# Brain-Behavior Reactivity to Threat and Alcohol Abuse Risk in Young Adults

> **NIH NIH K23** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $187,183

## Abstract

Problematic alcohol use emerges early and poses tremendous burden. There is an urgent need to
understand who is vulnerable, and why, to facilitate accurate detection, prevention, and treatment. To
address this critical issue, a more precise mechanistic understanding of behavioral-brain risk is needed.
Data from my graduate research suggests that one source of risk for problematic alcohol use may be
heightened reactivity to uncertain threat (U-threat), meaning threat that is ambiguous, temporally
unpredictable or uncertain in its intensity. To date, however, no study has directly tested whether reactivity
to U-threat functions as a risk factor. The neural processes that mediate this potential source of risk are also
unknown; although, there is evidence to suggest that a coordinated frontolimbic circuit, referred to as the
Anticipatory Anxiety Network (AAN), modulates U-threat responding. Given that establishing a validated
biobehavioral risk model, and elucidating mechanisms underlying excessive alcohol use, has the potential
to significantly improve clinical efforts, the proposed study combines behavioral and neural measures, with
a prospective design, to test whether reactivity to U-threat is a phenotypic risk factor for problematic alcohol
use. This study will enroll 150 healthy, emerging adults, ages 17-19, prior to the onset of alcohol use
problems and assess their behavioral (i.e., startle eyeblink) and neural (i.e., functional magnetic resonance
imaging [fMRI]) reactivity to U-threat as indices of potential risk. All individuals will subsequently be tracked
every 3 mos. for 1-2 years to ascertain onset of problematic alcohol use and escalation in drinking
behaviors. Data from this project will allow for an innovative and well-controlled test of whether behavioral
reactivity to U-threat is associated with AAN dysfunction (Aim 1), and whether it is a risk factor for
problematic alcohol use that is mediated by AAN functioning (Aim 2). In addition, the current study will test
the discriminative validity of reactivity to U-threat as a risk factor by also examining whether behavioral and
neural reactivity to uncertain rewards (U-reward), which similarly elicit anticipation, is also a risk phenotype
for problematic alcohol use (Aim 3). This study concurrently provides an excellent opportunity to receive
mentor-directed, hands-on training in several key areas necessary to refine my knowledge and skill-sets.
Specifically, I propose a training plan that will focus on three new domains: 1) advanced cognitive
behavioral neuroscience and task development; 2) behavioral and subjective laboratory assessments in the
context of a longitudinal study design with young adults; and 3) biostatistics. This study coupled with
completion of the training goals will effectively propel me towards my long-term goal of an independent
career in the translational neuroscience of alcoholism, and will lay the foundation for several future, high-
impact R01 studies focused o...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10094300
- **Project number:** 7K23AA025111-04
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Stephanie Gorka
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $187,183
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2017-04-01 → 2021-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10094300

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10094300, Brain-Behavior Reactivity to Threat and Alcohol Abuse Risk in Young Adults (7K23AA025111-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-10 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10094300. Licensed CC0.

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