TRANSFER Neural Underpinnings of Emotion Regulation and Drinking to Cope among Problem Alcohol Drinkers

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Project Summary/Abstract This Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development application (K23) will provide protected time for Dr. Pilar Sanjuan to develop a focused program of experimental alcohol research and its application to the study of neural mechanisms of emotion regulation underlying alcohol problems. The aims of the 5-year career development plan are tightly integrated and will increase her knowledge and experience in the areas of 1) collecting and analyzing objective neural (fMRI) and psychophysiological emotion regulation data, 2) utilizing advanced quantitative analysis and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) technology for real-time collection of longitudinal data in the field, and 3) grant writing and professional development. The career development plan includes structured meetings with mentors; five graduate level courses in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and bioethics; and relevant conferences and workshops to develop substantive expertise and training in quantitative/research methods and uses of statistical software. Specific plans are described to consolidate knowledge gains associated with the career development aims through secondary analyses of extant fMRI and EMA data sets. These activities will culminate in the development of an R01 proposal using preliminary data from the associated study in the third and fourth years of the funding period, thus facilitating the transition of Dr. Sanjuan from clinical psychologist to independent neuroscientist. The proposed study will have 3 components and is sequenced to support career development aims: (1) a laboratory-based design to identify emotion regulation and craving neural networks associated with subjective distress and psychophysiological reactivity during emotion regulation in problem drinkers, (2) a field-based design using EMA to determine the relationship of problem drinking with subjective distress, alcohol craving, and drinking to cope, and (3) a lab-to-field analysis to assess the efficacy of laboratory-based neural activation to predict real life craving and drinking to cope measured via EMA. fMRI and psychophysiological assessments will be used to examine neural underpinnings of emotion regulation and EMA methods will be used to examine the real life emotion regulation to drinking to cope relationship. Dr. Eric Claus will be primary mentor and has recognized expertise in cognitive neuroscience, especially alcohol-related neuroimaging. Drs. J. Scott Tonigan and James Gross will serve as secondary mentors supporting the candidate in selected areas including laboratory study of emotion regulation, grant writing, human subjects protections, and data analysis. Drs. Marsha Bates and Matthew Pearson will serve as consultants to assist Dr. Sanjuan to consolidate knowledge gains in applying psychophysiology and EMA methods and analyses in the context of alcohol research.