21st Birthday StudyAngela Freeman

Overview of study… Principal Investigator: Dr. Kerns

Main goal: to study neural effects of extreme drinking in young adults

Single occurrence of extreme drinking occurs on 21st birthday

Young adults may attempt 21 drinks/shots on bday

Continued…

Does this drinking episode produce any cognitive changes?

Will be using both the functional MRI and structural MRI

Testing after extreme drinking

fMRI=examining decreased brain activity in the hippocampus as well as the prefrontal cortex

› While completing a long-term memory cognitive task

Structural MRI=studying the decreased brain volume of hippocampus/prefrontal cortex

Overview of Subjects Goal: 70 participants

Subjects: young adults who are turning 21 years old

Subjects must be celebrating/drinking on 21st birthday

Will participate in three separate interviews

Screening Must make sure participant is eligible

Initial participant screening form

Would complete screening form via phone

Since conducting a MRI scan must take safety precautions

Continued… Screened for…

Pacemaker /Mechanical Device

Body piercings

Braces-can distort data

Welding?

Claustrophobic?

First Interview Responsible for conducting first

interview

Length: 1.5 to 2 hours

Many different interviews› Hangover Symptoms Scale› Lifetime Drinking History› Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV

Hangover Symptoms Scale› Hangover symptoms last 12 months

› Ex. “In the past 12 months when you drank alcohol, how often did you feel more tired than usual the next morning?” Answer options:

1. Never 2. Occasionally 3. About half the time 4. Most of the time 5. Every time I drink alcohol

Lifetime Drinking History When first phase of drinking

Anymore phases of drinking?

Example: high school, or when first start college

To get an idea of drinking history

Continued… Start with beginning phase Ask about life events Ask if event was positive, negative, or

neutral How often would drink alcohol/how

much? % of beer, liquor, or wine Drink alone/with others

Diagnostic Interview Very lengthy Has different sections

› Demographics, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Nicotine Dependence

Longest interview Mainly yes/no questions

MRI training Brain scans held at Brain Imaging Center

Had to become a Level One MR Personnel

› Level 3 or 4 Personnel must accompany me› Would assist the graduate student with

various tasks

MRI Training Training consisted of:

› Receive tour of the facility Location of emergency buttons and switches

› Certification-safety training quiz

Scan time! Very important take all metal off!!

Scanner operator must take all metal off

Scanner=almost two hours

Cognitive tasks while in scanner

Show video first› Planet Earth

First task Imagery task

› See 2 words at a time› Form a mental image› If a excellent image press with right index

finger› If poor image press with right middle finger

After scan will ask about words saw in scanner

Second task N-Back Task

› See a series of circles on screen› For every circle decide if it was in same

spot three circles ago› Right index finger=same› Right middle finger=different› Measures working memory

Example

SAME

After scan Need to complete another cognitive

task

› Basically ask about words saw in scanner Asked participants to form mental image

After this participant done with first scan!

Interviews 2nd interview

› Ask about birthday celebration What occurred/how much standard drinks

consumed?› Data first 10 participants

Average number of standard drinks=13.2 80%=10 or more drinks 20%=21 or more drinks (max = 28)

› Activities participated in Bar-hopping, dancing, did you embarrass yourself?,

card games› Who celebrate with?

Third Interview 5 weeks after second scan Final scan Assess how much had to drink previous

5 weeks

Goals of study Recruit more participants

Goal=70 all together

Analyze brain activity/structure

Discover any changes in brain?

THE END!!!!!