Alcohol ConsumptionPhase 1NCT04360018
Effect of Acute Alcohol Intoxication on Neural Processes During Decisions to Engage in HIV Risk Behaviors
A Phase 1 study testing Alcohol beverage in people with Alcohol Consumption, run by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Background: People who binge drink are more likely to have risky sexual encounters, and alcohol changes brain activity associated with reward decisions related to those behaviors. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 21 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Alcohol Consumption
- What is being tested?
- Alcohol beverage
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 18 Mar 2021to 2 Apr 2025
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 21 to 65 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 21 to 65 years old.
Who cannot join
- Having less than one binge drinking episode (episodes operationally defined as having consumed four or more drinks on one day if female/ five or more if male) based on the most recent measurement within the past 90 days of screening as determined by Alcohol Timeline Follow-back.
- Currently seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder
- Significant history of head trauma or cranial surgery
- History of neurological disease based on self-report or neuromotor physical exam, conducted by a health care provider, that would interfere with neuroimaging research.
- Have fulfilled DSM-5 criteria for a current substance use disorder other than alcohol use disorder
- History of primary psychotic disorder
Show all 13Show fewer
- Have liver function tests (AST, ALT, GGT, ALP) 3-times the upper limit of normal (ULN); or have Total Bilirubin above 1.5 ULN and Albumin below 3.5 g/dl;
- HIV positive
- Currently taking PrEP
- Female participants only (or other individuals able to get pregnant): Currently pregnant or breastfeeding
- Any flag on the MRI Safety Screening Questionnaire, unless cleared by medically responsible staff (MD/NP)
- Reported to have a facial, body, and limb flushing response to the consumption of alcohol, as determined by the Alcohol Flushing Questionnaire
- Unable to understand and communicate in English at a level sufficient to complete questionnaires and tasks that are not validated in any language other than English.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Acute Alcohol Intoxication on Neural Processes During Decisions to Engage in HIV Risk Behaviors
Background:
People who binge drink are more likely to have risky sexual encounters, and alcohol changes brain activity associated with reward decisions related to those behaviors. Researchers want to better understand how alcohol s effects on risky sexual behavior that might lead people to contract sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Read more
Objective:
To study how alcohol impacts decisions about engaging in risky sex.
Eligibility:
Healthy adults ages 21-65 without alcohol use disorder
Design:
Participants will have 2 study visits, 1 month apart. They will arrive and depart via taxi. They will consume alcohol at 1 visit, chosen at random.
At visit 1, participants will answer questions about HIV knowledge, HIV risk behaviors, and sexual interests. They will view pictures of clothed people and pick those they might have sex with. They will think about the person s risk of having an STD and whether they would use a condom during sex.
At both visits, participants will sit in a bar-like room and have 2 drinks that may contain alcohol. Then they will have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans. For this, they will lie on a table that slides in and out of a metal tube. The scanner makes loud noises; they will get earplugs. They will complete tasks that include looking at pictures and making choices about money.
At the beginning of both visits the participants will be screened with urine drug test and pregnancy test. Duiring each visit the participants breath alcohol will be measured, and they will discuss whether they feel intoxicated.
Participants will get snacks and stay at the clinic for up to 6 hours after the MRIs.
...
Read the detailed description
Study Description:
Participants will complete baseline measures of sexual history and preferences, HIV risk and knowledge, and tasks designed to measure delay discounting of protected sex. At the first of two visits, subjects will then receive either alcohol or placebo beverages to increase their blood alcohol concentration to approximately 0.08g/dl. Then, participants will undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging while completing two protected sex discounting tasks, with and without emotional content. At a second visit, participants will receive the opposite type of beverage (alcohol or placebo). Participants will be randomly assigned to order of beverages.
Objectives:
The purpose of this protocol is to identify the neural substrates by which acute alcohol intoxication leads to an increase in HIV risk behavior during sexual encounters. An additional aim is to characterize the influence of negative and positive social context on the neural mechanism by which acute alcohol intoxication leads to an increase in HIV risk behavior during sexual encounters. This study uses a two-visit alcohol-administration procedure to examine alcohol-induced changes in brain activity during decisions about risky sex.
Endpoints:
Brain Engagement during Protected Sex Discounting (MRI-Scan Portion)
- Conditions
- Alcohol Consumption
- Being tested
- Alcohol beverage, Placebo beverage
- Keywords
- Binge, Brain, Drinking, Decision, Risk Taking, Alcohol Intoxication
- Medical subject headings
- Alcohol Drinking, Binge-Eating Disorder, Risk-Taking, Alcoholic Intoxication
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Alcohol beverageOther
High-proof alcohol (e.g., Everclear) will be mixed with orange juice in an approximately 1:3 ratio and split evenly into two drinks. After splitting the orange juice into two cups, a small amount (approx. 6 ml) of high-proof alcohol will be floated on top of the beverage.
Placebo beverageOther
The final drink will have the same volume of liquid as the alcohol beverage.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| arm one | Active comparator | participants receive alcohol beverage Receives: Other: Alcohol beverage |
| arm two | Placebo comparator | Placebo Receives: Other: Placebo beverage |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Protected Sex Discounting MRI-Scan Portion
Participants will see a picture of one of the individuals selected during the pre-scan PSD procedure. They will also see two choices corresponding to 1) "Sex with this person without a condom NOW" or 2) "Sex with this person with a condom [NOW or delay] . Participants will have 6 seconds to press a button corresponding to their choice. Conditions of interest will vary as follows: choice difficulty- easy (probability of choosing later option <0.33 or >0.67) or hard (probability of choosing alternative option between 0.33 and 0.67); preference- now (probability of choosing later option <0.5) or delay (probability of choosing later option >0.5); sexual risk - high (individual most likely to have an STD) or low (individual least likely to have an STD); and desirability - high (individual you most want to have sex with) or low (individual you least want to have sex with).
Measured: First Task
Secondary outcomes (8)
Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale
This will be used to assess interest in risky sexual activity. It is an 11 question self-report questionnaire with each question scored on a scale of 1-4. Scores on this measure will allow us to consider whether individual differences in the reward value of sexual activity account for differences in performance and neural correlates of the PSD task.
Measured: Sixth Task
Sexual Desire Inventory
This will be used to assess interest in sexual activity. It is a 14-question self-report questionnaire with each question scored on a scale of 0-8, where higher scores reflect more sexual desire. It typically takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Scores on this measure will allow us to consider whether individual differences in the reward value of sexual activity account for differences in performance and neural correlates of the PSD task.
Measured: Fourth Task
Risk MRI Task
During scanning, participants will be shown two squares: a "safe" square and a "risk" square. If the participant chooses the "safe" square, they will earn a set amount of money ($0.25); if they choose the "risk" square, they have the possibility of winning up to $5.00 but also the possibility of losing up to $5.00. Across 40 trials, participants will be able to earn between $0 and $35. All events will be shown for 2 seconds with 2, 4, or 6 second jittered intervals between.
Measured: Eighth Task
Protected Sex Discounting Pre-Scan Portion
Participants will view 60 cards with an image of a clothed person, spread on a table in front of them so they can all be viewed at the same time. Participants will be instructed to select all the pictures of individuals who they would be willing to have casual sex with based on physical appearance if the circumstances were right. From the pictures of individuals who the participant indicated that they would have sex with, participants will be asked to select 1) the individual most and 2) least likely to have a STD, and 2) the individual they most and 4) least want to have sex with.
Measured: Seventh Task
HIV-Knowledge Questionnaire
A 45-question self-report questionnaire that takes approximately 7 minutes to complete. It assesses how much the participant knows about how HIV is transmitted and prevented.
Measured: First Task
HIV Risk-Taking Behavior Scale
Assesses quantitatively both intravenous drug use and sexual HIV risk behaviors. This includes 11 questions about sharing and cleaning needles, number of sexual partners, condom use, and sex work. Each item is scored on a scale of 0-5 where higher scores indicate more HIV risk. It takes less than 10 minutes to administer. Scores on this measure will allow us to consider whether performance and neural correlates of the PSD task are related to actual HIV risk behaviors in our sample.
Measured: Second Task
HIV and Sexual Behaviors Interview
Used to collect additional information on HIV risk. This will include such topics as condom attitudes and negotiation, HIV testing and history of exposure, sexual activities, partner risk behaviors, and perceived risk. Information from this survey will allow us to consider whether performance and neural correlates of the PSD task are related to actual HIV risk behaviors in our sample.
Measured: Third Task
Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding
This will be used to measure social desirability bias. It is a 40-question self-report questionnaire that measures self-deceptive positivity and impression management. Number of items with extremely high agreement indicates level of desirable responding. We will use this to identify participants who may have inaccurately responded to questions about sexual history and HIV risk due to a desire to represent themselves better, and thus, might potentially bias our results in some way.
Measured: Fifth Task
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Apr 2020
- Study start18 Mar 2021
- Primary completion2 Apr 2025
- Study completion2 Apr 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Alcohol ConsumptionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Melanie L Schwandt, Ph.D., Principal investigator, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04360018
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 200057
- Other IDs
- 20-AA-0057
- Status last verified
- 15 Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 22 Apr 2020
- Last updated
- 26 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Acute Alcohol Intoxication on Neural Processes During Decisions to Engage in HIV Risk Behaviors
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04360018
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 200057
- Conditions
- Alcohol Consumption
- Keywords
- Binge, Brain, Drinking, Decision, Risk Taking, Alcohol Intoxication
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- 18 Mar 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 2 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 2 Apr 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Apr 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Background:
People who binge drink are more likely to have risky sexual encounters, and alcohol changes brain activity associated with reward decisions related to those behaviors. Researchers want to better understand how alcohol s effects on risky sexual behavior that might lead people to contract sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Objective:
To study how alcohol impacts decisions about engaging in risky sex.
Eligibility:
Healthy adults ages 21-65 without alcohol use disorder
Design:
Participants will have 2 study visits, 1 month apart. They will arrive and depart via taxi. They will consume alcohol at 1 visit, chosen at random.
At visit 1, participants will answer questions about HIV knowledge, HIV risk behaviors, and sexual interests. They will view pictures of clothed people and pick those they might have sex with. They will think about the person s risk of having an STD and whether they would use a condom during sex.
At both visits, participants will sit in a bar-like room and have 2 drinks that may contain alcohol. Then they will have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans. For this, they will lie on a table that slides in and out of a metal tube. The scanner makes loud noises; they will get earplugs. They will complete tasks that include looking at pictures and making choices about money.
At the beginning of both visits the participants will be screened with urine drug test and pregnancy test. Duiring each visit the participants breath alcohol will be measured, and they will discuss whether they feel intoxicated.
Participants will get snacks and stay at the clinic for up to 6 hours after the MRIs.
...
Detailed description
Study Description:
Participants will complete baseline measures of sexual history and preferences, HIV risk and knowledge, and tasks designed to measure delay discounting of protected sex. At the first of two visits, subjects will then receive either alcohol or placebo beverages to increase their blood alcohol concentration to approximately 0.08g/dl. Then, participants will undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging while completing two protected sex discounting tasks, with and without emotional content. At a second visit, participants will receive the opposite type of beverage (alcohol or placebo). Participants will be randomly assigned to order of beverages.
Objectives:
The purpose of this protocol is to identify the neural substrates by which acute alcohol intoxication leads to an increase in HIV risk behavior during sexual encounters. An additional aim is to characterize the influence of negative and positive social context on the neural mechanism by which acute alcohol intoxication leads to an increase in HIV risk behavior during sexual encounters. This study uses a two-visit alcohol-administration procedure to examine alcohol-induced changes in brain activity during decisions about risky sex.
Endpoints:
Brain Engagement during Protected Sex Discounting (MRI-Scan Portion)
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, care provider)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| arm one | Active comparator | Other: Alcohol beverageparticipants receive alcohol beverage |
| arm two | Placebo comparator | Other: Placebo beveragePlacebo |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 21 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- 21 to 65 years old.
Key exclusion criteria (13 listed)
- Having less than one binge drinking episode (episodes operationally defined as having consumed four or more drinks on one day if female/ five or more if male) based on the most recent measurement within the past 90 days of screening as determined by Alcohol Timeline Follow-back.
- Currently seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder
- Significant history of head trauma or cranial surgery
- History of neurological disease based on self-report or neuromotor physical exam, conducted by a health care provider, that would interfere with neuroimaging research.
- Have fulfilled DSM-5 criteria for a current substance use disorder other than alcohol use disorder
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol beverageHigh-proof alcohol (e.g., Everclear) will be mixed with orange juice in an approximately 1:3 ratio and split evenly into two drinks. After splitting the orange juice into two cups, a small amount (approx. 6 ml) of high-proof alcohol will be floated on top of the beverage. | Other | arm one |
| Placebo beverageThe final drink will have the same volume of liquid as the alcohol beverage. | Other | arm two |
Primary outcome
Protected Sex Discounting MRI-Scan Portion
Time frame: First Task
Participants will see a picture of one of the individuals selected during the pre-scan PSD procedure. They will also see two choices corresponding to 1) "Sex with this person without a condom NOW" or 2) "Sex with this person with a condom [NOW or delay] . Participants will have 6 seconds to press a button corresponding to their choice. Conditions of interest will vary as follows: choice difficulty- easy (probability of choosing later option <0.33 or >0.67) or hard (probability of choosing alternative option between 0.33 and 0.67); preference- now (probability of choosing later option <0.5) or delay (probability of choosing later option >0.5); sexual risk - high (individual most likely to have an STD) or low (individual least likely to have an STD); and desirability - high (individual you most want to have sex with) or low (individual you least want to have sex with).
8 secondary outcomes
Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale
Time frame: Sixth Task
Sexual Desire Inventory
Time frame: Fourth Task
Risk MRI Task
Time frame: Eighth Task
Protected Sex Discounting Pre-Scan Portion
Time frame: Seventh Task
HIV-Knowledge Questionnaire
Time frame: First Task
HIV Risk-Taking Behavior Scale
Time frame: Second Task
HIV and Sexual Behaviors Interview
Time frame: Third Task
Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding
Time frame: Fifth Task
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 26 Oct 2026.
- NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web PageLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Melanie L Schwandt, Ph.D. principal investigator
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 1 study testing Alcohol beverage in people with Alcohol Consumption, run by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 13 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Protected Sex Discounting MRI-Scan Portion (time frame: First Task). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Oct 2026.