Alcohol use, physical activity, and neurophysiological indicators of behavioral adaptability

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Project Summary and Abstract Health behaviors established during emerging adulthood often portend life-long behavior patterns. During this developmental stage, high-risk alcohol use behavior (binge-drinking) increases, while levels of physical activity begin to decrease. When considered individually, alcohol use and physical activity have marked and opposing influences on neurophysiological indicators of health and self-regulation. Acute and chronic alcohol negatively impact the cardiovascular system, resulting in decreased heart rate variability (HRV) and baroreflex sensitivity. High-risk drinking is also associated with greater incentive salience of alcohol cues, resulting in an enhanced P3 event-related potential to alcohol related stimuli (ACR-P3). Increased physical activity improves HRV, baroreflex sensitivity, and neural processes central to P3 amplitude reduction, although ACR-P3 has not been examined. Paradoxically, greater alcohol consumption consistently has been associated with more frequent physical activity across the adult lifespan. This raises the question of how the effects of this antagonistic clustering of co-occurring health-related behaviors accrue on the cardiovascular and neural processes that underlie their regulation. Further, a few recent studies suggest that this between-person association observed between alcohol use and physical activity may not reflect within-person drinking-activity relations, and most studies have relied on self-reports of physical activity. The goal of this study is to measure covariation in alcohol use and physical activity, assessed retrospectively, as well as objectively over a 7-10 day period to test the cumulative effects of drinking and activity behaviors on HRV, baroreflex sensitivity, and ACR-P3. The proposed research and training plan leverages the resources of a NIAAA-supported experiment (R21AA029604) examining whether a brief behavioral manipulation of the baroreflex loop can alter neural reactivity to alcohol cues in emerging adult binge drinkers. The proposed study will use simultaneously collected cardiovascular (ECG) and neural (EEG) measures recorded at rest and during an alcohol-cue reactivity paradigm from two sessions of the parent study, separated by 7-10 days. It will add on objective monitoring of physical activity during the intersession interval, combined with a time-line follow back interview of alcohol use and physical activity during the interval. Aim 1 is to examine covariation of alcohol use and physical activity behaviors assessed by self-report and actigraphy. Aim 2 is to examine the total effects of alcohol use and physical activity behaviors between sessions on HRV and baroreflex sensitivity (0.1Hz HRV). Aim 3 is to examine the cumulative effects of alcohol use and physical activity between sessions on incentive motivation towards alcohol cues, indicated by the ACR-P3. The proposed research and training plan are designed to address current gaps in understanding between drinking and activity behaviors to neurophysiological indicators of self-regulation, while providing the applicant with deeper knowledge and skills in alcohol research to support a developing research program on integrated cardiovascular and neural mechanisms in alcohol and co-occurring health behaviors.