# An Examination of the Effects of PTSD Symptom Severity and Global Sleep Disturbance on Alcohol Cue Reactivity

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · 2020 · $35,030

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are complex psychiatric conditions that
commonly co-occur. The AUD/PTSD comorbidity is marked by a more costly, severe, and chronic clinical
course, when compared to either disorder alone. Current treatment approaches for AUD/PTSD are
characterized by small effect sizes and significant attrition. A key avenue for informing our understanding
of AUD/PTSD includes focusing our scientific attention to transdiagnostic, malleable mechanisms that
significantly impact the AUD/PTSD comorbidity. Global sleep disturbance represents one potential
contributor. Specifically, global sleep disturbance, particularly among those with PTSD symptoms, may
contribute to the maintenance of the AUD by increasing reactivity to negative emotionality, which may thus
increase alcohol craving. Against this background, the objectives of the current application are to: (a)
determine the extent to which PTSD symptom severity is associated with alcohol craving as measured by
emotional reactivity to alcohol and trauma cues and (b) examine global sleep disturbance as a moderator of
the relationship between PTSD symptom severity and alcohol craving as measured by emotional reactivity to
alcohol and trauma cues. The central hypothesis of this project is that global sleep disturbance moderates, or
exacerbates, the relationship between PTSD symptom severity and alcohol craving as measured by emotional
reactivity to alcohol and trauma cues. The approach is to recruit 60 individuals for a cue-reactivity experimental
paradigm that will test the effects of PTSD symptom severity and global sleep disturbance on alcohol craving
as measured by emotional reactivity to alcohol and trauma cues. Study candidates will meet criteria for current
(past month) DSM-5 AUD, reporting a history of trauma exposure per DSM-5 PTSD Criterion A, and current
(past month) subclinical (one symptom per cluster) or diagnostic DSM-5 PTSD (N = 60). At the completion of
this project, it is the expectation that the effects of PTSD symptom severity and global sleep disturbance on
alcohol cue reactivity will be further elucidated. The impact of this study is improved understanding of
mechanisms related to AUD/PTSD, a complex comorbidity with significant health burden. The proposed
project coordinates with the mission statement of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
(NIAAA) with its emphasis on the health risks of alcohol consumption, prevention, and treatment, and with its
emphasis on increasing the understanding of normal and abnormal behavior relating to alcohol use. Ultimately,
in accord with the strategic planning goals of NIAAA, the research findings will be translated and disseminated
to health care providers, researchers, policymakers, and the public. In sum, this award will support substantial
training in research methods, statistical analysis, and dissemination to a promising young researcher and will
...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9992824
- **Project number:** 1F31AA027953-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Lia Jean Smith
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $35,030
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9992824

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9992824, An Examination of the Effects of PTSD Symptom Severity and Global Sleep Disturbance on Alcohol Cue Reactivity (1F31AA027953-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9992824. Licensed CC0.

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