Examining the Neural Correlates of Alcohol Reward in Social Context: A Hyperscanning EEG Study - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The desire to enhance social cohesion is the most widely endorsed reason for consuming alcohol, with social settings being linked to enhanced alcohol reinforcement and socially motivated drinking. With over 85% of everyday drinking episodes taking place in social settings, social drinking contexts are frequently associated with negative consequences including binge drinking and an increased risk for developing Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). However, the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the rewarding effects of alcohol in social contexts are largely unknown. Of note, in contrast to real-world settings, paradigms employed in extant neuroimaging research predominantly feature solitary drinking followed by isolated recording settings. This stark discrepancy between laboratory and real-world drinking contexts may hinder scientists from directly examining the foundational research question of what makes alcohol rewarding. The long-term objective of the proposed study is to address this research gap, using novel alcohol administration methods combined with electrophysiological measures through a hyperscanning EEG setup (i.e., simultaneous recording of EEG signals across multiple participants) in the context of in-vivo social settings. Specifically, in line with NIAAA Strategic Plan (Goal 1.1), the proposed project aims to evaluate the neural correlates of social and affective reward gained from alcohol in social contexts as well as to assess whether this reward differs across individual-level (e.g., social anxiety, social bonding) and group-level (social familiarity) factors. The proposed research represents a unique contribution to my sponsor’s ongoing Ro1 study which, once completed, will represent among the larger multi-dose alcohol administration studies conducted to date. In the parent project, participants (N=240) attend three laboratory sessions involving alcohol administration in groups of two. The proposed project examines a subset of these participants, exploring the effects of alcohol dose (0.00%, 0.03%, and 0.09% target BAC) and social familiarity (“fast friends” vs. strangers) as factors manipulated both within and between participants, respectively. Following beverage administration, dyads will participate in a music-listening task together while their EEG signals are acquired simultaneously. Participants will additionally complete self-report measures of social reward using multiple indicators, including reports of affective experience, positive mood, and social bonding. The results of this study promise a range of theoretical and clinical implications, advancing theoretical models of AUD vulnerability within a bio-psycho-social framework and informing prevention and intervention programs by identifying real-world “high-risk” settings associated with enhanced alcohol reinforcement. In addition, and of note, this award will provide critical training to an emerging predoctoral researcher in advanced programming and research skills while at the same time offering experience in modern EEG/ERP methods to develop the applicant’s expertise in the area of etiological factors undergirding the development of AUD.
