Impaired Control Over Alcohol Consumption: Laboratory and Field Investigations
Abstract
Excessive drinking remains a significant public health problem in the US. A better understanding of the psychological processes underlying excessive drinking is needed so that more effective interventions can be developed. Recent research has focused on impaired control which can be defined as a failure to avoid drinking or to limit consumption once it has begun. To better understand the processes underlying impaired control, we developed an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) model to compare to a novel human laboratory model (Computer-Assisted Self-infusion of Alcohol or CASE)that assesses actual consumption behavior indicative of impaired control (Resist CASE:R-CASE). It is imperative that the model, (R-CASE), as well as the parent model(CASE), be tested against field data to ensure effective translation. Heavy drinkers (N=16) were scheduled to complete a free-access CASE session as well as up two R-CASE sessions (one with a priming alcohol exposure and one without).Participants completed between two and six weeks of EMA (954 assessments) to assess motivation and drinking. The overall goal was to examine the validity of the lab models(CASE and R-CASE) in assessing impaired control over alcohol consumption. The specific aims were: 1) To examine the association between alcohol self-administration in the lab during the free-access (CASE) session (Lab Consumption) and drinking behavior in the real-world, assessed using EMA; and 2) To examine predictors of drinking in the lab and field including impulsivity trait measures. In exploratory analyses, the association between ability to resist alcohol self-administration in the lab (Resist CASE) and the ability to abstain from drinking in the real-world, assessed using EMA, was examined, as were within-subject predictors of drinking in the field.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 11, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1128099
Entities
People
- Joanna R. Sells
Organizations
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences