Alcohol-induced changes in mesostriatal resting-state functional connectivity are linked to sensation seeking in young adults.

BACKGROUND: Studies in animals and humans suggest that greater levels of sensation seeking and alcohol use are related to individual differences in drug-induced dopamine release. However, it remains unclear whether drug-induced alterations in the functional synchrony between mesostriatal regions are related to sensation seeking and alcohol use. METHODS: In this within-subject masked-design study, 21-year-old participants (n = 34) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure ventral tegmental area (VTA) resting-state functional connectivity to the striatum after receiving alcohol (target blood alcohol concentration 0.08 g/dL) or placebo. Participants also completed the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale to assess sensation seeking, the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire, and self-reported patterns of alcohol and drug use. RESULTS: Voxel-wise analyses within the striatum demonstrated that during the alcohol condition (compared with placebo) young adults had less connectivity between the VTA and bilateral caudate (p < 0.05 corrected). However, young adults exhibiting smaller alcohol-induced decreases or increases in VTA-left caudate connectivity reported greater sensation seeking. CONCLUSION: These findings provide novel information about how acute alcohol impacts resting-state connectivity, an effect that may be driven by the complex pre and postsynaptic effects of alcohol on various neurotransmitters including dopamine. Further, alcohol-induced differences in VTA connectivity represent a plausible mechanistic substrate underlying sensation seeking.

Sex Differences in the Effect of Nucleus Accumbens Volume on Adolescent Drinking: The Mediating Role of Sensation Seeking in the NCANDA Sample.

OBJECTIVE: In adolescence, sensation seeking is associated with earlier onset of alcohol use, which is a risk factor for a variety of negative consequences later in life. Individual differences in sensation seeking are related to brain function in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a brain region that undergoes considerable structural development during adolescence. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine whether NAcc volume in alcohol-naive adolescents was associated with future sensation seeking and alcohol use and whether these associations differed by sex. METHOD: High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure NAcc volume at baseline in 514 alcohol-naive adolescents (50.2% female) from the National Consortium on Alcohol & Neurodevelopment in Adolescence study. Direct effects of NAcc volume on adolescent drinking 2 years after baseline, and indirect effects mediated through sensation seeking 1 year after baseline, were assessed. RESULTS: An indirect effect of NAcc volume on subsequent drinking through sensation seeking was significant for males, but not females. This effect was driven by a positive association between NAcc volume and sensation seeking observed in male, but not female, participants. A direct effect of NAcc volume on subsequent alcohol use was detected in females, but not males. In females, no association between NAcc volume and sensation seeking was detected, but NAcc volume was positively associated with future alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that delayed structural maturation of the NAcc may be a risk factor for alcohol use in adolescence; however, the mechanism by which the structure of the NAcc confers risk differs by sex.

Reciprocal relations between positive alcohol expectancies and peer use on adolescent drinking: An accelerated autoregressive cross-lagged model using the NCANDA sample.

Positive alcohol expectancies (PAE) and associating with drinking peers are reliable predictors of adolescent alcohol use. Knowledge of when and for whom these risk factors are most influential could enhance intervention effectiveness. Reciprocal relations between PAE and adolescent and peer alcohol use were examined between the ages of 13 and 18 in a sample (N = 566; 50% female) from the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA), as well as sex differences in these associations. Associating with drinking peers prospectively predicted more frequent alcohol use for both sexes, although peer socialization was evident earlier for girls compared with boys. Higher PAE influenced later drinking in mid-adolescence, from age 14 to 16, for boys only. PAE influenced peer group selection for both sexes, although the influence was evident earlier in boys than girls. The relative impact of environmental risk factors for problematic alcohol use may vary over time and across developmental periods. These results suggest that prevention and treatment efforts for adolescent drinking can be improved by targeting age-appropriate risk factors. Early adolescent interventions may be best served by minimizing involvement with drinking peers and correcting normative beliefs of peer use. Among adolescent girls, early interventions focused on reducing peer influence may be most effective. Prevention and treatment programs aimed at addressing PAE would likely prove more effective for boys in mid- to late adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record

Faster alcohol metabolism is associated with increased stimulation and within session consumption.

Variability in subjective response (SR) to alcohol predicts drinking and the development of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs). Although both alcohol pharmacokinetics (i.e., absorption and metabolism) and SR are impacted by aspects of the drinking situation (e.g., rate of consumption), relations between individual differences in pharmacokinetics and SR have received little attention. The current study examined the extent to which alcohol pharmacokinetics impact SR and drinking during a single alcohol administration session. A total of 119 (67% male) social drinkers were administered a dose of alcohol with a target blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08g%. The Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale was administered twice at matched ascending and descending limb BACs following alcohol consumption to assess SR. Pharmacokinetic properties (absorption and metabolism) were inferred using multiple BAC readings to calculate the area under the curve during the ascending limb (absorption) and descending limb (metabolism). Following completion of SR measures, an ad libitum taste rating task utilizing nonalcoholic beer was implemented to assess voluntary 'alcohol' consumption. Results indicated that participants who metabolized alcohol more quickly maintained a greater level of subjective stimulation on the descending limb. Faster metabolism was indirectly related to ad lib nonalcoholic beer consumption through greater maintenance of stimulant effects. Absorption did not significantly predict SR or within session drinking. The results increase understanding of SR variability and suggest that heightened stimulation that is sustained across limbs of the BAC curve may increase risk for excessive consumption. Individual differences in alcohol metabolism may be an identifiable biomarker of this high risk pattern of SR. (PsycINFO Database Record

A Critical Review of Negative Affect and the Application of CBT for PTSD.

Forms of cognitive and behavioral therapies (CBTs), including prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy, have been empirically validated as efficacious treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the assumption that PTSD develops from dysregulated fear circuitry possesses limitations that detract from the potential efficacy of CBT approaches. An analysis of these limitations may provide insight into improvements to the CBT approach to PTSD, beginning with an examination of negative affect as an essential component to the conceptualization of PTSD and a barrier to the implementation of CBT for PTSD. As such, the literature regarding the impact of negative affect on aspects of cognition (i.e., attention, processing, memory, and emotion regulation) necessary for the successful application of CBT was systematically reviewed. Several literature databases were explored (e.g., PsychINFO and PubMed), resulting in 25 articles that met criteria for inclusion. Results of the review indicated that high negative affect generally disrupts cognitive processes, resulting in a narrowed focus on stimuli of a negative valence, increased rumination of negative autobiographical memories, inflexible preservation of initial information, difficulty considering counterfactuals, reliance on emotional reasoning, and misinterpretation of neutral or ambiguous events as negative, among others. With the aim to improve treatment efficacy of CBT for PTSD, suggestions to incorporate negative affect into research and clinical contexts are discussed.

A review of sleep disturbance in children and adolescents with anxiety.

The present review examines the relations between sleep disturbance and anxiety in children and adolescents. The review begins with a detailed discussion of normative developmental trends in sleep, and the relation between sleep quality and emotion dysregulation in children. The extant literature on sleep disturbance in clinically anxious children with a focus on subjective versus objective measures of sleep is then summarized in detail. Finally, a review of the reciprocal relationship between sleep and emotion regulation is provided. The available research suggests that sleep disturbance is quite prevalent in children with anxiety disorders, although the directionality of the association between sleep disturbance and anxiety in children remains unclear. Despite this limitation, a reciprocal relationship between sleep quality and anxiety appears to be well established. Research using objective measures of sleep quality (e.g. polysomnography, sleep actigraphy, sleep bruxism) is warranted to better understand this relation. Further, complicating factors such as the environment in which sleep quality is measured, the developmental stage of participants, varying severity of anxiety and the timeframe during which assessment takes place should all be considered when examining sleep disturbance in this population.

Sex differences in claimed and behavioral self-handicapping and ADHD symptomatology in emerging adults.

Although the research is clear that boys with ADHD have higher symptomatology and impairment than girls with ADHD, for adults the research is mixed. Some studies suggest no sex differences, whereas others suggest that women might have higher symptomatology and impairment. The present study examined sex differences in ADHD symptomatology and impairment, and the possible role of claimed and behavioral self-handicapping as an explanation for any differences. Claimed self-handicapping (CSH) involves reports of performance-inhibiting conditions, whereas behavioral self-handicapping (BSH) involves reporting more objective, intentional acts that could undermine performance. College students (N = 699) completed an online study. Sex differences were found for hyperactivity such that women reported higher levels, but not for inattention or impairment. The test of the indirect effect of sex through CSH was significant, suggesting that higher levels of CSH in women were associated with elevated ADHD symptoms and impairment. The test of the indirect effect of sex through BSH was also significant, suggesting that higher levels of BSH in men are associated with elevated symptoms of ADHD and impairment. These data extend the literature by suggesting that self-handicapping might at least partially explain differential self-reporting of ADHD symptoms and impairment in emerging adults across the sexes.

Alcohol-Induced Stimulation Mediates the Effect of a GABRA2 SNP on Alcohol Self-Administrated among Alcohol-Dependent Individuals.

BACKGROUND: A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in GABRA2 (rs279858) may moderate subjective response (SR) to alcohol. Results of studies in non-dependent drinkers examining this GABRA2 SNP on SR have been equivocal. This study examined this SNP's direct and indirect effects on alcohol self-administration in dependent drinkers. METHOD: The sample consisted of 63 Caucasian, non-treatment-seeking individuals with alcohol dependence. Subjective stimulation was assessed using the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale following consumption of an alcoholic priming drink (target breath alcohol content = 0.02 g%). Participants were subsequently offered the opportunity to self-administer up to eight additional drinks. RESULTS: Controlling for baseline stimulation, T-allele homozygotes, relative to individuals with at least one copy of the C-allele, reported greater initial stimulation, t(58) = 2.011, p = 0.049. Greater stimulation predicted greater subsequent alcohol self-administration, t(57) = 2.522, p = 0.015. Although rs279858 genotype did not directly impact self-administration (t(57) = -0.674, p = 0.503), it did have an indirect effect (95% confidence interval [0.068, 1.576]), such that T-allele homozygotes reported greater stimulation, which in turn predicted greater self-administration. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the influence of this SNP on SR differs depending on dose or stage of dependence. This study is the first to demonstrate an indirect effect of rs279858 genotype on drinking through SR. Although C-allele carriers have been shown to have an increased risk for alcohol dependence, in our dependent sample, greater stimulation was found among T-allele homozygotes, suggesting that the influence of SR on developing and maintaining dependence differs based on rs279858 genotype.This study demonstrates an indirect effect of rs279858 genotype on drinking through SR. Although C-allele carriers have an increased risk for alcohol dependence, in our dependent sample, greater stimulation was found among T-allele homozygotes, suggesting that the influence of SR on developing dependence differs based on rs279858 genotype.

Contextual influences on subjective and behavioral responses to alcohol.

Differential sensitivity to alcohol effects (e.g., increased stimulation and decreased sedation) is associated with heavier use and problems. Although genetic factors contribute to alcohol response (AR), environmental factors may also play a role. This study examined effects of physical context on AR using a between subjects placebo-controlled design. There were 157 (57% male) participants (ages 21-30) who were randomized to 1 of 4 conditions based on beverage (placebo or alcohol [target BrAC = .08 g%]) and physical context (simulated bar or traditional lab). AR was assessed using the Subjective Effects of Alcohol Scale and the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale, as well as behavioral tasks including the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and its negative reinforcement counterpart (MRBURNS). A beverage condition by context interaction emerged for low arousal positive subjective response (SR), and among women, for performance on the BART task. In the lab context only, alcohol (relative to placebo) was associated with stronger low arousal positive SR and, for women, with impaired performance on the BART task. This suggests that a less stimulating lab context may be better suited to differentiating positive alcohol effects from expectancies, whereas a bar context may be better suited to detecting expectancy effects. The findings also suggest that the ability to better appreciate positive alcohol effects (relative to expectations) in less stimulating contexts may lead to a strengthening of these effects among individuals who drink in these environments.

Parental and peer influences on alcohol use during the transition out of college.

Parental and peer drinking and attitudes have been identified as predictors of drinking during adolescence and the transition to college, but little is known about these influences during the transition out of college. The current study assessed the influence of parents and peers on drinking behavior in a large sample of college drinkers (N = 1,665), using a cross-lagged panel structural equation model (SEM) across 3 time-points: final year of college and annually for the following 2 years. Multigroup models were tested for White compared with Hispanic and Asian American students to determine if parental and peer influences operated similarly for these groups. Results in the full sample indicated that peer selection effects were present both during the initial transition out of college and between 1 year and 2 years postcollege. Although peer socialization effects were not present during the initial transition out of college, there was evidence of peer socialization from 1 year postcollege to 2 years postcollege. During the initial transition out of college direct effects of familial drinking on student drinking were evident, whereas family drinking indirectly impacted student drinking through peer selection from 1 year to 2 years postcollege. Multigroup analyses identified group differences only between 1 and 2 years postcollege. During this time period, peer selection and family effects on peer selection were evident among ethnic minority students but not among White students.

A Methodology for Conducting Integrative Mixed Methods Research and Data Analyses.

Mixed methods research has gained visibility within the last few years, although limitations persist regarding the scientific caliber of certain mixed methods research designs and methods. The need exists for rigorous mixed methods designs that integrate various data analytic procedures for a seamless transfer of evidence across qualitative and quantitative modalities. Such designs can offer the strength of confirmatory results drawn from quantitative multivariate analyses, along with "deep structure" explanatory descriptions as drawn from qualitative analyses. This article presents evidence generated from over a decade of pilot research in developing an integrative mixed methods methodology. It presents a conceptual framework and methodological and data analytic procedures for conducting mixed methods research studies, and it also presents illustrative examples from the authors' ongoing integrative mixed methods research studies.