According to a University press release, new research conducted by UNM and the Mind Research Network, supported by a five-year $3.6 million National Institute of Health grant, will study the effects of alcohol on the brain over time.
The study is led by Psychology Department associate professor Katie Witkiewitz and MRN assistant professor of translational neuroscience Eric Claus.
According to the release, there have been several studies over the years that have delved into similar research. However, what those studies lacked is research that examines the effects of continued heavy alcohol use on the brain in adulthood.
According to the press release, New Mexico has the highest alcohol-related death rate in the nation at 59.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2014, twice the national rate of 27.9 deaths per 100,000 in 2013. Alcohol-related death have only increased in the state, despite decreasing nationally.
The UNM Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions, along with the Mind Research Network, are seeking healthy individuals 22 to 55 years of age and who are moderate to heavy drinkers for the study, according to the release.
According to the release, using state-of-the-art data analytic techniques, the research aims to examine individuals who report heavy drinking in a longitudinal design in order to study the psychosocial, behavioral, and neural mechanisms that underlie changes in or maintenance of heavy drinking.
In addition to measuring brain activity, assessments of psychosocial and behavioral functioning will also be conducted at various points during the study including at the baseline, and also at three, nine, and 18-month follow-ups, according to the press release. During each session, participants will complete computer tasks measuring thinking and emotional reactions to alcohol-related pictures and stressful cues.
According to the release, the study involves four visits of at least eight hours each at the Mind Research Network over 18 months, which can be split over multiple days. Subjects will be compensated at a rate of $20/hour for their participation.
The overarching goals of the research grant, the first of its kind, include: identifying the brain networks that change with different levels of alcohol use; determining how thinking and emotions are altered with varying levels of alcohol use; understanding how brain functions predict future levels of alcohol use, according to the release.
If you would like to be considered for the study, please call 505-633-4028 or email abqdrinq@mrn.org.
Matthew Reisen is the news editor at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @MrMojoReisen.
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