Acute alcohol effects on explicit and implicit motivation to drink alcohol in socially drinking adolescents

J Psychopharmacol. 2017 Jul;31(7):893-905. doi: 10.1177/0269881117691454. Epub 2017 Feb 21.

Abstract

Alcohol-related cues can evoke explicit and implicit motivation to drink alcohol. Concerning the links between explicit and implicit motivation, there are mixed findings. Therefore, we investigated both concepts in 51 healthy 18- to 19-year-old males, who are less affected by neuropsychological deficits in decision-making that are attributed to previous alcohol exposure than older participants. In a randomized crossover design, adolescents were infused with either alcohol or placebo. Self-ratings of alcohol desire, thirst, well-being and alcohol effects comprised our explicit measures of motivation. To measure implicit motivation, we used money and drink stimuli in a Pavlovian conditioning (Pc) task and an Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT). Alcohol administration increased explicit motivation to drink alcohol, reduced Pc choices of alcoholic drink-conditioned stimuli, but had no effect on the AAT. This combination of results might be explained by differences between goal-directed and habitual behavior or a temporary reduction in rewarding outcome expectancies. Further, there was no association between our measures of motivation to drink alcohol, indicating that both self-reported motivation to drink and implicit approach tendencies may independently contribute to adolescents' actual alcohol intake. Correlations between Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores and our measures of motivation to drink alcohol suggest that interventions should target high-risk adolescents after alcohol intake. Clinical trials: Project 4: Acute Effects of Alcohol on Learning and Habitization in Healthy Young Adults (LeAD_P4); NCT01858818; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01858818.

Keywords: Approach bias; Computer-Assisted Infusion System (CAIS); Pavlovian conditioning; lexical decision task; money and drink stimuli.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / drug effects*
  • Adult
  • Central Nervous System Depressants / administration & dosage
  • Central Nervous System Depressants / pharmacology*
  • Conditioning, Classical / drug effects*
  • Cross-Over Studies
  • Ethanol / administration & dosage
  • Ethanol / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Motivation / drug effects*
  • Underage Drinking*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Depressants
  • Ethanol

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01858818