Alcohol Use Disorder Research Roundup: July 11, 2024

In this Research Roundup, we explore new studies on alcohol use and abuse.

Social Episodic Memory in Individuals With Severe Alcohol Use Disorder

In the first ever study investigating social episodic memory in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), researchers found that those with severe AUD tend to struggle more in forming new social memories and have a greater likelihood of remembering negative experiences rather than positive ones.

Investigators evaluated 40 individuals with severe AUD enrolled in alcohol detoxification clinics in Belgium and 40 healthy control participants who did not have a substance use disorder. Participants were asked to undergo 2 distinct memory tasks.

The first task focused on social recognition, where participants viewed 32 video clips of angry or happy facial expressions, then rated their impressions of each expression from very hostile to very friendly. Then, participants were shown pictures of the same people with neutral expressions and asked whether they remembered seeing each individual and what their expression was. People with severe AUD tended to recognize faces at a lower rate than the control group; however, all participants recognized more faces with happy expressions than angry expressions.

The second task focused on social memory accessibility, in which participants were asked to think of as many specific memories of past positive and negative social experiences as possible in 2 different 3-minute sessions. People with severe AUD recalled markedly more negative interpersonal memories than their control group counterparts.

Reference

Pabst A, d’Argembeau A, de Longueville X, et al. Social episodic memory in severe alcohol use disorder: positive encoding bias and negative bias in accessibility of interpersonal information. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken). 2024;48(7):1336-1346.

Differences Between Genetic Predisposition to Alcohol Use vs Alcohol Misuse

Initial results of a new study showed that genetic predispositions for alcohol consumption and alcohol problems were associated with different brain volumes. Investigators mapped genetic influences on the volume of brain regions previously linked to alcohol use behaviors by using data from a large British database of older adults who have completed multiple surveys, provided medical records, and participated in MRI scans to create 3D brain images.

Genes linked to alcohol abuse were associated with smaller overall brain volume and smaller volume of the striatum, whereas genes linked to alcohol consumption showed an opposite pattern. This suggests that differences in the brain may help explain why some individuals are able to drink alcohol in high quantities without experiencing problems.

“Although we have known for a long time that alcohol consumption is linked to individual differences in the brain,” said Jeanne Savage, a research associate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, “it is extremely difficult to tease apart whether these are solely caused by alcohol exposure or whether an underlying genetic vulnerability shapes one’s likelihood of both alcohol use and neurodegeneration.”

Reference

A genetic predisposition to alcohol use is not the same as a genetic destiny for alcohol misuse. News release. June 12, 2024. Accessed July 11, 2024. https://www.newswise.com/articles/view/811635/?sc=mwhr&xy=5013482

Alcohol Use Disorder and Weight Loss Drugs

Investigators presented preliminary, unpublished findings from the first completed randomized controlled trial of semaglutide in participants with alcohol use disorder (AUD) at the Research Society on Alcohol’s Annual Meeting. Results showed a reduction in heavy drinking and quantity of drinking among those who were given semaglutide vs those given placebo, suggesting semaglutide may reduce alcohol and other substance cravings.

In the phase 2 randomized controlled trial, 48 nontreatment seeking participants with reported symptoms of alcohol use disorder were randomized to receive semaglutide or placebo. Participants assigned to the semaglutide arm received the lower 2 clinical doses (0.25mg/week, 0.5mg/week) over approximately 2 months. Approximately 96% of those in the semaglutide group finished the study. The results suggest that low doses of semaglutide may have stronger effects than existing medications used to reduce drinking, but replication studies are needed to confirm the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of the medication, especially in higher doses.

Reference

UNC Health researchers present preliminary data on weight loss drugs on alcohol addiction. News release. June 27, 2024. Accessed July 11, 2024. https://www.newswise.com/articles/view/813336/

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