Behavioral and Functional Task Development, Implementation, and Testing for Alcohol Use Disorder

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how alcohol use disorders affect behavior and brain function. They aim to develop tasks that can be performed inside a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner to better understand these effects. The study includes healthy volunteers and inpatients with alcohol dependence or moderate alcohol use disorder, focusing on cognitive, motivational, and decision-making behaviors. Participants will complete one to three visits involving medical screening, psychiatric interviews, and laboratory tests. They will perform one of three simple computerized tasks either inside a 7T MRI scanner or outside it. The MRI scanner captures detailed brain images while participants lie still inside a noisy metal cylinder for about 60 minutes. Tasks are developed and refined to measure brain activation and related behaviors, and alternative devices like EEG or fNIRS may be used if MRI is contraindicated. During the study, participants will undergo heart activity monitoring through EKG, blood and urine sample collection, and assessments of their alcohol use. Researchers will evaluate how well the tasks measure targeted behaviors and brain function. The study monitors participants’ health and eligibility throughout and aims to complete by the end of 2026. The total participation duration varies depending on the number of visits required.

Behavioral and Functional Task Development, Implementation, and Testing