fMRI Study of Decision-Making for Alcohol Consumption

Overseen By Michael Amlung, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Kansas Medical Center

Must not be taking: Anti-seizure medications

Disqualifiers: Psychotic disorder, Bipolar, PTSD, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

80 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for the trial?

The trial protocol does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you are on anti-seizure medication, you may be excluded from participating.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you are on anti-seizure medication or have a serious medical illness, you may not be eligible to participate.

What data supports the idea that fMRI Study of Decision-Making for Alcohol Consumption (also known as: Responsibility condition) is an effective treatment?

The available research shows that fMRI studies help understand the brain activity related to decision-making in people with alcohol use disorders. For example, one study found that individuals with alcohol use disorders showed more impulsive decision-making and different brain activation patterns compared to those without the disorder. This suggests that fMRI can identify specific brain areas involved in poor decision-making, which could be targeted in treatment. However, the research does not directly show that fMRI is an effective treatment itself, but rather a tool to understand and potentially improve other treatments. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Responsibility condition in the fMRI Study of Decision-Making for Alcohol Consumption?

The research highlights that alcohol use disorders are linked to impulsive decision-making and difficulties in updating alternative choices, which are associated with specific brain regions. This suggests that treatments focusing on improving decision-making and responsibility, like the Responsibility condition, could potentially help by targeting these cognitive and neural deficits. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What safety data exists for the fMRI study of decision-making for alcohol consumption?

The provided research does not directly address safety data for the fMRI study of decision-making for alcohol consumption or the 'Responsibility condition.' The studies focus on the neural correlates of alcohol consumption and decision-making, examining brain activation patterns during risk-taking and decision-making tasks in both healthy individuals and those with alcohol use disorders. However, they do not provide specific safety data or evaluations related to the treatment or study conditions. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Is participating in an fMRI study of decision-making for alcohol consumption safe?

The studies reviewed focus on understanding brain activity related to alcohol consumption and decision-making, but they do not provide specific safety data for participants. Generally, fMRI is considered safe as it uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of the brain, and the alcohol administered in controlled settings is typically within safe limits for healthy adults. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Is the treatment in the fMRI Study of Decision-Making for Alcohol Consumption a promising treatment?

The research suggests that understanding how the brain makes decisions about alcohol can help develop better treatments for alcohol use disorders. By studying brain activity during decision-making, scientists can identify specific brain areas involved in impulsive choices and cognitive control. This knowledge could lead to new ways to help people with alcohol use disorders make healthier decisions. ^{1 2 7 10 11}

How does this treatment for alcohol consumption differ from other treatments?

This treatment is unique because it uses fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to study the brain's decision-making processes related to alcohol consumption, focusing on how different brain regions are activated during decision-making tasks. Unlike traditional treatments that might focus on behavioral or pharmacological interventions, this approach aims to understand the neural mechanisms behind impulsive decision-making in alcohol use disorders, potentially leading to more targeted therapies. ^{1 2 7 10 11}

What is the purpose of this trial?

This study is using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain activity associated with making decisions about drinking alcohol in everyday situations, some of which may involve important activities happening the next day. The secondary aims are to determine whether severity of alcohol-related problems is related to brain activity and alcohol choices and to examine how different areas of the brain interact in connected networks.

Research Team

Michael Amlung, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Kansas

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for adults aged 21-55 who drink heavily, defined as at least 14 drinks per week for men or 7 for women, and have had weekly heavy drinking episodes. Participants must have significant responsibilities like work, school, or caregiving, speak English, and be able to consent. Excluded are those with major psychiatric illnesses, brain injuries, current alcohol treatment seekers, positive breath alcohol tests on session days, MRI contraindications (like metal implants), seizure histories or substance use disorders.

Inclusion Criteria

Belong to a category with significant responsibilities, such as being currently employed, a current student, or a caregiver with significant responsibilities

I am between 21 and 55 years old.

Able to give informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version-5 substance use disorder (except nicotine)

Currently engaged in treatment or seeking treatment for alcohol-related problems

I have a history of seizures or am on anti-seizure medication.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Interview

Participants undergo a baseline interview conducted virtually or in-person

1 session

1 visit (virtual or in-person)

MRI Scanning Session

Participants complete hypothetical alcohol purchase tasks during an MRI scan to examine brain activity

1 hour

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the MRI scanning session

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Responsibility condition

Trial Overview The study uses fMRI scans to look at how the brain decides about drinking when faced with everyday situations that might include important tasks the next day. It also explores if having more severe alcohol-related problems affects these brain activities and choices and examines connected networks in different brain areas.

Participant Groups

Group I: Responsibility vs No Responsibility Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Within-subjects experimental manipulation of responsibility vs. no-responsibility condition

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Kansas Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

527

Recruited

181,000+

University of Kansas

Collaborator

Trials

157

Recruited

332,000+

Findings from Research

Heavy drinking men with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) showed a tendency for more impulsive decision-making in delayed reward discounting (DRD) tasks compared to those without AUDs, indicating a behavioral pattern linked to their condition.

Neuroimaging revealed that AUD+ individuals had increased activation in brain regions related to cognitive control and decision-making, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex, suggesting altered neural mechanisms in processing delayed rewards.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dissociable brain signatures of choice conflict and immediate reward preferences in alcohol use disorders. Amlung, M., Sweet, LH., Acker, J., et al.[2021]

In a study involving 22 early-abstinent alcoholic patients and 18 controls, researchers found that decision-making performance, measured by the Cambridge Gambling Task, was linked to grey-matter density and white-matter integrity in the brain.

Alcoholic patients exhibited slower decision-making times, which were associated with reduced grey-matter density in the supplementary motor area, suggesting that brain changes in AUD may impair cognitive processing speed and decision-making abilities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Decreased information processing speed and decision-making performance in alcohol use disorder: combined neurostructural evidence from VBM and TBSS. Galandra, C., Crespi, C., Basso, G., et al.[2021]

Alcohol-dependent patients (n = 43) show impaired decision-making abilities compared to healthy volunteers (n = 35), particularly in their ability to consider alternative choices after experiencing negative outcomes.

This impairment is linked to reduced activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, suggesting that difficulties in integrating alternative options may explain why individuals with addiction continue substance use despite knowing the harmful consequences.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Behavioral and Neural Signatures of Reduced Updating of Alternative Options in Alcohol-Dependent Patients during Flexible Decision-Making. Reiter, AM., Deserno, L., Kallert, T., et al.[2020]

Alcohol-dependent individuals show reduced motivation for tasks requiring high effort compared to healthy controls, indicating a difference in how they value effort-related rewards.

fMRI results revealed that alcohol-dependent participants had increased activity in brain areas associated with reward processing during low-effort tasks, suggesting a heightened sensitivity to rewards that may contribute to their addiction.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Altered Striatal Response During Effort-Based Valuation and Motivation in Alcohol-Dependent Individuals. Grodin, EN., Steckler, LE., Momenan, R.[2018]

Individuals with a family history of alcoholism (FHP) show increased brain activation in areas related to impulse control during tasks, particularly FHP males, suggesting a neural basis for their heightened risk of addiction.

Higher levels of self-reported impulsivity in FHP individuals correlate with greater brain activity in impulse control regions, indicating that impulsivity may play a significant role in the risk for alcohol use disorders.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Neural correlates of impulsivity in healthy males and females with family histories of alcoholism. DeVito, EE., Meda, SA., Jiantonio, R., et al.[2022]

In a study using fMRI with participants receiving either alcohol or a placebo, it was found that alcohol significantly increased risk-taking behavior, especially in those who felt more stimulated by the alcohol.

The brain imaging revealed that alcohol heightened activation in the striatum during risky decision-making and reduced responses to both winning and losing feedback in areas like the caudate and insula, suggesting a dual mechanism of enhancing reward sensitivity while dampening feedback responses.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of intravenous alcohol on the neural correlates of risky decision making in healthy social drinkers. Gilman, JM., Smith, AR., Ramchandani, VA., et al.[2021]

The study involved 24 heavy drinkers using fMRI to explore how their brains respond to decisions about alcohol consumption based on varying prices, revealing that different brain regions are activated depending on whether the decision is influenced by cost.

Findings showed that when participants considered the cost of alcohol, there was increased activity in frontostriatal regions, indicating a link between cognitive deliberation and reward value, while also highlighting the role of the anterior insula in decision-making related to alcohol demand.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The neuroeconomics of alcohol demand: an initial investigation of the neural correlates of alcohol cost-benefit decision making in heavy drinking men. MacKillop, J., Amlung, MT., Acker, J., et al.[2021]

Alcohol-dependent individuals show reduced brain activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) when making risky decisions compared to control participants, indicating a potential impairment in their ability to evaluate risk.

Additionally, alcohol-dependent participants exhibited less activation in the insula during loss events, which may contribute to their decision-making deficits related to addiction.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Diminished cortical response to risk and loss during risky decision making in alcohol use disorder. Burnette, EM., Grodin, EN., Ghahremani, DG., et al.[2022]

The study involved 12 healthy participants and used fMRI to identify brain areas activated during risk-taking decisions, revealing that safe choices activated the inferior frontal cortex and risky choices activated the medial frontal cortex and nucleus accumbens.

The activation of the nucleus accumbens was positively correlated with harm avoidance traits, suggesting that understanding these brain circuits could help in studying and addressing problematic risk-taking behaviors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Selective activation of the nucleus accumbens during risk-taking decision making. Matthews, SC., Simmons, AN., Lane, SD., et al.[2019]

Neuroeconomics research indicates that alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are linked to impaired decision-making due to abnormal neural functioning, particularly in the balance between impulsive and inhibitory signals in the brain.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies suggest that excessive alcohol exposure weakens activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and alters connectivity between brain regions, which may lead to habitual actions and compulsive drinking despite negative consequences.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The alcoholic brain: neural bases of impaired reward-based decision-making in alcohol use disorders. Galandra, C., Basso, G., Cappa, S., et al.[2018]

Increased decision latency in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) is linked to altered brain activity rather than just psychomotor slowing, as shown in a study involving 22 AUD patients and 19 matched controls using the Cambridge Gambling Task.

The study found that AUD patients exhibited heightened activity in the cingulate node of the anterior salience network, which may serve as a compensatory mechanism for decreased coherence in brain activity, suggesting complex neural changes that could inform future treatments for decision-making impairments in AUD.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Increased decision latency in alcohol use disorder reflects altered resting-state synchrony in the anterior salience network. Canessa, N., Basso, G., Carne, I., et al.[2021]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dissociable brain signatures of choice conflict and immediate reward preferences in alcohol use disorders. [2021]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Decreased information processing speed and decision-making performance in alcohol use disorder: combined neurostructural evidence from VBM and TBSS. [2021]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Behavioral and Neural Signatures of Reduced Updating of Alternative Options in Alcohol-Dependent Patients during Flexible Decision-Making. [2020]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Altered Striatal Response During Effort-Based Valuation and Motivation in Alcohol-Dependent Individuals. [2018]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Neural correlates of impulsivity in healthy males and females with family histories of alcoholism. [2022]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of intravenous alcohol on the neural correlates of risky decision making in healthy social drinkers. [2021]

7. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The neuroeconomics of alcohol demand: an initial investigation of the neural correlates of alcohol cost-benefit decision making in heavy drinking men. [2021]

8. Ireland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Diminished cortical response to risk and loss during risky decision making in alcohol use disorder. [2022]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Selective activation of the nucleus accumbens during risk-taking decision making. [2019]

10. Italy pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The alcoholic brain: neural bases of impaired reward-based decision-making in alcohol use disorders. [2018]

11. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Increased decision latency in alcohol use disorder reflects altered resting-state synchrony in the anterior salience network. [2021]