Aversion-resistant alcohol seeking in the human laboratory

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Aversion-resistant drinking, a model for alcohol use disorder, is primarily studied via self-report in humans.
• Developing a human laboratory behavioral model is crucial for translational research on this alcohol use disorder risk factor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a human laboratory behavioral model of aversion-resistant alcohol seeking.
• To investigate factors contributing to compulsive alcohol consumption in adults with heavy alcohol use.

Main Methods:

• 84 adults (21-55 years) with heavy alcohol use completed intravenous alcohol self-administration.
• Sessions involved progressive-ratio responding for alcohol, with one session paired with aversive stimuli and the other neutral stimuli.
• Hypotheses were preregistered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03648840).

Main Results:

• Contrary to hypotheses, cumulative lifetime drinking did not predict aversion-resistant alcohol seeking.
• Individuals with more extensive drinking histories worked more for alcohol overall.
• A blunted increase in stimulation following an alcohol prime was associated with increased aversion-resistant alcohol seeking.

Conclusions:

• Aversion-resistant alcohol seeking may be linked to blunted stimulating effects of alcohol, aligning with low-level response theory.
• Acquired tolerance from heavy drinking could also contribute to compulsive alcohol seeking.
• The developed human model facilitates preclinical-to-clinical research for novel alcohol use disorder treatments.