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Reply to Bradford: Comment on increasing ecological validity in neuropsychopharmacology research on the relationship between alcohol use and uncertain stressors

Neuropsychopharmacology volume 49, pages 355–356 (2024)Cite this article

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In their commentary, Bradford and colleagues [1] discuss the theory that exaggerated reactivity to uncertain threat (U-threat) contributes to the onset and maintenance of problematic alcohol use via negative reinforcement processes. The authors assert that this theory can only be supported once laboratory measures of reactivity to U-threat are linked to measures of “subjective expectations and experience” of alcohol’s effects. Along these lines, the authors present findings from an undergraduate sample demonstrating that youth “expect alcohol to lower their anxiety in relatively uncertain compared to certain social situations.” Bradford et al. [1] conclude that alcohol is perceived as anxiolytic in the context of uncertainty and therefore connect uncertain stress to alcohol expectancies.

We agree with the points raised by Bradford and colleagues. It is critical that we continue to study if, how, and for whom reactivity to U-threat influences drinking behavior. We also want to highlight two other findings that support the overarching theory driving this program of research. First, our group has previously reported that greater behavioral and neural reactivity to U-threat was associated with increased severity of problem drinking behavior and greater self-reported coping motives in a cohort of adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) [2]. Thus, there is existing evidence that reactivity to U-threat relates to the motivation to use alcohol to alleviate negative affect in individuals with AUD.

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References

  1. Bradford DE, Dev AS, DeFalco A, Whittaker F, Timpano KR. Increasing ecological validity in neuropsychopharmacology research on the relationship between alcohol use and uncertain stressors. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-01672-7.

  2. Gorka SM, Kreutzer KA, Petrey KM, Radoman M, Phan KL. Behavioral and neural sensitivity to uncertain threat in individuals with alcohol use disorder: associations with drinking behaviors and motives. Addict Biol. 2020;25:e12774.

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  3. Gorka SM, Radoman M, Jimmy J, Kreutzer KA, Manzler C, Culp S. Behavioral and brain reactivity to uncertain stress prospectively predicts binge drinking in youth. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2023;48:1194–200. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-01571-x.

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  4. Morean ME, Corbin WR, Treat TA. The subjective effects of alcohol scale: development and psychometric evaluation of a novel assessment tool for measuring subjective response to alcohol. Psychol Assess. 2013;25:780–95.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Stress Center, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 2 Church St South, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA

    Milena Radoman

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 370 W. 9th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Stephanie M. Gorka

  3. Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, 460 Medical Center Drive, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Stephanie M. Gorka

Authors
  1. Milena Radoman
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  2. Stephanie M. Gorka
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Contributions

SMG was the Principal Investigator of the study. Both MR and SMG contributed to the study design, data collection, and data analysis and interpretation. MR prepared the first draft of the letter and SMG provided critical revisions. Both authors approved the final letter.

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Correspondence to Stephanie M. Gorka.

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Radoman, M., Gorka, S.M. Reply to Bradford: Comment on increasing ecological validity in neuropsychopharmacology research on the relationship between alcohol use and uncertain stressors. Neuropsychopharmacol. 49, 355–356 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-01706-0

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