Psychosocial stress increases craving for alcohol in social drinkers: Effects of risk-taking

Clay, James M.; Adams, Cameron Loch; Archer, Peter; English, Mark; Hyde, Abbey; Stafford, Lorenzo D.; Parker, Matthew O.

doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.12.021

Cited by 33 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Our data provides evidence that explicit craving was increased following a psychosocial stressor in a sample of healthy social drinkers, replicating our prior work (Clay et al 2018 ). Interestingly, alcohol craving was not found to be a significant predictor of alcohol consumption, although explicit craving (DAQ) change was greater in the stress group.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Risky-decision making is also observed in those who misuse other substances (Barry and Petry 2008 ), including cocaine (Bolla et al 2003 ; Verdejo-Garcia et al 2007 ) and cannabis (Hermann et al 2009 ; Verdejo-Garcia et al 2007 ). Furthermore, our previous research has shown that risk-taking was positively correlated with alcohol craving (Clay et al 2018 ) and others have demonstrated links to reported alcohol use in social drinkers (Fernie et al 2010 ). We did not find that any other measures of inhibitory control (stop-signal task, BIS) were predictive of voluntary alcohol consumption.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Furthermore, previous research from our laboratory suggested that risk-taking (an individual tendency closely related to impulsivity) was positively correlated with stress-induced craving; i.e. people with greater risk-taking tended to have a larger alcohol craving post-stress (Clay et al 2018 ). Interestingly, stress has been shown to modulate the shift between goal-directed and habitual responding, potentially as a result of stress activating the amygdala, which then influences the shift to habitual behaviour (Koob 2008 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

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The role of stress-reactivity, stress-recovery and risky decision-making in psychosocial stress-induced alcohol consumption in social drinkers

Clay

Parker

2018

Psychopharmacology

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RationaleChronic alcohol misuse can escalate into alcohol use disorder (AUD). The causal mechanisms through which recreational social drinking develops into compulsive uncontrolled alcohol misuse are multifaceted. For example, stress is an important risk factor that influences alcohol craving in both healthy and addicted individuals. In addition, those that are high in impulsivity/risk taking drink more and are at greater risk of developing addiction. At present, however, it is not possible accurately to predict those at risk of escalation in alcohol use, or of developing AUD.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate how underlying physiological and personality traits affect stress-induced craving for, and consumption of, alcohol, in a sample of social drinkers. The primary hypothesis was that impulsivity/risk-taking would modulate stress-induced alcohol craving and consumption.MethodsThirty-nine participants (22 male and 17 female; mean age = 23.92 years [SD = 4.90]) were randomly allocated to ‘stress’ and ‘no-stress’ groups; in the stress group, participants took part in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Participants completed several questionnaires and computer tasks in order to assess prior alcohol use, impulsivity/risk-taking, stress-reactivity, craving and physiological biomarkers of stress. Finally, participants completed a voluntary drinking task, in which increasing numbers of presses on a computer keyboard were reinforced with 5-ml shots of 37% ABV vodka (plus mixer).ResultsParticipants exposed to the TSST showed an increase in craving following the stressor. Several factors predicted voluntary drinking, including risky decision making, slow HR recovery from stress, poor vagal tone during recovery from stress and greater stress reactivity. Surprisingly, we found no correlation between craving and consumption.ConclusionsOur data suggest that variation in physiological stress parameters and poor decision-making abilities increase risk of stress-induced alcohol consumption. This may provide a useful translational framework through which we can further study early predictive markers for the shift between controlled recreational drinking to uncontrolled alcohol misuse, including AUD.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s00213-018-5027-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

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The role of stress-reactivity, stress-recovery and risky decision-making in psychosocial stress-induced alcohol consumption in social drinkers

Clay

Parker

2018

Psychopharmacology

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“…In addition, AUD is frequently comorbid with anxiety disorders ( Cullen et al, 2013 ; Gilpin and Weiner, 2017 ), providing additional evidence of a connection between AUD and stress-related disorders. In humans and other species, stress increases vulnerability to addiction, and it is an intrinsic driver of alcohol use and relapse ( McGonigle et al, 2016 ; Clay et al, 2018 ; Milivojevic and Sinha, 2018 ). In addition, the anxiolytic properties of alcohol make it viable as a potential stress-coping strategy ( Watt et al, 2014 ; Bos et al, 2016 ; McGonigle et al, 2016 ; Gorka and Shankman, 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex and β-Endorphin Influence the Effects of Ethanol on Limbic Gabra2 Expression in a Mouse Binge Drinking Model

et al. 2018

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Binge drinking is a widespread problem linked to increased risk for alcohol-related complications, including development of alcohol use disorders. In the last decade, binge drinking has increased significantly, specifically in women. Clinically, sexually dimorphic effects of alcohol are well-characterized, however, the underlying mechanisms for these dimorphisms in the physiological and behavioral effects of alcohol are poorly understood. Among its many effects, alcohol consumption reduces anxiety via the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, most likely acting upon receptors containing the α-2 subunit (Gabra2). Previous research from our laboratory indicates that female mice lacking the endogenous opioid peptide β-endorphin (βE) have an overactive stress axis and enhanced anxiety-like phenotype, coupled with increased binge-like alcohol consumption. Because βE works via GABA signaling to reduce anxiety, we sought to determine whether sexually dimorphic binge drinking behavior in βE deficient mice is coupled with differences in CNS Gabra2 expression. To test this hypothesis, we used βE knock-out mice in a “drinking in the dark” model where adult male and female C57BL/6J controls (βE +/+) and βE deficient (βE -/-; B6.129S2-Pomctm1Low/J) mice were provided with one bottle of 20% ethanol (EtOH) and one of water (EtOH drinkers) or two bottles of water (water drinkers) 3 h into the dark cycle for four consecutive days. Following a binge test on day 4, limbic tissue was collected and frozen for subsequent qRT-PCR analysis of Gabra2 mRNA expression. Water-drinking βE +/+ females expressed more Gabra2 in central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis than males, but this sex difference was absent in the βE -/- mice. Genotype alone had no effect on alcohol consumption or drug-induced increase in Gabra2 expression. In contrast, βE expression had bi-directional effects in females: in wildtypes, Gabra2 mRNA was reduced by binge EtOH consumption, while EtOH increased expression in βE -/- females to levels commensurate with drug-naïve βE +/+ females. These results support the contention that βE plays a role in sexually dimorphic binge-like EtOH consumption, perhaps through differential expression of GABAA α2 subunits in limbic structures known to play key roles in the regulation of stress and anxiety.

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“…We have recently found evidence that suggests a complex interplay between inhibitory control, stress, and alcohol use, where an experimentally-induced acute psychosocial stressor increased craving for alcohol, and subsequent alcohol consumption, in healthy (non-addicted) individuals. 14,15 The strength of these stress-induced increases in alcohol craving and consumption were predicated on individual differences in risk-taking personality traits, stress-reactivity, and stress-recovery. Collectively, this suggests these underlying (e.g., poor inhibitory control), and environmental (e.g., stress) factors may combine to make particular individuals more at risk.…”

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confidence: 99%

Poor inhibitory control and stress as risk-factors for alcohol (mis)use during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a national cross-sectional study across four generations

Clay

Stafford

Parker

2020

Preprint

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Background: The impact COVID-19 on the UK population's alcohol intake is unknown. We assessed change in alcohol-use and hazardous drinking during the first lockdown, and tested the hypothesis that variation would be predicted by stress and inhibitory-control. Methods: We interrogated cross-sectional data from the first sweep of the COVID-19 longitudinal survey, comprising 4 national cohorts (13 453 respondents, 19-62 years). Respondents self-reported their alcohol use, stress, and inhibitory control. We regressed change in drinking and alcohol misuse on stress and inhibitory control, adjusting for covariates to account for demographics. Findings: 29.08% 30-year-olds increased alcohol use post-COVID-19. Stress was a major contributing factor to increased alcohol use in 30-year olds (adjusted OR 3.92, 95% CI 1.17 - 13.15), as was inhibitory control in 19-year-olds (adjusted OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05 - 1.23), 30-year-olds (adjusted OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.05 - 1.33) and 50-year-olds (adjusted OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.12). We identified several interactions between stress and inhibitory control in all age groups, suggesting a complex age-specific relationship between the risk factors and alcohol use and misuse during the pandemic. Interpretation: In the UK, alcohol use increased in up to 30% of the population during COVID-19, resulting from a combination of factors including poor inhibitory control and stress. It is critical in future lockdowns that clinicians and public health officials are aware of the challenges faced by different age groups, and prioritise and personalise interventions and prevention measures appropriately. Funding: ESRC, Foundation for Liver Research.

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Psychosocial stress increases craving for alcohol in social drinkers: Effects of risk-taking

Cited by 33 publications

References 34 publications

The role of stress-reactivity, stress-recovery and risky decision-making in psychosocial stress-induced alcohol consumption in social drinkers

The role of stress-reactivity, stress-recovery and risky decision-making in psychosocial stress-induced alcohol consumption in social drinkers

Sex and β-Endorphin Influence the Effects of Ethanol on Limbic Gabra2 Expression in a Mouse Binge Drinking Model

Poor inhibitory control and stress as risk-factors for alcohol (mis)use during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a national cross-sectional study across four generations

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