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A Multi-Method Study of Extreme Alcohol Drinkers in the Lab and in Real-Life: Increasing Precision of Assessments of Extreme Drinking Determinants

Award Number: R01AA027824
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/25/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2026

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A Multi-Method Study of Extreme Alcohol Drinkers in the Lab and in Real-Life: Increasing Precision of Assessments of Extreme Drinking Determinants - High levels of alcohol consumption clearly place individuals at great risk and present a significant health and economic burden to society. Emerging evidence indicates that many young adults engage in what can be called extreme drinking (i.e., drinking at levels likely to lead to BACs > .16). Despite recent attention to extreme drinking5,6, we know surprisingly little about this behavior beyond associations revealed by cross‐sectional studies that rely exclusively on retrospective self‐report. The proposed study is designed to provide some of the first comprehensive data about influences on the extreme drinking phenotype, and to compare these with those identified for the typical binge drinking phenotype. Whether there are unique causes and correlates of extreme drinking (compared to binge drinking) is an empirical question that has not been tested. There are challenges to investigating extreme drinking, including 1) overcoming the limitations of retrospective self‐report, 2) adequately measuring personological and environmental influences, and 3) capturing the temporal associations of these diverse influences and their impact on extreme drinking occasions. The proposed project is designed to meet these challenges using a combination of laboratory, genetic, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods. Our multi‐method approach will combine laboratory alcohol administration, EMA, and real‐time BAC assessment to capture the interplay between a broad range of potential influences on extreme drinking, extend our investigation outside the lab and into the natural drinking environment, and explore the temporal associations of influences on extreme drinking. We focus on four core constructs central to current theoretical models of addiction that are hypothesized to influence substance use through in‐the‐moment processes: reward sensitivity (RS), incentive salience (IS), impulsivity/loss of control (Imp), and negative affectivity (NA). We will recruit a sample of 400 young adults (ages 21‐29), ascertained from a statewide DMV database, who have a recent legal action with a recorded BAC consistent with extreme drinking (≥ .12). Using a longitudinal burst design, we will follow participants over a 12‐month period, with five self‐report assessments and four, two‐week EMA bursts. A baseline laboratory session will assess behavioral, trait, and electrophysiological markers of core study constructs. We aim to (1) Evaluate the validity and utility of real‐time assessments for identifying extreme drinking and alcohol‐related behavior. This aim could inform estimation methods for characterizing extreme drinking and guide refinement of definitions of problematic drinking profiles. (2) Characterize the structural influence of stable individual differences, transient intra‐individual factors, and environmental variables on risky, binge, and extreme drinking occasions and alcohol‐related negative consequences. This aim will reveal the incremental validity of state (EMA) and trait (lab; baseline questionnaires; polygenic risk scores [PRSs] when applicable) indices of core study constructs in predicting extreme drinking occasions within and between individuals; as well as test their interaction with specific contextual factors to predict extreme drinking behavior. (3) Identify multidimensional profiles associated with stable or highly variable binge and extreme drinking behavior. Our longitudinal burst design allows us to test hypotheses about the stability of drinking behavior over time.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2024	UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM	121 UNIVERSITY HALL	COLUMBIA	MO	65211	BOONE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	5	8/19/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $482,037 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM	121 UNIVERSITY HALL	COLUMBIA	MO	65211	BOONE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	5	7/12/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$482,037
														Subtotal = $482,037

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $440,547 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM	121 UNIVERSITY HALL	COLUMBIA	MO	65211	BOONE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	4	8/11/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$440,547
														Subtotal = $440,547

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $474,514 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM	316 UNIVERSITY HALL	COLUMBIA	MO	65211	BOONE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	3	8/5/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$474,514
														Subtotal = $474,514

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $492,709 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM	316 UNIVERSITY HALL	COLUMBIA	MO	65211	BOONE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	2	8/5/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$492,709
														Subtotal = $492,709

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $616,447 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM	316 UNIVERSITY HALL	COLUMBIA	MO	65211	BOONE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	1	9/23/2020	NEW	$616,447
														Subtotal = $616,447

Grand Total All Awards = $2,506,254

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A Multi-Method Study of Extreme Alcohol Drinkers in the Lab and in Real-Life: Increasing Precision of Assessments of Extreme Drinking Determinants

Award Number: R01AA027824

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/25/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2026

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