Adverse childhood experiences predict heavier drinking and greater alcohol intake during intravenous (IV) alcohol self-administration in non-dependent drinkers

Wednesday, October 10, 2012 — Poster Session II
Noon – 2:00 p.m	Natcher Conference Center, Building 45	NIAAA	CLIN/TRANS-22

Authors

• B.L. Stangl
• M.L. Schwandt
• M.R. Zametkin
• V.A. Ramchandani

Abstract

Our objective was to examine the influence of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) on drinking history and IV alcohol self-administration, using the CASE method that allows individuals to self-administer IV alcohol, while controlling the BrAC using a PBPK model-based algorithm. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) measures and Timeline Follow Back (TLFB) were obtained from healthy non-dependent drinkers (N=153). Alcohol-intake behavior was measured in a subset (N=44) during a CASE session, which consisted of a 25-min priming phase where subjects received 4 standardized alcohol infusions, followed by a 125-min open-bar phase with ad lib access. Self-administration measures included number of button presses (NBP), peak (PEAK) and average (AVG) BrAC and total ethanol (EtOH). Of the sample, 39% reported at least one form of childhood trauma. TLFB measures were associated with the CTQ total score and the number of CTQ categories (all p<0.02). In our total sample, individuals that reported childhood emotional abuse, emotional neglect and physical neglect had heavier drinking histories (p<0.05). In the CASE subset, the number of CTQ categories was associated with EtOH (p<0.05) and TLFB measures were associated with AVG, PEAK, and EtOH (all p<0.01). These results extend previous findings of impact of ACEs on alcohol-related measures in non-dependent drinkers.

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