Actively Recruiting
Nicotinic Receptor Genetic Variation and Alcohol Reward
Led by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) · Updated on 2026-04-15
128
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
394 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Background: People with the brain disease AUD (alcohol use disorder) have a serious problem with drinking. Researchers want to study how different people react to alcohol, and how genes affect this. They will focus on a nicotine receptor gene that may increase a person s AUD risk. Objectives: To see if people with variations of a nicotine receptor gene take alcohol differently and have different brain responses to alcohol cues. Eligibility: Healthy adults ages 21 - 60. This study includes smokers and non-smokers. Design: Participation will be based on evaluation under the NIAAA natural history protocol (14-AA-0181) or a screening visit under this protocol. Participants will have two 9-hour visits. They must have no alcohol or non-prescription drugs before all visits and no food or drink before the first visit. At every visit, participants will: * Get a light meal * Have breath and urine tests * Get taxi rides there and back At visits 1, participants will: * Have a thin plastic tube inserted in an arm and connected to a pump for alcohol infusion. * Have sensors on their chest to monitor heart rate. * Sit in a chair for 2.5 hours and get alcohol by pushing a button. Their breath alcohol level will be monitored. * Answer questions about mood and effects of alcohol * Give blood samples * Relax at the clinic while their breath alcohol level drops At visit 2, participants will: * Answer questions and do computer tests * Have an alcoholic drink and a snack * Have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. They will lie in a machine that takes pictures of the brain. They will do computer tasks. * Have another drink and snack * Relax until their alcohol level drops Participants will have a follow-up call after each visit.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Nicotinic Receptor Genetic Variation and Alcohol Reward
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Healthy male and female participants between 21 and 60 years of age
- Smokers with at least 1 year of daily smoking averaging more than 20 uses of nicotinic products per week and a positive cotinine test
- Non-smokers with no smoking in the past year and fewer than 20 uses of nicotinic products lifetime
- Women of childbearing potential must use adequate birth control methods during the study if sexually active and not surgically sterilized
- Participants must be non-dependent drinkers and in good general health as determined by medical history, physical exam, ECG, and laboratory tests
You will not qualify if you...
- Non-English speaking individuals
- History of major medical illnesses including CNS, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal, endocrine, or reproductive disorders
- Positive hepatitis A, B, or C antigen or HIV test
- Current or past 12 months history of psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety
- Lifetime history of psychotic disorders, OCD, PTSD, or eating disorders
- Current or lifetime diagnosis of alcohol or substance use disorder (except past mild cases in remission for at least 2 years)
- Currently seeking treatment for alcohol use disorders
- History or presence of significant alcohol withdrawal symptoms
- Non-drinkers or individuals who have never consumed 5 or more drinks on one occasion in their lifetime
- Positive urine drug screen or breathalyzer at screening or repeated visits
- History of alcohol-induced flushing reactions
- Use of medications that interact with alcohol or affect hemodynamic responses within specified time frames prior to screening
- Left-handedness
- Presence of ferromagnetic objects contraindicated for MRI
- Fear of enclosed spaces or inability to lie comfortably for up to 2 hours in the MRI scanner
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
V
Vijay A Ramchandani, Ph.D.
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Number of Arms
1
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