Learning in Young Adults as Predictor for the Development of Alcohol Use Disorders
Condition: High-risk Alcohol Consumption Pattern; Low-risk Alcohol Consumption Pattern
MeSH terms: Alcoholism; Alcohol Drinking
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Overall goal of this study is to scrutinize the relation of learning behavior and related
      brain activity to the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD).

      The researchers aim is to characterise a representative sample (200 men at age 18) with
      regard to learning parameters and their respective neural correlates which are thought to be
      indicators for the risk to develop an alcohol use disorder.

      As part of a large multi-center study on alcohol dependency (in Dresden & Berlin, Germany)
      the researchers will characterize the sample and then prospectively assess alcohol
      consumption and development of AUDs over a period of three years plus additional follow-ups
      after that period, depending on future funding.

      Among other hypotheses it is expected that increased activation of striatal and prefrontal
      brain regions by the Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer process is related to increased risk
      of developing an AUD.
    

Detailed description: 
      Hazardous alcohol use and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are extremely prevalent in
      industrialized countries, affecting about 6 million individuals in Germany alone. The onset
      of most cases occurs during adolescence and early adulthood. Therefore, targeted prevention
      would be desirable especially in young people who are at high risk to develop AUDs. Since our
      knowledge about predisposing factors is limited, this project aims to identify mechanisms
      underlying liability for dysfunctional alcohol consumption (i.e. hazardous alcohol use,
      alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence). Based on the hypothesis that addiction is a disorder
      due to aberrant learning, the researchers expect that inter-individual differences in
      learning behavior should be associated with liability for as well as resiliency against AUD.
      To test the hypotheses, the researchers will characterize 200 men at age 18, and then
      prospectively assess alcohol consumption and development of AUDs over a period of three
      years. At baseline, the researchers will study three clusters of predictive variables: (i)
      individual learning parameters, estimated by computational modeling of behavioral performance
      in learning tasks such as Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer, probabilistic reversal
      learning, and habitization-devaluation; (ii) individual neural correlates of learning,
      assessed by functional brain imaging during learning; and (iii) already established risk
      factors such as family history of alcoholism and impulsivity.

      The specific aim is to test a set of related hypotheses. The researchers assume that high
      risk for AUD at baseline (cross-sectional design), increase of alcohol consumption after 3
      years and incidence or progression of AUD during follow-up (prospective data) will be
      associated with decreased reward sensitivity, decreased punishment sensitivity, increased
      Pavlovian approach behavior ('sign tracking'), increased 'go' effect of conditioned
      appetitive stimuli, increased habitization, increased activation of striatal and prefrontal
      brain regions by the Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer process, decreased correlation
      between striatal brain activity and prediction error during reversal learning.
    

Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Probability Sample
Study population: 
        random, representative sample from the respective city area (100 in Dresden, 100 in Berlin;
        male; born between January 1 1994 and November 30 1994
      
Biospecimen description: 
      Bloodsample are taken for genetic analysis
    
Keywords: Reward-based learning; Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer; Functional imaging; alcohol use disorder risk