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Kirsch DE, Kosted R, Le V, Almeida JRC, Fromme K, Strakowski SM, Lippard ETC. Ventral prefrontal network response to alcohol in young adults with bipolar disorder: a within-subject randomized placebo-controlled alcohol administration study. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1910-1919. [PMID: 37474761 PMCID: PMC10584851 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder co-occurs with alcohol use disorder at a rate 3-5 times higher than the general population. We recently reported that individuals with bipolar disorder differ in the positive stimulating and anxiolytic effects of alcohol compared with healthy peers. This study used a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over, within-subject alcohol administration design to investigate neurobiological mechanisms within ventral prefrontal cortical (vPFC) systems that may underlie altered sensitivity to alcohol in bipolar disorder (NCT04063384). Forty-seven young adults (n = 23 with bipolar disorder, 64% women) completed clinical assessment and two beverage administration sessions (alcohol and placebo, counter-balanced). Participants were dosed to 0.08 g% breath alcohol concentration during the alcohol condition and completed measures of subjective response to alcohol and an emotional processing fMRI task during the ascending limb. Timing during the placebo condition mirrored the alcohol session. Acute alcohol was associated with reduced functional connectivity between the insula - subcallosal cingulate cortex, and increased connectivity between the left nucleus accumbens - ventromedial PFC in bipolar disorder, but with no change in functional connectivity between these regions in healthy peers. Alcohol-related increases in nucleus accumbens - ventromedial PFC functional connectivity was associated with greater positive stimulating effects of alcohol in bipolar disorder and heavier recent alcohol use. Results suggest vPFC brain systems respond differently to acute alcohol during emotional processing in young adults with bipolar disorder compared with healthy peers, and that vPFC system responses relate to the subjective experience of intoxication and recent alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan E Kirsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Raquel Kosted
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Vanessa Le
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jorge R C Almeida
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kim Fromme
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Stephen M Strakowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth T C Lippard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
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Lippard ETC, Kirsch DE, Kosted R, Le V, Almeida JRC, Fromme K, Strakowski SM. Subjective response to alcohol in young adults with bipolar disorder and recent alcohol use: a within-subject randomized placebo-controlled alcohol administration study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:739-753. [PMID: 36695842 PMCID: PMC10084816 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06315-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Limited data exists on mechanisms contributing to elevated risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD) in bipolar disorder. Variation in subjective response to alcohol may relate to alcohol use and risk for AUD. This study used a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over, within-subjects design to investigate differences in subjective response to alcohol in 50 euthymic young adults (n = 24 with and n = 26 without bipolar disorder type I). Eighty-three percent of participants with bipolar disorder were medicated. Participants completed assessments of clinical history, alcohol expectancies, and recent alcohol use. Participants were dosed to a .08 g% breath alcohol concentration. The placebo condition occurred on a separate counter-balanced day. Subjective response to alcohol was investigated at similar time points during both conditions. Group, condition, and group-by-condition interactions were modeled, with condition and time of subjective response assessment as repeated within-subject variables, and subjective response to alcohol as the dependent variable. Greater stimulating effects and liking of alcohol were reported in people with bipolar disorder (group-by-condition interactions, p < .05) than healthy young adults. While young adults with bipolar disorder reported anticipating feeling less "mellow/relaxed" when drinking (p = .02), during both beverage conditions they reported feeling more "mellow/relaxed" (main effect of group, p = .006). Feeling more "mellow/relaxed" during the alcohol condition related to greater recent alcohol use in bipolar disorder (p = .001). Exploratory analyses suggested anticonvulsants and sedatives/antihistamines may relate to differences in subjective response to alcohol in bipolar disorder. Results suggest young adults with bipolar disorder may differ in alcohol expectancies and experience alcohol intoxication differently-with distinct relations between subjective response to alcohol and alcohol use-compared to healthy young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T C Lippard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 1601 Trinity Street, Stop Z0600, HDB, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
- Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Dylan E Kirsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 1601 Trinity Street, Stop Z0600, HDB, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Raquel Kosted
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 1601 Trinity Street, Stop Z0600, HDB, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Vanessa Le
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 1601 Trinity Street, Stop Z0600, HDB, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Jorge R C Almeida
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 1601 Trinity Street, Stop Z0600, HDB, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Kim Fromme
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Stephen M Strakowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 1601 Trinity Street, Stop Z0600, HDB, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
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