Brain responses to anticipating and receiving beer: Comparing light, at-risk, and dependent alcohol users.

ABSTRACT: Impaired brain processing of alcohol-related rewards has been suggested to play a central role in alcohol use disorder. Yet, evidence remains inconsistent and mainly originates from studies in which participants passively observe alcohol cues or taste alcohol. Here, we designed a protocol in which beer consumption was predicted by incentive cues and contingent on instrumental action closer to real life situations. We predicted that anticipating and receiving beer (compared with water) would elicit activity in the brain reward network and that this activity would correlate with drinking level across participants. The sample consisted of 150 beer-drinking males, aged 18 to 25 years. Three groups were defined based on alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) scores: light drinkers (n

SUBMITTER: Groefsema MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7187239 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature