Prospective Assessment of Adolescent Drinking Trajectories With Computer-Assisted Self-administration of Ethanol (CASE)

Collaboration on Alcohol Self Administration in Adolescents and Young Adults - Specific Aim 1: Assess the Initial Slope of Adolescent Drinking Trajectories, Beginning at the Age of Eighteen

The Computer-Assisted Self-administration of Ethanol (CASE)will be administered twice, at the ages 18 and 20, in a prospective study of 80 adolescents living in the Dresden area. The sample will be recruited for a differential family history of alcoholism (FHA) and gender, with inventories of alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms and personal recent drinking history (RDH) obtained prior to each CASE session.

Inclusion Criteria:

• (a) male and female Caucasian volunteers aged 18 years/0 months to 19 years/11 months;
• (b) written informed consent by the subject;
• (c) habitual social drinking during the two months preceding participation, defined by at least one drinking day in any two weeks-interval;
• (d) at least one prior experience of alcohol intoxication
• (e) being able to abstain from tobacco use for four hours without developing nicotine withdrawal symptoms;
• (f) effective contraception in female participants;
• (g) consenting to abstain from any illegal substance use for 2 weeks prior to participation;
• (h) living within 15 km (9.5 miles) from downtown Dresden;
• (i) sufficient information concerning alcohol use in both parents and in at least four second-degree relatives

Exclusion Criteria:

• (a) prior medical treatment due to alcohol use;
• (b) current or prior history of any serious disease, including CNS, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal, endocrine, alcohol or drug dependence, but not alcohol abuse;
• (c) current history of Axis-I psychiatric illness, including premenstrual dysphoric disorder;
• (d) current or prior history of alcohol-induced flushing reactions;
• (e) positive urine screen for cannabinoids, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, or benzodiazepines;
• (f) light or non-drinkers: averaging less than 2 standard drinks per week in the preceding two months;
• (g) intention to become pregnant
• (h) pregnancy or positive urine pregnancy screening or breast-feeding;
• (i) any alcohol intake on the test day or the day before;
• (k) use of medications known to interact with alcohol within 2 weeks of the study;
• (l) positive hepatitis or HIV at screening, provided the subject consented to these tests