Study on Brain and Behavior Responses to Stress in Adults with Alcohol Use Disorder Using Stress Tests, Alcohol Cue Exposure, and Brain Imaging

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how people with alcohol use disorder AUD respond to stress over time and what makes some stress responses adaptive or non-adaptive. The study aims to understand how stress, social interactions, coping strategies, and personal health behaviors affect alcohol craving and use. This observational study uses repeated stress exposure to explore brain and behavior patterns related to stress resilience and alcohol use. Participants will undergo an experimental setup twice on consecutive days that includes a rest period, a Trier Social Stress Test to induce social stress, exposure to their favorite alcoholic drink in a bar-like setting, and a functional MRI scan. The fMRI will assess brain activity related to alcohol cues, response inhibition, emotion processing, and resting state connectivity. After these visits, participants will enter a six-week ambulatory phase where they report daily on stressors, alcohol craving, consumption, social interactions, and health behaviors using smartphone tools. During the study, researchers will measure cortisol levels, alcohol urges and craving, subjective stress, and brain responses at multiple times each day of testing. Blood pressure will also be monitored. The daily assessments during the ambulatory phase will help determine how stress responses observed in the lab relate to real-life experiences of stress and alcohol use. The study participation includes eligibility screening, two experimental visits, and six weeks of daily monitoring, with careful evaluation of stress and alcohol-related behaviors.

Neurobehavioral Profiles of Adaptive Stress Responses in Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder