Impaired Control (Both Attempts to Control Drinking and Failed Control) as Prospective Predictors of Negative Outcomes among Young Adults who Drink Heavily.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Impaired control over alcohol is a hallmark of addiction relevant to young adults but additional prospective findings are needed, particularly in samples reporting heavy drinking. Further, we lack understanding of how attempts and failed efforts to control drinking relate to each other in predicting outcomes. We hypothesized attempted and failed control would prospectively predict outcomes, with endorsement of both being especially problematic. METHODS: We used data from young adults reporting heavy drinking who enrolled in laboratory alcohol self-administration studies (N=109). Mixed effects models were used to predict drinks per drinking day, heavy drinking, and negative consequences across baseline, 6- and 12-month follow-up. Interactions by time and between attempted and failed control were tested. RESULTS: Higher failed control was associated with steeper declines in consequences and heavy drinking over time compared to lower failed control. However, higher attempted or failed control was still associated with more consequences and alcohol use than lower impaired control at multiple timepoints. A significant interaction indicated that the combination of higher attempted and failed control was associated with the most drinks per drinking day. There was also a significant attempted-by-failed control interaction for heavy drinking. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide further evidence supporting impaired control over alcohol use as a risk factor among young adults. Those reporting both higher attempted and failed control drank the most per day. Either attempted or failed control was associated with negative consequences. Those reporting both higher attempted and failed control may be in greatest need of intensive intervention.

Initial evidence of delay discounting's predictive utility for alcohol self-administration in ecologically valid contexts among young adults who drink heavily.

BACKGROUND: While delay discounting is robustly associated with alcohol use disorder, whether discounting predicts real-time alcohol use behaviors is unclear. Existing support comes from laboratory studies using intravenous alcohol self-administration methods, thus limiting ecological validity and generalizability. The present study evaluated whether delay discounting predicted real-time alcohol use in naturalistic settings with and without probabilistic negative consequences for consuming larger amounts of alcohol. METHODS: This secondary analysis utilized data from three laboratory alcohol self-administration studies with young adults who engaged in frequent heavy drinking (N=206, 45% female). Participants completed a delay discounting measure before an alcohol self-administration session in an actual or simulated bar with (n=187) or without (n=19) probabilistic negative consequences (compensation loss) tied to performance on cognitive and psychomotor tasks after alcohol self-administration. Bootstrapped (unstandardized) coefficient estimates and 95% confidence intervals were utilized due to the sample size discrepancy. RESULTS: Multiple regressions revealed that delay discounting did not significantly predict estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) or number of drinks consumed when procedures included probabilistic negative consequences. Among participants who completed procedures without probabilistic negative consequences, delay discounting was positively associated with peak eBAC. CONCLUSION: Counter to hypotheses, steeper delay discounting did not predict real-time alcohol use in contexts with probabilistic negative consequences, whereas preliminary evidence suggests that delay discounting predicts real-time alcohol use behaviors in contexts without probabilistic negative consequences. The specific discounting task may have impacted study findings, thus future research should consider how the sign (gain vs. loss), outcome certainty, and delay relate to alcohol consumption.

Examining the effect of cannabis cues on cannabis demand in sleep, driving, and typical drug-use contexts.

PURPOSE: Given the expanding legal cannabis market in the U.S., it is vital to understand how context impacts cannabis use. Therefore, we explored the effect of cannabis cues and cannabis-use context on cannabis demand in 79 adults who reported smoking cannabis at least weekly. METHODS: Participants completed a single laboratory session consisting of four hypothetical marijuana purchase tasks (MPTs) involving either a typical use situation or a driving or sleep context. The MPTs were alternated with exposure to cannabis or neutral picture cues based on block randomization by gender. RESULTS: Cannabis cues increased self-reported craving for cannabis (p =.044) but did not significantly alter demand (ps =0.093-0.845). In the driving context, participants demonstrated a significant reduction in cannabis demand, indicated by lower intensity (p <0.001), Omax (p <0.001), and Pmax (p <0.001), breakpoint (p =.003), and higher α (p <0.001). The sleep context was associated with significantly greater α (p <0.006) but nonsignificant effects for other indices (ps =0.123-0.707). Finally, cannabis cues increased Omax (p =.013) and breakpoint (p =.035) in the sleep context but not in the typical-use context. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that cannabis-use behavior is sensitive to contingencies surrounding driving after cannabis use and may also be sensitive to sleep contexts in the presence of cannabis cues. Since this is the first study to examine driving and sleep contexts, we caution against drawing broad conclusions until future research is conducted to replicate these findings.

A test of competing mediators linking trouble sleeping to cannabis use in adolescents and emerging adults.

This study examined day-level associations between trouble sleeping and three cannabis-use indices (likelihood/quantity of use and impaired control). We evaluated behavioral and cognitive mediators of the association between trouble sleeping and cannabis outcomes. Youth (N = 86, ages 15-24, 48.8% female, 58.8% White, 18.6% Latine) who regularly used cannabis were recruited for an intervention study. This preregistered secondary data analysis leveraged data from a 1-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study completed prior to intervention. Trouble sleeping, cannabis use, and impaired control over use were assessed each morning; negative affect, risk-taking propensity, and cannabis craving were assessed multiple times and aggregated to create a daily average. Multilevel structural equation modeling evaluated hypothesized temporally sequenced associations and putative mechanisms at the day (i.e., within) and person (i.e., between) level. In bivariate analyses at the person level, there were large-effect associations between trouble sleeping and craving and negative affect, and between craving and cannabis-use likelihood and quantity (rs from .34 to .48). In multilevel analyses at the day level, participants were less likely to use cannabis the next day after reporting more trouble sleeping (ß = -.65, p < .001). Trouble sleeping was not directly associated with subsequent cannabis-use quantity or impaired control, or indirectly via negative affect, risk-taking propensity, or craving. Trouble sleeping had differential relations with cannabis-use indices at the day and person levels. To promote youth health and reduce cannabis use, future research may consider the unique, person- and situation-driven mechanistic processes at play. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Does sleep relate to next-day cannabis use during treatment? Findings from an adolescent and young adult motivational enhancement and cognitive behavioral therapy plus topiramate intervention.

BACKGROUND: Interventions for youth cannabis use have limited efficacy. Sleep is likely to affect treatment response, as sleep difficulties are cross-sectionally associated with use and common during treatment. This analysis examined how sleep duration and subjective trouble sleeping related to next-day cannabis use among youth during cannabis treatment. METHOD: Participants (N=64) received a psychosocial intervention plus topiramate versus placebo while completing a 6-week ecological momentary assessment study. Time-varying effect modeling (TVEM) examined within- and between-person associations between sleep and cannabis use and how the strength of within-person associations varied over the course of treatment. RESULTS: TVEM resvealed that, between-participants, youth with longer average sleep duration used cannabis less often controlling for baseline cannabis use, topiramate, and weekend status. Daily within-person fluctuations in sleep duration and trouble were not associated with use. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest regularly shorter sleep may impede treatment outcomes. Adolescents who regularly have insufficient sleep durations likely need additional intervention to improve sleep difficulties in tandem with cannabis use reduction.

"That's Pot Culture Right There": Purchasing Behaviors of People Who Use Cannabis Without a Medical Cannabis Card.

Introduction: The legal landscape surrounding purchasing cannabis without a medical cannabis card (i.e., without MCC) is changing rapidly, affecting consumer access and purchasing behaviors. Cannabis purchasing behaviors are related to subsequent use and experiencing greater cannabis-related negative consequences. However, purchasing behaviors of individuals who use cannabis without MCC are understudied. Methods: The current study analyzed qualitative data from focus groups with adults who use cannabis without MCC (n = 5 groups; 6-7 participants/group; n = 31 total participants). Focus groups followed a semi-structured agenda, and were audio recorded and transcribed. Two coders applied thematic analysis to summarize topics pertaining to cannabis purchasing attitudes and behaviors. Focus groups occurred in 2015 and 2016 in Rhode Island, when purchasing and use of cannabis without MCC was decriminalized but still considered illegal. Results: On average, participants (72% male) were 26 years old (SD = 7.2) and reported using cannabis 5 days per week (SD = 2.1). Thematic analysis revealed three key themes related to cannabis purchasing behaviors: (1) regular purchasing routines (i.e., frequency, schedule, amount of purchases), (2) economic factors (i.e., financial circumstances), and (3) contextual factors (i.e., quality of cannabis, convenience/availability) were perceived to influence purchasing decisions. Dealers' recommendations affected participants' purchases, who also reported minimal legal concerns. Participants reported saving money and using more cannabis when buying in bulk. Discussion: Purchasing behaviors were found to vary and were perceived to be affected by individual-level (e.g., routines) and contextual factors (e.g., availability) that, in turn, may impact use patterns. Future research should consider how factors (e.g., availability) that differ across contexts (e.g., location) and demographic groups interact to affect purchasing behaviors.

Leveraging Ecological Momentary Assessment to Examine Bi-directional Associations Between Sleep Quality, Adolescent/Young Adult Alcohol Craving and Use.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use is common among adolescents and young adults (AYA) and linked to poor sleep quality. Poor sleep quality may also increase alcohol use and alcohol craving, yet bi-directional relations between sleep quality and AYA alcohol use are poorly understood. PURPOSE: This study examined bi-directional associations between sleep quality, alcohol craving, and alcohol use in AYA using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and explored if biological sex, age, or race moderated these associations. METHODS: This pre-registered secondary analysis pooled EMA data from the baseline, pre-randomization period (M = 8.18 days, range = 1-17) in two double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials examining medication effects on alcohol use in AYA (N = 115). Each morning, participants reported sleep quality and alcohol consumption (i.e., number of standard drinks) from the previous day, and craving was rated at several random points each day. RESULTS: Multilevel modeling showed that poorer average sleep quality was associated with higher levels of alcohol craving for females but not for males, and better overall levels of sleep quality were associated with decreased likelihood of engaging in alcohol use. No other person- or day-level associations between sleep and alcohol use emerged. CONCLUSIONS: Better sleep quality may be protective against alcohol use in AYA, and female AYA who report poorer sleep quality may experience higher levels of alcohol craving. Research and clinical assessment of AYA sleep quality can contribute to understanding of factors promoting alcohol craving and use.

This study explored how alcohol use among adolescents and young adults influences sleep quality as well as how sleep quality influences alcohol use and alcohol craving. Each morning, for approximately 1 week, participants reported their alcohol use from the prior day and their sleep quality from the prior night. They also rated their alcohol craving several times each day. Results showed that better overall sleep quality was associated with a lower likelihood of alcohol use. Poorer average sleep quality was associated with higher alcohol craving for females but not males. These findings suggest that better sleep quality may protect against alcohol use among youth and serve as a protective factor against alcohol craving for females.

Use of the BACtrack Skyn alcohol biosensor: Practical applications for data collection and analysis.

AIMS: Alcohol biosensors, including the BACtrack Skyn, provide an objective and passive method of continuously assessing alcohol consumption in the natural environment. Despite the many strengths of the Skyn, six key challenges in the collection and processing of data include (1) identifying consumed alcohol; (2) identifying environmental alcohol; (3) identifying and determining the source of missing or invalid data; (4) achieving high participant adherence; (5) integrating Skyn and self-report data; and (6) implications for statistical inference. In this report we outline these challenges, provide recommendations to address them and identify future needs. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Procedures from several laboratory and field-based pilot studies are presented to demonstrate practical recommendations for Skyn use. Data from a pilot study including a 7-day ecological momentary assessment period are also presented to evaluate effects of environmental alcohol on BACtrack Skyn readings. CONCLUSIONS: To address challenges in the collection and processing of data from the BACtrack Skyn alcohol biosensor, researchers should identify goals in advance of data collection to anticipate the processing necessary to interpret Skyn data. The Transdermal Alcohol Sensor Data Macro (TASMAC) version 2.0 software can help to process data rapidly; identify drinking events, missing data and environmental alcohol; and integrate the sensor with self-report data. Thorough participant orientation and regular contact in field studies can reduce missing data and enhance adherence. Many recommended methods for Skyn use are applicable to other alcohol sensors and wearable devices.

Differences in cannabis use characteristics, routines, and reasons for use among individuals with and without a medical cannabis card.

As recreational and medical cannabis use increases in the U.S., the proliferation of novel cannabis products is expected to continue. Understanding cannabis product preferences and use patterns may inform public health and policy decisions. This study investigated similarities and differences in cannabis use patterns, product preferences, and beliefs about cannabis' subjective effects and therapeutic benefits among individuals with and without a medical cannabis card (MCC). Participants with an MCC completed individual interviews (N = 25; 40% male). Participants without an MCC completed focus groups (N = 31; 6-7 participants/group; 72% male). All sessions followed a semistructured agenda. Participants were queried about their use routines, reasons for using cannabis, and perceptions and experiences of subjective cannabis effects. Thematic analysis of coded transcripts revealed that MCC participants had structured, daily cannabis use routines whereas non-MCC participants' use routines were less structured. Product information including strain and cannabinoid composition were important to MCC participants whereas non-MCC participants primarily evaluated quality based on perceptual (e.g., olfactory) cues. Regardless of MCC status, participants reported misconceptions about cannabis' therapeutic benefits and agreed that the two primary cannabis strains-Indica and Sativa-produced primarily sedative and stimulant effects, respectively. Results have clinical, public health, and policy implications surrounding cannabis recommendation guidelines and ways providers can relay accurate information to patients seeking medical cannabis. Future research assessing demographic and geographic differences in cannabis product preferences and beliefs about medical cannabis use is warranted. Further, quantitative research is needed to evaluate whether cannabis' therapeutic value differs across products. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Initial development and validation of a brief assessment of marijuana demand among young adult college students.

Hypothetical purchase tasks assess substance demand, but the length of purchase tasks makes repeated assessment of state-dependent changes in demand difficult, often limiting clinical utility. Although brief assessments of alcohol and cigarette demand exist, brief measures of cannabis demand do not. College students (N = 209, Mage = 19.92, SD = 1.45; 63% female; 56.9% non-Hispanic Caucasian) who reported using cannabis at least 3 days in the past month, completed an online survey including the full-length marijuana purchase task (MPT), a three-item brief assessment of marijuana demand (BAMD) assessing intensity, Omax and breakpoint, and cannabis use outcomes. Convergent and divergent validity were examined. Independent samples t tests compared demand on the BAMD and MPT based on presence or absence of cannabis use disorder (CUD) symptoms, and one-way between-subject analyses of variance compared effects of CUD severity (mild/moderate/severe) on BAMD indices. All indices were significantly correlated across both assessment measures (ps < .01). Similarly, all indices on both demand measures were significantly correlated with craving, CUD severity, and cannabis-related consequences (ps < .01); whereas only intensity and Omax were significantly correlated with cannabis use frequency (ps < .01). Individuals with (vs. without) CUD symptoms reported significantly greater intensity and Omax (ps < .01) and significant differences in CUD severity on BAMD indices were found as well (ps < .05). The BAMD demonstrated convergent and divergent validity with the MPT. Findings suggest that brief cannabis demand can be easily assessed as an indicator for high-risk cannabis use. Thus, the BAMD may be a useful and clinically relevant tool to assess cannabis demand in real-world settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Cannabis Use Disorder: A Behavioral Economic Perspective.

Purpose of Review: To explore relations between behavioral economic demand for cannabis and cannabis use disorder (CUD). Prior reviews have focused on drug demand in relation to use outcomes more generally. Complementing and enhancing prior work synthesizing research on cannabis demand, the present review endeavors to determine whether specific demand indices derived from the marijuana purchase task are most reliably related to CUD. Additionally, sociodemographic characteristics of participants in these studies were reviewed to identify whether certain populations were underrepresented in behavioral economic cannabis research. Recent Findings: Behavioral economic demand is related to CUD; intensity and elasticity of cannabis demand were consistently associated with CUD diagnosis and severity. However, frequently, only select demand indices were assessed or reported, precluding the ability to confirm which indices are superior for denoting CUD risk. Further, most studies enrolled samples that were predominately young adults, Caucasian, and male. Summary: As CUD becomes more prevalent in the wake of cannabis legalization, identification of robust predictors of CUD risk is paramount. Cannabis demand is consistently associated with CUD; however, individual indices of import in this relationship remain ambiguous. Subsequent research is needed to confirm index-specific markers of disordered cannabis use, and whether links between demand and CUD generalize across diverse populations.

Prospective associations between sleep disturbances and cannabis use among Veterans: A behavioral economic approach.

BACKGROUND: Veterans often use cannabis for sleep despite limited evidence of its efficacy. Moreover, how sleep disturbances impact cannabis use longitudinally is unclear. We applied a behavioral economic framework to examine whether sleep disturbances and cannabis demand (i.e., relative value) were related risk-factors for future cannabis use and problems. METHODS: Veterans deployed post-9/11/2001 who reported past 6-month cannabis use at baseline (n = 126) completed surveys on their sleep disturbances, demand via the Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT), and cannabis use. Mediation analyses using Hayes' PROCESS Macro and zero-inflated negative binomial models tested indirect effects of baseline sleep disturbances on 12-month cannabis use frequency, quantity, and problems via 6-month cannabis demand (i.e., intensity, Omax, Pmax, and breakpoint). RESULTS: Only Omax (i.e., maximum expenditure for cannabis) was a significant mediator for 12-month cannabis use quantity and problems when examined concurrently with other demand indices after controlling for covariates. Intensity (i.e., purchase at zero cost) was a significant mediator for 12-month cannabis use frequency when examined concurrently with other demand indices in models controlling for lifetime cannabis use, but not past 30-day use at baseline. CONCLUSION: Cannabis demand, specifically intensity and Omax, may help to identify Veterans with sleep disturbances who are at increased risk for escalating their cannabis use. Subsequent research should assess the extent that sleep disturbances impact cannabis demand in the context of withdrawal, which will inform novel prevention and intervention strategies geared toward reducing negative cannabis-related outcomes among Veterans.

Longitudinal associations between impulsivity and alcohol and cannabis use frequency, quantity, and problems among military veterans.

OBJECTIVE: Impulsivity is an established etiological risk factor for alcohol- and cannabis-related outcomes. However, limited work has focused on longitudinal associations between multiple trait impulsivity facets and indices of alcohol and cannabis use among military veterans-a contextually distinct population that evidence unique impulsive personality traits and substance use patterns. METHOD: A structural equation model (SEM) examined longitudinal associations between five UPPS-P impulsivity facets measured at baseline and six indices of alcohol and cannabis use (i.e., frequency, quantity, and problems) measured at 1-year follow-up among 361 returning Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) veterans. RESULTS: Findings indicated baseline sensation seeking was significantly positively associated with 1-year alcohol use frequency (ß = .18); baseline negative urgency was positively associated with alcohol use problems (ß = .31); and baseline lack of perseverance (ß = .25) and sensation seeking (ß = .21) were positively associated with 1-year cannabis use problems. None of the baseline impulsivity facets were associated with 1-year alcohol use quantity, cannabis use frequency, or cannabis use quantity. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide preliminary support that impulsivity may play a unique role in understanding alcohol- and cannabis-related problems over time among veterans. Further, results suggest that specific impulsivity facets are prospectively associated with cannabis problems (i.e., lack of perseverance and sensation seeking) and alcohol problems (i.e., negative urgency). Findings reinforce the importance of differentially evaluating impulsivity-substance use associations within contextually distinct populations (e.g., adolescent, veteran), and highlight potentially meaningful intervention targets among veterans. However, replication is needed with stronger temporal controls and more diverse veteran subsamples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A combined laboratory and field test of a smartphone breath alcohol device and blood alcohol concentration estimator to facilitate moderate drinking among young adults.

OBJECTIVE: Innovative strategies are needed to reduce young adult drinking. Real-time feedback via mobile health (mHealth) technology (e.g., smartphone devices/apps) may facilitate moderate drinking, yet requires evidence of feasibility, acceptability, and usability. METHOD: Young adults reporting frequent heavy drinking (N = 99, Mage = 23, 51% male) participated in a manualized, brief, motivational interview on recent typical and peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC), then were randomized to use 1 of the 3 forms of technology: (a) smartphone breathalyzer device/app; (b) app that estimates BAC based on factors including sex, weight, number/types of drinks over time; or (c) self-text messaging after each drink. Technologies were tested initially in small-group laboratory alcohol self-administration sessions. Participants then completed a 2-week field test wherein they had free access to all three technologies. Participants reported on usability and acceptability. RESULTS: Laboratory alcohol self-administration did not differ significantly by technology condition. The smartphone breathalyzer and BAC estimator app had favorable acceptability and usability. Participants used at least one form of technology on 67% of drinking days in the field period. In exploratory analyses, alcohol use during the field period was significantly lower than the baseline including a decrease of nearly one drink per drinking day. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the feasibility of research combining lab and field methods to test moderate drinking technologies in young adults. Findings further support the acceptability and usability of these technologies, along with young adults' openness to using them. Exploratory results suggest potential efficacy of combined mobile technology intervention to be tested in subsequent controlled studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

An examination of the acquired preparedness model among college student marijuana users.

ObjectiveTo examine the Acquired Preparedness Model using a behavioral impulsivity facet and positive marijuana expectancies to examine direct and indirect effects on marijuana use and related problems. Participants: 250 college students (61.7% female, 54% white) recruited from a southeastern university. Methods: Participants completed an online survey of delay reward discounting, marijuana expectancies, consideration of future consequences, and marijuana-related outcomes. Results: Delay reward discounting and consideration of future consequences related to marijuana-related problems, but not marijuana use. However, positive marijuana expectancies did not mediate the relation between impulsivity and marijuana outcomes. Conclusions: These results emphasize delay reward discounting and consideration of future consequences as important factors associated with marijuana-related problems. Interventions aimed at decreasing delay reward discounting and augmenting future orientation may be effective in college students who report light to moderate marijuana use. Future studies would benefit from longitudinal study designs using multiple impulsivity measures among light and heavy users.

Associations between alcohol demand and both the experience and subjective evaluation of positive and negative alcohol-related consequences.

BACKGROUND: Considerable variation exists in the extent to which alcohol-related consequences are evaluated as positive or negative. These evaluations, in turn, predict subsequent drinking behavior. Understanding the etiological pathways to positive and negative alcohol-related consequences is essential to the design of interventions aimed at reducing drinking consequences. Behavioral economic models posit that excessive alcohol valuation contributes to problematic use. Elevated alcohol demand (i.e., relative alcohol value) is associated with negative alcohol-related consequences; however, it is unclear whether demand is related to positive consequences or subjective consequence evaluations. METHODS: College student drinkers (n = 114; 74.6% female) completed an online survey. Participants indicated whether they had ever experienced any of 24 negative and 14 positive consequences and subjectively evaluated their most recent experience of each consequence endorsed. An alcohol purchase task assessed hypothetical alcohol consumption across 14 prices and three observed demand indices were calculated: intensity (i.e., consumption at zero cost), Omax (i.e., maximum expenditure), and Pmax (i.e., price associated with maximum expenditure). Bivariate correlations and hierarchical regressions were used to test associations between observed demand indices and the number and subjective evaluations of positive and negative (researcher- and participant-defined) consequences. RESULTS: Intensity and Omax , but not Pmax , were bivariately associated with researcher- and participant-defined negative and positive consequences. However, in hierarchical regression models that controlled for the maximum number of drinks consumed in a single day over the past month, only intensity was significantly associated with more negative and positive consequences. Intensity was associated with positive consequence evaluations in bivariate but not regression models. CONCLUSION: Students with higher intensity reported more prior alcohol consequences (positive and negative), independent of drinking level. However, subjective evaluations of recent consequences did not vary as a function of demand. Results support using behavioral economic models to facilitate identifying etiologic pathways to alcohol consequences and suggest that novel interventions incorporating demand manipulation may reduce drinking consequences.

Relations Between Acute Effects of Alcohol on Response Inhibition, Impaired Control over Alcohol Use, and Alcohol-Related Problems.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consistently impairs response inhibition in the laboratory, and alcohol impairment of response inhibition may lead to excess consumption or increases in intoxicated risk behavior, both of which contribute to risk for alcohol-related problems. To our knowledge, no prior studies have examined relations between alcohol impairment of response inhibition and either impaired control over alcohol (i.e., inability to adhere to predetermined drinking limits) or real-world alcohol-related problems. The current study addressed this gap in the literature. METHODS: Young adult social drinkers (N = 215, 76% male) participated in a between-subjects, placebo-controlled alcohol challenge study and completed self-reports approximately 2 weeks later. Multilevel models were used to examine the hypothesis that alcohol impairment of response inhibition would indirectly lead to alcohol-related problems through impaired control over alcohol use. RESULTS: Greater alcohol-induced impairment of response inhibition and impaired control over alcohol use were both significant predictors of alcohol-related problems. However, greater alcohol-induced response inhibition was not a significant predictor of impaired control over alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating relationships between alcohol impairment of response inhibition and real-world alcohol-related problems and the first to address relationships between alcohol impairment of response inhibition and impaired control over alcohol use. These results suggest that impaired control over alcohol use may result from deficits in the trait ability to control behavior rather than deficits in alcohol-induced response inhibition. Regardless, results suggest that alcohol impairment of response inhibition and impaired control over alcohol are both worthwhile intervention targets.

Perceived Positive Consequences Are Associated with Unhealthy Alcohol Use Among Persons Living with HIV.

BACKGROUND: Understanding how perceived positive consequences are associated with drinking may help improve effectiveness of alcohol reduction interventions among people living with HIV (PLWH). We aimed to determine whether perceived positive consequence scores varied by sociodemographic, drinking, mental health or substance use variables. METHODS: Perceived positive consequences of drinking were assessed using the PROMIS: Positive Consequences-Short Form. Unhealthy alcohol use was measured using a modified AUDIT-C. We used multiple linear regression to identify factors associated with perceived positive consequence. RESULTS: 328 PLWH who consumed at least one alcoholic beverage in the last 6 months participated in the Florida Cohort study (mean age=46, 69% male, 58% Black). Perceived positive consequence scores ranged from 0 to 28 (mean=16.1, SD=6.9). Perceived positive consequence scores increased by 0.8 points for each 1-point increase in AUDIT-C score. Demographics, thoughts on reducing alcohol use, other substance use, depression, and anxiety were not significantly associated with perceived positive consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest perceived positive consequences are associated with unhealthy alcohol use. Positive consequences should be considered with negative consequences in a decisional balance when intervening on alcohol use among PLWH.

CONTEXTE: Comprendre comment les conséquences positives perçues sont associées à la consommation d'alcool peut aider à améliorer l'efficacité des interventions de réduction de l'alcool chez les personnes vivant avec le VIH (PVVIH). Nous avons cherché à déterminer si les scores des conséquences positives perçues variaient selon les variables sociodémographiques, de consommation d'alcool, de santé mentale ou de consommation de substances. MÉTHODES: Les conséquences positives perçues de la consommation d'alcool ont été évaluées à l'aide du PROMIS: Positive Consquences - Short Form -conséquences positives­version abrégée. La consommation d'alcool malsaine a été mesurée à l'aide d'un AUDIT-C modifié. Nous avons utilisé une régression linéaire multiple pour identifier les facteurs associés aux conséquences positives perçues. RÉSULTATS: 328 PVVIH ayant consommé au moins une boisson alcoolisée au cours des 6 derniers mois ont participé à l'étude de la cohorte de Floride (âge moyen=46 ans, 69% d'hommes, 58% de noirs). Les scores des conséquences positives perçues allaient de 0 à 28 (moyenne=16.1, ET=6.9). Les scores de conséquences positives perçues ont augmenté de 0.8 point pour chaque augmentation de 1 point du score AUDIT-C.Les données démographiques, les réflexions sur la réduction de la consommation d'alcool, la consommation d'autres substances, la dépression et l'anxiété n'étaient pas associées de manière significative aux conséquences positives perçues. CONCLUSIONS: Nos résultats suggèrent que les conséquences positives perçues sont associées à une consommation d'alcool malsaine. Les conséquences positives doivent être considérées avec des conséquences négatives dans le processus décisionnel lors de l'intervention sur la consommation d'alcool chez les PVVIH.

Relationships between generalized impulsivity and subjective stimulant and sedative responses following alcohol administration.

Impulsivity and subjective response (SR) to alcohol (i.e., individual differences in sensitivity to pharmacologic alcohol effects) are both empirically supported risk factors for alcohol use disorder; however, these constructs have been infrequently studied as related risk factors. The present investigation examined a self-report measure of impulsivity (i.e., the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Version 11) in relation to acute alcohol effects (i.e., stimulant and sedative SR). Participants came from 2 cohorts of the Chicago Social Drinking Project. Heavy and light drinkers from Cohort 1 (n = 156) and heavy social drinkers from Cohort 2 (n = 104) were examined using identical laboratory protocols following oral alcohol administration using a within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled laboratory study design. Self-reported impulsivity and, for comparison purposes, sensation seeking were measured at baseline, and SR was measured once prior to and 4 times following alcohol administration. More impulsive light, but not heavy, drinkers reported heightened stimulant SR following alcohol administration. High impulsive, light drinkers reported stimulant SR at a magnitude similar to that for heavy drinkers, whereas low impulsive, light drinkers reported limited stimulant SR. The interaction between impulsivity and sensation seeking did not statistically predict stimulant SR, and overall, impulsivity was a stronger predictor than was sensation seeking. However, impulsivity was not statistically predictive of dampened sedative SR among light or heavy drinkers. These findings partially replicate and extend the recent literature linking self-reported impulsivity to heightened stimulant SR from alcohol. Future directions include longitudinal studies and research relating multiple facets of impulsivity to SR. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Does Self-Reported or Behavioral Impulsivity Predict Subjective Response to Low-Dose Alcohol?

AIMS: Subjective response to alcohol and impulsivity are both independent predictors of alcohol use and may be related risk factors for alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Recent findings suggest that more impulsive individuals may experience higher risk subjective response patterns at moderate-to-high doses of alcohol. However, whether these relationships are observable early in a drinking occasion remains an open question. This study examined multiple measures of impulsivity in relation to subjective response following low-dose alcohol. METHOD: Eighty-seven non-treatment-seeking heavy drinkers were enrolled in a placebo-controlled alcohol administration study testing the effects of NMDA receptor antagonist, Memantine. Baseline impulsivity assessments included the Cued Go/No-Go Task, Experiential Discounting Task, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Version 11 (BIS-11). Following consumption of low-dose alcohol aimed to increase blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.03%, subjective stimulation and sedation were measured using the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale. Models were tested to relate impulsivity measures to subjective response with a post hoc exploratory model exploring boredom as an alternate predictor. RESULTS: Increases in stimulation and sedation were observed following low-dose alcohol, but were not predicted significantly by impulsivity measures. Although greater impulsivity on the BIS-11 was a trend-level predictor of increased sedation, post hoc analyses suggested these results were an artifact of boredom. CONCLUSION: Although impulsivity did not predict subjective response to low-dose alcohol, the results suggest that small amounts of alcohol can produce a range of subjective effects, even among heavy drinkers. Future studies would benefit by examining subjective response across a range of BACs among both light and heavy drinkers.