Alcohol and the Social Brain: An Alcohol-Administration Hyperscanning Study Employing a Within-Subject Design
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Recruiting
- Enrollment
- 200
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Inter-brain entrainment
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The study investigates the effects of alcohol consumption on social and individual behaviors using a within-subject design. Participants, aged 21-30, will attend two laboratory sessions approximately one week apart, participating as part of a dyad (pair). During one session, they will consume an alcoholic beverage, while in the other, they will receive a control beverage, with the order of conditions randomized. This design facilitates direct within-participant comparisons of behaviors and neural activity in intoxicated versus sober states.
To achieve these aims, the study employs EEG technology to explore intra-brain and inter-brain dynamics during social interactions. Additionally, validated self-report questionnaires will capture data on mood, social bonding, and other psychological variables. The findings are expected to enhance understanding of alcohol's role in social reward processes and contribute to developing evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies for alcohol use disorder.
Detailed Description
Objective:
Alcohol's ability to enhance social bonding and modulate mood in social contexts has been identified as a key factor contributing to its reinforcing properties and risk for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). While prior research has demonstrated alcohol's role in enhancing social interactions, laboratory studies often fail to replicate the real-world context in which most alcohol consumption occurs-social settings with familiar companions. This discrepancy limits our understanding of the mechanisms through which alcohol exerts its effects in social contexts.
This study is the first to employ EEG hyperscanning methods to investigate the inter- and intra-brain mechanisms underlying alcohol's social rewards within dyadic interactions. Specifically, the study aims to characterize how alcohol modulates social bonding, emotional regulation, and neural synchrony during social interactions, and to identify the cognitive and affective processes driving alcohol's reinforcing properties. The findings are expected to deepen understanding of the role of alcohol in social dynamics and inform interventions for AUD.
Study Population:
The study will recruit 200 participants, aged 21-30, who self-identify as regular social drinkers and with no reported history of severe alcohol use disorder.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Na
- Intervention Model
- Single Group
- Primary Purpose
- Basic Science
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 21 Years to 30 Years (Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Between the ages of 21 and 30
- •Regularly consumes alcohol
Exclusion Criteria
- •History of adverse reaction to the amount of beverage employed in the study
- •Have a history of major problems associated with alcohol
- •Take medications that could adversely interact with alcohol
- •Have medical conditions that contraindicate alcohol administration
- •Individuals with a history of skull fractures or who indicate discomfort with EEG procedures used
- •Female participant is pregnant or trying to become pregnant
Arms & Interventions
Alcohol beverage administration
Intervention: Alcohol beverage (Drug)
Control condition - non alcoholic beverage
Intervention: Control - non alcoholic beverage (Other)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Inter-brain entrainment
Time Frame: During active laboratory beverage manipulation exposure (during or immediately after beverage administration, at which time participants in the alcohol condition will register a positive BAC)
Synchronization metrics (e.g., inter-subject PLV, inter-subject correlation) between paired participants, assessed separately in sober and intoxicated conditions
Intra-brain entrainment
Time Frame: During active laboratory beverage manipulation exposure (during or immediately after beverage administration, at which time participants in the alcohol condition will register a positive BAC)
The comparison of EEG signal synchronization within the same participant across the alcohol and non-alcohol conditions, reflecting intra-brain activity changes due to alcohol consumption during the hyperscanning task.
Event-Related Potentials (ERP)
Time Frame: During active laboratory beverage manipulation exposure (during or immediately after beverage administration, at which time participants in the alcohol condition will register a positive BAC)
Feedback-Related Negativity (FRN), measured both for the operating ("player") and observing ("observer") participant, with comparisons across sobriety conditions
Ambulatory Drinking
Time Frame: 14 days
Drinking behavior assessed outside the laboratory using ambulatory assessment
Longitudinal Drinking Problems
Time Frame: Up to 24 months post-baseline
Drinking assessed at longitudinal follow-up
Secondary Outcomes
No secondary outcomes reported
Investigators
Catharine Fairbairn
Ph.D.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign