The goal of this clinical trial is to examine how alcohol affects young adults' attention in both laboratory and real-world settings through phone-based cognitive tasks. The main questions this trial is designed to answer are: * How well do the phone-based cognitive tasks capture alcohol's effects on attention? * Does the effect of alcohol on attention contribute to risk-taking? Participants will complete cognitive tasks to assess attention before and after consuming a standard amount of alcohol in the laboratory, and during surveys completed through a phone app for eight weekends.
The goal of this study is to develop cognitive tasks that assess alcohol-related attentional narrowing (i.e., alcohol myopia) for smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA). In Phase I, tasks were adapted from computer to smartphone format and refined through interviews with young adults who provided feedback on mock-ups. In Phase II (the current trial), feasibility, acceptability, reliability, and validity of the adapted tasks will be tested in lab and EMA. Young adults who pass an online pre-screening and phone screening will complete an initial lab session involving self-report questionnaires, alcohol consumption (target breath alcohol concentration \[BrAC\] = .08%), and general cognitive and myopia-specific tasks. All participants in Phase II will be assigned to receive a dose of alcohol in the lab session; task performance will be compared within individuals from before to after they are intoxicated. Participants will remain in the lab until their BrAC reduces to a level of .03% and they can pass a field sobriety test. These same participants will then complete EMA while wearing transdermal alcohol biosensors for 8 consecutive weekends, including one morning survey and at least two evening surveys per day. Then, participants will return to the lab for a follow-up session involving self-report questions and an interview eliciting additional feedback. Findings will help to clarify the role of alcohol myopia as a mechanism linking intoxication to real-world risk behaviors.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
A standard dose of alcohol will be administered (volume calculated with regard to age, sex assigned at birth, height, and weight) in the form of vodka and combined with mixer at a 1:4 ratio to reach a target breath alcohol concentration of .08%.
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington, United States
Central Counting Task (phone)
On a phone, participants will count the number of times a crosshair flashes in the center of the screen. Each trial will include between 1 and 4 flashes. There will be 6 trials per block. After a training block, there will be two blocks administered while sober. After alcohol consumption, three blocks will be administered on the ascending limb of the BrAC curve. Number of accurate responses will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and after alcohol consumption in the laboratory (an average of approximately 1 hour after baseline)
Peripheral Probe Identification Task (phone)
While counting the number of times a crosshair flashes in the center of a phone screen (central counting task), participants will also be asked to monitor a cued corner (if possible), and shown an array of four colored stimuli. In each trial, they will be asked to identify whether the color of a probe matches the cued stimulus, with a 50% likelihood of matching. After a training block, there will be two blocks administered while sober. After alcohol consumption, three blocks will be administered on the ascending limb of the BrAC curve. Number of accurate responses will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and after alcohol consumption in the laboratory (an average of approximately 1 hour after baseline)
Visual Categorization Task (phone)
On a phone, participants will be presented with one of two visual stimuli (shapes) in a random sequence with equal probability, and asked to categorize each stimuli as quickly as possible (e.g., "Is this a square or circle?") with placement of response buttons (right or left side of screen) randomized. Each trial consists of a shape categorization. There are 12 trials per block. After a training block, there will be two blocks administered while sober. After alcohol consumption, three blocks will be administered on the ascending limb of the BrAC curve. Differences in response time will be evaluated for one-back stimuli (change vs. no change) and two-back stimuli (change vs. no change).
Time frame: Baseline and after alcohol consumption in the laboratory (an average of approximately 1 hour after baseline)
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NONE
Enrollment
92
Central Counting Task (desktop)
On a phone, participants will count the number of times a crosshair flashes in the center of the screen. Each trial will include between 1 and 4 flashes. A training block of 12 trials will be administered while sober. After alcohol consumption, two blocks of 120 trials each will be administered on the ascending limb of the BrAC curve. Number of accurate responses will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and after alcohol consumption in the laboratory (an average of approximately 1 hour after baseline)
Peripheral Probe Identification Task (desktop)
While counting the number of times a crosshair flashes in the center of a desktop screen (central counting task), participants will also be asked to monitor a cued corner (if possible), and shown an array of four colored stimuli. In each trial, they will be asked to identify whether the color of a probe matches the cued stimulus, with a 50% likelihood of matching. A training block of 12 trials will be administered while sober. After alcohol consumption, two blocks of 120 trials each will be administered on the ascending limb of the BrAC curve. Number of accurate responses will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and after alcohol consumption in the laboratory (an average of approximately 1 hour after baseline)
Auditory Categorization Task (desktop)
On a desktop, participants will be presented with one of two auditory stimuli (high and low tones) in a random sequence with equal probability, and asked to categorize each stimuli as quickly as possible with placement of response options (shown on right or left side of screen) randomized. Each trial consists of a shape categorization. A training block of 12 trials will be administered while sober. After alcohol consumption, five blocks of 100 trials each will be administered on the ascending limb of the BrAC curve. Differences in response time will be evaluated for one-back stimuli (change vs. no change) and two-back stimuli (change vs. no change).
Time frame: Baseline and after alcohol consumption in the laboratory (an average of approximately 1 hour after baseline)