Flexibility, Alcohol Misuse, and Excitation

Description

The goal of this study is to learn whether a single non-invasive brain stimulation alpha-transcranial alternating current stimulation (alpha-tACS) session changes measures of excitability in the prefrontal cortex. It will also learn whether these changes predict differences in habitual action selection in a laboratory task and whether the effects depend on alcohol use history. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does alpha-tACS reduce habitual action selection by reducing excitability in the prefrontal cortex? Is alpha-tACS most effective in reducing habitual action selection in hazardous drinkers who engaged in binge-drinking during adolescence? Researchers will compare alpha-tACS to sham stimulation to see if alpha-tACS changes habitual action selection by changing prefrontal excitability. Participants will: Visit the lab for behavioral training Visit the imaging center for an MRI session Visit the lab to receive alpha-tACS or sham stimulation during behavioral testing and undergo EEG recordings before and after stimulation Visit the imaging center for a repeat MRI session Provide a small sample of blood from a finger-prick in the first and last visits.

Conditions

Behavioral Flexibility, Healthy Volunteers, High Risk Alcohol Use

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Study Overview

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Study Details

Study overview

The goal of this study is to learn whether a single non-invasive brain stimulation alpha-transcranial alternating current stimulation (alpha-tACS) session changes measures of excitability in the prefrontal cortex. It will also learn whether these changes predict differences in habitual action selection in a laboratory task and whether the effects depend on alcohol use history. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does alpha-tACS reduce habitual action selection by reducing excitability in the prefrontal cortex? Is alpha-tACS most effective in reducing habitual action selection in hazardous drinkers who engaged in binge-drinking during adolescence? Researchers will compare alpha-tACS to sham stimulation to see if alpha-tACS changes habitual action selection by changing prefrontal excitability. Participants will: Visit the lab for behavioral training Visit the imaging center for an MRI session Visit the lab to receive alpha-tACS or sham stimulation during behavioral testing and undergo EEG recordings before and after stimulation Visit the imaging center for a repeat MRI session Provide a small sample of blood from a finger-prick in the first and last visits.

Frontal E/I Balance Mediation of TACS Effects on Behavioral Flexibility

Flexibility, Alcohol Misuse, and Excitation

Condition
Behavioral Flexibility
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * • 22-50 years old
  • * Have a high school diploma or equivalent
  • * Medically healthy
  • * Fluent in English
  • * High risk alcohol use in the past month \[World Health Organization (WHO ) risk level 2-4\]
  • * No history of adolescent binge drinking
  • * High risk alcohol use in the past month (WHO risk level 2-4)
  • * High levels of adolescent alcohol use (4 or more binge drinking episodes before age 18)
  • * Low risk alcohol use throughout the lifetime (WHO risk level 0-1)
  • * No history of adolescent binge drinking
  • * No lifetime history of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
  • * Any individual who meets one or more of the following criteria will be excluded from participation \[excluding positive breath alcohol concentration (BAC), urine drug screen, psychiatric diagnoses, and color blindness, all will be self-reported\]:
  • * Lifetime history of a substance use disorder (SUD; including nicotine) but participants will not be excluded for an AUD.
  • * Neurological disease such as dementia, seizures or head trauma
  • * History of psychosis or psychotic episodes
  • * Diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • * Any systemic or inflammatory disease that could affect cognitive functioning (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular disease)
  • * Any motor or visual disturbances that could hinder task performance (e.g., color blindness)
  • * Use of psychoactive recreational drugs in the past month (excluding caffeine and alcohol)
  • * Use of psychotropic medications in the past month including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, stimulants, or hypnotics (excluding antidepressant use when dosage has been stable for 1 month or longer)
  • * Use of therapeutic brain stimulation \[e.g. transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)\] in the past month
  • * Any history of brain surgery
  • * History of migraine headaches
  • * Pregnancy
  • * Any brain implants or devices
  • * First degree relative with primary epilepsy
  • * Claustrophobia
  • * Any magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contraindication based on the University of North Carolina Biomedical Research Imaging Center's MRI safety checklist
  • * Breath alcohol above 0.0% at time of session
  • * Positive urine drug screen at time of session

Ages Eligible for Study

22 Years to 50 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,

Charlotte A Boettiger, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Study Record Dates

2027-11-30