Characterizing Low Alcohol Sensitivity in Laboratory and Real-World Contexts

对酒精急性作用的敏感性不同，特别是镇静样作用的减弱和镇静作用的增强 刺激样效应（这里简化为“低敏感性”；LS）被认为是酒精的一个潜在危险因素 滥用、依赖和饮酒带来的不良后果。但目前还比较少 LS 促进酗酒问题的具体心理机制已为人所知。 这里提出的研究旨在测试一种新的翻译假设，该假设基于激励 成瘾敏化理论，将 LS 与特定的心理和神经生物学过程联系起来 促进对酒精的渴望和动力，并促进酗酒。拟议的研究将使用 结合基于实验室的措施来衡量对酒精的关注、动机和激励价值 相关线索（酒精线索反应性；ACR）和“现实世界”的生态瞬时评估（EMA） 饮酒和相关经历。参与者将是从该协会招募的年轻饮酒者（18-20岁） 社区，允许调查一种新颖的、理论驱动的风险模型 酒精参与的关键发育时期（成年初期）。运用多种招聘方式 渠道，我们将筛选潜在参与者以获取有关他们的酒精敏感性水平的信息（如 使用经过验证的问卷确定）和饮酒模式。 420 名新兴成年人的目标样本（70 三个敏感度三分位数各有 70 名男性和 70 名女性）将被邀请参加实验室会议 在此期间将使用四个任务来评估 ACR：（1）视觉点探针检测任务评估 通过酒精暗示不自觉地吸引注意力； (2) 评估内隐酒精接近-回避任务 酒精暗示引起的接近偏见； (3) 酒精提示引起的 P3 事件相关电位的幅度， 评估酒精的激励价值； (4) 嗅觉线索暴露任务，测量自我报告的渴望 对于酒精。在此实验室会议之后，参与者将开始为期 21 天的 EMA 期，在此期间他们将 使用智能手机应用程序记录酒精提示暴露、酒精渴望、饮酒行为和不良行为 在自然环境中饮酒的后果。参与者将完成在线跟踪调查 实验室课程结束一年后。这项研究将使我们能够 (a) 描述个体差异如何 酒精敏感性与激励敏化过程的神经行为和自我报告测量有关； (b) 研究 LS 如何与饮酒行为、ACR、渴望以及年轻饮酒者的自然问题相关 环境； (c) 评估酒精敏感性、实验室内表型之间的经验关联， 生态评估的饮酒体验和有问题的饮酒结果。这种方法将产生一个 独特而丰富的数据集，其中的发现将有助于填补有关病因学的现有知识的关键空白 澳元的 LS 相关风险。

Differential sensitivity to the acute effects of alcohol, particularly reduced sedation-like effects and enhanced stimulation-like effects (here simplified as “low sensitivity;” LS), is known to be a potent risk factor for alcohol abuse, dependence, and drinking-contingent adverse consequences. However, at present relatively little is known concerning the specific psychological mechanisms through which LS promotes problematic drinking. The research proposed here is aimed at testing a novel translational hypothesis, based in the incentive sensitization theory of addiction, linking LS with specific psychological and neurobiological processes that both promote craving and motivation for alcohol and facilitate heavy drinking. The proposed research will use a combination of laboratory-based measures to gauge attention to, motivation for, and incentive value of alcohol- related cues (alcohol cue-reactivity; ACR) and ecological momentary assessments (EMA) of ‘real-world’ drinking and related experiences. Participants will be young drinkers (ages 18-20 years) recruited from the community, permitting investigation of a novel, theory-driven model of risk for problematic drinking during a critical developmental period for alcohol involvement (emerging adulthood). Using a variety of recruitment channels, we will screen potential participants to obtain information about their level of alcohol sensitivity (as determined using validated questionnaires) and drinking patterns. A target sample of 420 emerging adults (70 males and 70 females in each of three sensitivity terciles) will be invited to participate in a laboratory session during which four tasks will be used to evaluate ACR: (1) a visual dot-probe detection task assessing involuntary capture of attention by alcohol cues; (2) an alcohol approach-avoidance task evaluating implicit approach bias elicited by alcohol cues; (3) amplitude of the P3 event-related potential elicited by alcohol cues, assessing incentive value for alcohol; and (4) an olfactory cue exposure task measuring self-reported craving for alcohol. Following this laboratory session, participants will begin a 21-day EMA period during which they will use a smartphone app to record alcohol cue exposure, alcohol craving, drinking behaviors, and adverse consequences of drinking in their natural environments. Participants will complete an online follow-up survey one year after the laboratory session. The research will permit us to (a) characterize how individual differences in alcohol sensitivity relate to neurobehavioral and self-report measures of incentive sensitization processes; (b) investigate how LS relates to drinking behavior, ACR, craving, and problems in young drinkers' natural environments; and (c) evaluate empirical associations among alcohol sensitivity, laboratory endophenotypes, ecologically assessed drinking experiences, and problematic drinking outcomes. This approach will produce a unique and rich dataset, findings from which will help fill critical gaps in extant knowledge about the etiology of LS-related risk for AUD.