About the Project

This project seeks to understand the neural substrates involved in implicit associative processes through the imaging of alcohol-relevant implicit associations that have been shown to consistently correlate with and predict levels of alcohol use. To observe differences in neural activity of alcohol-relevant associative effects, the proposed project will involve a between subjects comparison of hazardous alcohol users and light alcohol users on validated tests of implicit memory and cognition (a cue-behavior-outcome association task and alcohol-related-Implicit Association Test). By eliciting activation of associative alcohol-relevant memories through performance on these indirect tests of association, it is possible to increase our understanding of individual differences in associative structures that influence alcohol and other substance use behavior.