Multimodal Neuroimaging of Stress and Reward Cues to Assess Alcoholism Risk and Relapse

Multimodal Neuroimaging of Stress and Reward Cues to Assess Alcoholism Risk and Relapse

Extending previous findings, and applying a novel multi-method translational approach, this project hypothesizes that there are alcohol-related neuroendocrine and neural changes observable in acute and protracted abstinence, and which can accurately classify future relapse and treatment outcome in separate alcohol dependent (AD) patient samples, thereby validating them as biomarkers of relapse, with potential clinical utility as prognostic markers in identifying and treating those most susceptible to relapse.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male and females, aged 18-60 years;
• Good health as verified by screening examination;
• Able to read English and complete study evaluations;
• Able to provide informed written and verbal consent;
• AD sample must meet DSM-5 criteria for AUD as assessed using SCID-I and have positive alcohol urine toxicology screens on admission to study; while HC group must never have met criteria for AUD, with non-binging and nonhazardous alcohol intake levels( men: below15 drinks/week; women: less than 8 drinks/week); and with negative alcohol urine toxicology screens; Page

Exclusion Criteria:

• Meet current criteria for dependence on another psychoactive substance, excluding nicotine; (ii) Current use of opiates or past history of opiate abuse/dependence;
• Regular use of anticonvulsants, sedatives/hypnotics, prescription analgesics, other antihypertensives, anti-arrhythmics, antiretroviral medications, SSRI's naltrexone, antabuse;
• Psychotic or otherwise severely psychiatrically disabled (i.e., suicidal, homicidal, current mania);
• Significant underlying medical conditions such as a history of seizure disorder, cerebral, renal, thyroid or cardiac pathology which in the opinion of study physician would preclude subjects from fully cooperating or be of potential harm during the course of the study;
• Any psychotic disorder or current Axis I psychiatric symptoms (excluding anxiety disorders) requiring specific attention, including need for psychiatric medications;
• hypotensive individuals with sitting blood pressure below 90/50 mmHG;
• Women who are pregnant, nursing or refuse to use a reliable form of birth control (as assessed by pregnancy tests during initial medical evaluation, and assessed every two weeks during the course of the study); and
• those with metal in their body excluded from MRI due to safety.