# Using Neuroeconomics to Characterize State-Based Increases and Decreases in Alcohol Value

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE · 2020 · $282,618

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Neuroeconomics integrates concepts and methods from psychology, economics, and cognitive
neuroscience to understand the neurobiological foundations of decision making, and has been increasingly
applied to understanding alcohol use disorder (AUD). A novel application of neuroeconomics is the study of
alcohol demand, or the value of alcohol as measured by cost-benefit preferences. Alcohol demand paradigms
have considerable ecological validity by measuring the impact of internal and external influences on alcohol
decision-making, such as price, environmental cues, affective states, or external contingencies. Behaviorally,
alcohol demand is elevated among individuals with higher levels of alcohol misuse and predicts treatment
response. Alcohol demand also exhibits state-like properties, including increases following exposure to
alcohol-related cues and decreases in the presence of significant next-day responsibilities. The overall goal of
the proposed studies is to characterize the neural activity that subserves these established behavioral findings
using a novel functional MRI paradigm. The first aim is to examine the patterns of neural activation underlying
increases in the value of alcohol in response to alcohol cues. To do so, the first study will use a within-subjects
design to identify differences in neural activity associated with demand decisions following a validated in-
scanner cue exposure protocol consisting of exposure to neutral beverage cues and exposure to alcohol
beverage cues in a sample of adult heavy drinkers. The second aim is to investigate the changes in neural
activity associated with decreases in the value of alcohol in response to next day responsibilities. To do so, a
second study will use a within-subjects design, comparing demand-related neural activity following a standard
instructional set and an instructional set that imposes a significant work-related responsibility the next day.
Using a novel neuroeconomics approach, these studies combine a highly ecologically-valid alcohol demand
paradigm with two experimental manipulations that model clinically-relevant influences on drinking decisions.
Studying these contextual influences may help clarify the neural signatures that underlie drinking moderation
vs. unconstrained drinking, and how these processes are impacted by AUD. If successful, these studies will
provide a foundation for examining neural predictors of successful recovery or response to treatment vs.
relapse. More broadly, findings from these studies have high potential to significantly enhance the clinical
relevance of alcohol neuroscience.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10229182
- **Project number:** 7R01AA027255-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael T. Amlung
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $282,618
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2019-08-05 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10229182

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10229182, Using Neuroeconomics to Characterize State-Based Increases and Decreases in Alcohol Value (7R01AA027255-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10229182. Licensed CC0.

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