Neurobiological Responses in Alcoholism and Early Trauma

Overview

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) accompanied by early trauma presents clinical challenges, including elevated rates of comorbid emotional symptoms and relapse. To better understand this co-occurring condition, this study investigates the neurobiological responses associated with AUD and early trauma. Using a multimodal neuroimaging approach, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the study concurrently measures brain activity and stress hormone responses in individuals with AUD and control participants, both with and without early trauma. The primary goal is to examine neurobiological responses and relapse patterns following treatment in individuals with AUD, with and without a history of early trauma. Conventional alcohol treatments often fail to specifically address the emotional complications in AUD individuals with early trauma. Therefore, this study also explores whether incorporating stress regulation into alcohol relapse prevention can improve outcomes for this population. Following baseline assessments that included multimodal neuroimaging, all participants with AUD received an 8-week outpatient treatment program integrating cognitive-behavioral methods focused on emotion regulation with stress reduction techniques, particularly self-regulated breathing strategies.

The study recruited four demographically matched groups (age, sex ratio): individuals with AUD with and without a history of early trauma, and moderate drinkers with and without early trauma. Study procedures involved functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), an eight-week outpatient treatment program, and a 90-day follow-up period. During fMRI sessions, participants engaged in a validated emotion provocation task, viewing stress, alcohol-cue, and neutral images while concurrent brain and stress hormone data are collected. Individuals with AUD completed baseline assessments, including multimodal neuroimaging, and then participated in an 8-week treatment program consisting of two sessions per week. This program integrated cognitive-behavioral techniques focused on emotion regulation with breathing-based stress management. Control participants completed baseline assessments including multimodal neuroimaging but did not receive any treatment. Following the treatment, participants with AUD were prospectively followed for 90 days, with remote follow-up interviews conducted at 14, 30, 90 days via video communication.