Modeling ability to resist alcohol in the human laboratory: A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Approximately 50% of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) prefer non-abstinence treatment approaches.
• Non-abstinence treatments are most effective for individuals who can moderate alcohol consumption after low-risk intake.
• Identifying predictors of alcohol consumption control is crucial for tailoring AUD treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a laboratory-based intravenous alcohol self-administration paradigm.
• To assess the characteristics of individuals who can resist further alcohol consumption after an initial dose.
• To determine the impact of craving and impaired control on the likelihood of lapse.

Main Methods:

• Seventeen non-treatment seeking heavy drinkers participated in two versions of an alcohol self-administration paradigm.
• Participants received a priming dose of alcohol followed by a 120-minute resist phase with monetary incentives for abstinence.
• Cox proportional hazards regression analyzed the association between craving, Impaired Control Scale scores, and lapse rates.

Main Results:

• 64.7% of participants failed to resist alcohol self-administration throughout the session.
• Baseline craving (HR=1.07) and post-priming craving (HR=1.08) significantly predicted the rate of lapse.
• Individuals who lapsed reported more attempts to control drinking in the past six months than those who resisted.

Conclusions:

• Craving appears to be a significant predictor of lapse risk in individuals attempting to limit alcohol intake after a small initial dose.
• The developed paradigm shows promise for identifying individuals at higher risk of lapse.
• Further research with larger, diverse samples is warranted to confirm these findings and refine the paradigm.