Familial Risk for Bipolar Disorder and Alcohol Sensitivity

Study Summary

Early identification in individuals with bipolar disorder who are at risk for AUDs could inform novel intervention strategies and improve life-long outcomes. The primary objective of this protocol is to use alcohol administration procedures and alcohol biosensor technology to investigate responses to alcohol, compared to placebo, and relationship with parental risk for alcohol use disorders and/or bipolar disorder in young adults. Baseline clinical, cognitive, and behavioral assessments will be completed in 100 young adults (21-26 years; 50% women, no history of AUDs\>mild). Participants would be equally divided among those with parental history of bipolar disorder but not AUDs, parental history of bipolar disorder and AUDs, parental history of AUDs but not bipolar disorder, and typically developing age- and sex-matched controls with no parental history of mood disorders or AUDs (N=25 per group). Then, while wearing Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring \[SCRAM\] sensors, participants will complete within-person, counter-balanced, beverage sessions (following standard beverage administration procedures) in a simulated bar laboratory. Changes in heart rate, body sway and subjective self-report measurements of intoxication will also be completed while under the influence of alcohol or placebo. Specifically, individual differences in transdermal alcohol concentration (the primary data output from SCRAM sensors), physiological changes (e.g. heart rate), and the experience of stimulating, sedative, and anxiolytic effects of alcohol (measured with self-report surveys) will be investigated and differences between parental risk subgroups and healthy comparison participants investigated. Differences in transdermal alcohol concentration collected while under the influence of alcohol will be the primary data outcome assessed. Changes in heart rate, body sway, and experience of stimulating, sedative, and anxiolytic effects (from self-report survey data) while under the in

Primary Outcome

Changes in transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) during the alcohol session (i.e. time to reach peak TAC \[measured in minutes\]) will be compared between subgroups. Study participation to collect data (baseline clinical assessment, alcohol and placebo beverage sessions) should not take more than 13 hours. Participants will wear SCRAM sensors overnight following their alcohol session and return the following morning for SCRAM sensor removal (which takes \<15 minutes).

Interventions

• OTHER Alcohol beverage
• OTHER Placebo beverage