Since 1978, the Center on the Etiology and Treatment of alcohol Dependence (UConn ARC) has been devoted to a systematic exploration of the etiology and the treatment of alcohol dependence. This application requests five years of continued funding for the Center's research programs on vulnerability to alcohol dependence and promising biological and psychosocial treatment interventions. The Administrative/Scientific Cores describe the UConn ARC's organizational framework, quality control mechanisms related to research and publications, and core research facilities. Project 0027 describes the continuation of a prospective longitudinal study of Deviance Proneness as a model for predicting alcohol use behaviors, including pathological alcohol involvement, among older adolescents and young adults. Personality traits, cognitive factors, and conduct problems are examined as predictors of pathological alcohol involvement. Project 0032, a second study of vulnerability, will focus on several motivational pathways that may increase the susceptibility for developing heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems among college students. Using a multi-wave, cohort-sequential design, daily process information will be collected via web-based data methods at three different sites. Continuing our Center's emphasis on novel treatments for alcohol dependence, we have proposed two research components in this area. Project 0033 will evaluate the efficacy of contingency management (CM) procedures versus standard case management for reducing chronic alcoholic recidivism. A variety of alcohol use and behavioral outcomes will be examined, and an economic analysis of CM for reducing recidivism will be conducted. Project 0034 is a placebo-controlled trial of targeted vs. daily administration of naltrexone treatment for early problem drinkers. In addition to drinking behavior, mood, desire to drink and self-efficacy will be measured daily to examine possible mechanisms of naltrexone's effects. A pilot studies component will support five studies that relate directly to the Center's themes of vulnerability and novel treatments for alcohol dependence. Three studies will use animal models to examine neurobiological substrates of vulnerability, while two studies will provide an examination of the effects of two pharmacologic agents (finasteride, naltrexone). Finally, this application describes educational activities, information dissemination, a visiting scholars program, and consulting and mentoring activities that strengthen the role of the UConn ARC as a regional and national resource.
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