Alcohol Addiction: A Systems-oriented Approach
Condition: Alcoholism
MeSH terms: Alcoholism
Study type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Summary: 
      The goal of the multicenter subproject (SP) 10 of the eMED Alcohol Addiction Consortium - A
      Systems-Oriented Approach is to study neuroimaging x genetics predictions in an existing
      sample (NGFNplus) of tightly endophenotyped and genome-wide genotyped alcohol dependent
      subjects (N=240) and controls (N=240); (ii) to translate the results of neuroimaging and
      genetic analyses from an adolescent risk sample (IMAGEN) to adult disease (NGFNplus sample)
      by examining related MRI-paradigms tagging the same functional brain systems in both samples
      (e.g. reward system, inhibitory control system, emotion processing, working memory); (iii) to
      conduct a follow-up neuroimaging study on the NGFNplus sample validating the neurobehavioral
      risk profiles predictive for juvenile harmful alcohol use in adult patients with alcohol
      addiction, (iv) to expand the NGFNplus sample by including a new set of healthy subjects with
      high genetic risk (1st degree relatives of patients with alcohol addiction). The
      investigators will do so by using elaborate imaging genetic methods that are already
      available and successfully used in other multicenter studies by the investigator's research
      group (e.g. univariate analyses, functional and effective connectivity analyses, polygenetic
      scores, network topology) as well as by using complex computational algorithms and
      mathematical models, in particular advanced machine learning methods, developed in SP 6. The
      investigator's approach aims in the long to predict and characterize longitudinal outcomes in
      patients with alcohol addiction (5 years following our index session) and to complement the
      NGFN-sample with an add-on study with 1st degree relatives that will allow the investigators
      to test the generalizability of the identified predictive risk profiles for early risk
      identification.
    

Detailed description: 
      The overall research goal of this project is (i) to study neuroimaging x genetics predictions
      in an existing sample (NGFNplus) of tightly endophenotyped and genome-wide genotyped alcohol
      dependent subjects (N=240) and controls (N=240); (ii) to translate the results of
      neuroimaging x genetic analyses from an adolescent risk sample (IMAGEN) to adult disease
      (NGFNplus sample) by examining related paradigms tagging the same functional systems in both
      samples; (iii) to conduct a follow-up neuroimaging study on the NGFNplus sample validating
      the neurobehavioral risk profiles predictive for harmful alcohol use in adolescents in adult
      patients with alcohol addiction (iv) to expand the NGFNplus sample by including a new set of
      healthy subjects with high genetic risk (1st degree relatives of patients with alcohol
      addiction). The investigators will do so by using imaging genetic methods that are already
      available and used in other multicenter studies by the investigator's research group (e.g.
      univariate analyses, functional and effective connectivity analyses, polygenetic scores,
      network topology) as well as by using computational algorithms and mathematical models, in
      particular advanced machine learning methods, developed in other sub projects (SPs) of the
      consortium in particular of SP4 and SP6. The investigator's approach will enable the
      researchers to characterize outcome longitudinal in patients with alcohol addiction (5 years
      following our index session) and to complement the NGFN-sample with an add-on study with 1st
      degree relatives that will allow the investigators to test the generalizability of the
      identified predictive risk profiles for early risk identification.
    

Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Probability Sample
Study population: 
        primary care clinic and community sample
      
Biospecimen description: 
      EDTA and PAX blood samples
    
Keywords: alcoholism; genetics; functional MRI; structural MRI; first-degree relatives