IU School of Medicine conducting study on response to alcohol

Researchers at the IU School of Medicine are conducting a study to see how human brains respond to the smell of alcohol and how these responses might give insight into alcoholism. \nDue to substantial data suggesting the smell of alcohol might provoke different brain-wave responses in people who are predisposed to alcoholism than those who are not, the study will investigate the response of the brain in the presence of alcohol.\nThe data also shows that in humans and other animals, there might be areas of the brain that reflect the risk of developing alcoholism, said David Kareken, an associate professor and director of the Section of Neuropsychology of the Department of Neurology and the principal investigator of the study.\nThe study is being conducted by a team of researchers in Indianapolis.\nAccording to a post on the IU School of Medicine’s Web site, researchers are looking for healthy people ages 21 to 35.\nIn a preliminary phone interview, participants are asked several basic questions to determine whether the subject is a match for the study. After this, subjects undergo a several-hour-long interview in Indianapolis. Questions pertain to the participant’s drinking habits, family history and general health.\nOne of the most important factors, Kareken said, is that the subject has no metal in his or her body that would interfere with the magnetic resonance imaging used to conduct the study.\nShould the candidate be a fit for the study, he or she would then complete two functional MRI studies that look at brain activity in response to particular smells. The subject is trained to be familiar with several smells, including alcoholic drinks and ethanol. During the testing, subjects are exposed to different odors while the responses of their brain waves are recorded.\nEach participant is given $220 for his or her time and effort.\nWhile the study is expected to continue for about another year and a half, Kareken and his team are optimistic about the final outcome of their testing.\n“We certainly hope to publish (the results) ... probably in one of the scientific journals dealing with alcoholism, or perhaps a journal dealing with neuroscience,” Kareken said.\nThe IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis, with researchers in Bloomington, is conducting more than 30 other studies pertaining to alcohol and its effects, said Sean O’Connor, an associate professor of psychiatry and neurobiology.\nThose interested should call (317) 278-6771 for a preliminary phone interview.