An Early Phase 1 interventional study of Alcohol and Placebo in Alcohol Drinking, Alcohol Use Disorder and Alcohol Intoxication, sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 21 Years to 29 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-02-12.
Sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University · Early Phase 1, Interventional, and Basic science
This study aims to identify risk factors that prospectively predict alcohol problems in young adults.
The vast majority of alcohol use takes place in social settings, yet nearly all human experimental work has administered alcohol to individuals in isolation. This study will examine the effects of alcohol in social groups and test whether these responses predict the escalation of alcohol use and development of alcohol use disorder symptoms. Participants will also complete smartphone surveys querying subjective responses to alcohol in their daily lives.
N=400 male and female young adults will participate in a laboratory session with two other participants and will consume either a moderate dose of alcohol or placebo beverage. Subjective and objective responses to alcohol will be assessed. Participants will also complete surveys on their smartphones; these will occur during drinking episodes and at random times throughout the day. Follow-up sessions will occur at 6-months and 12-months, to collect information about drinking habits and potential alcohol-related problems.
Exclusion Criteria:
[Exclusion criteria are masked from public viewing until data collection is complete. Please contact project managers.]
Moderate dose of alcohol (target BAC .08%)
Drug: Alcohol
Other: Placebo
target BAC .08%
placebo beverage
Change from Baseline Alcohol Use at 12-months
Timeline Follow Back Method
Time frame: 12-month follow-up
Change from Baseline Alcohol Use Disorder Symptoms at 12-months
Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5
Time frame: 12-month follow-up
Subjective Responses to Alcohol
Participants will indicate how they feel after drinking alcohol using the Brief-Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale, which is a 6-item scale assessing alcohol's acute stimulant and sedative effects (0-10 scale, with higher scores indicating higher values).
Time frame: 1 day (laboratory session) and 21-day ambulatory assessment period
Social Bonding
Facial expressions of emotions using Paul Ekman's Facial Action Coding System (FACS). The duration of AUs associated with positive and negative affect will be coded.
Time frame: 1 day (laboratory session)
Social Bonding
Perceived Group Reinforcement Scale, which is a 12-item scale assessing self-reported bonding (1-9 scale, with higher scores indicating more bonding).
Time frame: 1 day (laboratory session)
Mood
8-item Mood Measure, which is an 8-item scale assessing mood items from each of the four quadrants of the affective circumplex (with higher scores indicating more felt emotion).
Time frame: 1 day (laboratory session)
Alcohol Use
Quantity of standard drinks consumed.
Time frame: 21-day ambulatory assessment period
Plan to share: No
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This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Feb 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Carnegie Mellon University