Alcoholism Pharmacotherapy Research via Behavioral Economics

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal for a K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Award is to provide James MacKillop, PhD, with the necessary mentorship and training to conduct high-quality research using behavioral economics to enhance research on pharmacotherapies for alcoholism. A behavioral economic approach may enhance pharmacotherapy research by focusing on medication effects on alcohol self-administration, facilitating mechanistic analyses, and providing greater translational consilience. The Career Development/Training Plan includes training in: 1) neuroscience and psychopharmacology; 2) laboratory methods for alcoholism pharmacotherapy research; 3) clinical methods for alcoholism pharmacotherapy research; 4) advanced training in behavioral economics; 5) professional development; 6) responsible conduct of research. The training will be overseen by a mentorship team comprised of Robert Swift, MD, PhD (Sponsor), Peter Monti, PhD (Co-Sponsor), Jennifer Tidey, PhD (Advisor), and Robert Miranda, Jr., PhD (Advisor). The training plan also proposes an empirical research project using behavioral economics to examine the effects of topiramate (TOP), a promising novel pharmacotherapy. The proposed study will recruit 60 alcohol dependent individuals who are not seeking treatment and study the effects of TOP under neutral conditions and during the ascending limb of the blood alcohol curve, using a 2 (TOP SOOmg/placebo) X 2 (neutral/ascending limb) mixed design. Based on its putative neuropharmacological actions and correlational clinical data, TOP is predicted to reduce alcohol self-administration on two behavioral economic measures. For exploratory purposes, the effects of TOP will also be examined during the descending limb of the blood alcohol curve. In addition to serving as criticial training; this research may have important clinical and methodological implications. RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCH TO PUBLIC HEALTH: Medications for treating alcoholism have considerable promise and behavioral economics may enhance research in this area. This proposal is an application for a K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Award for Dr. James MacKillop to gain the expertise to pursue this prospect, including mentorship, training, and an empirical study using behavioral economics to study topiramate, a promising new medication for alcoholism.