Why many young adults naturally reduce heavy drinking
Neural mechanisms of maturing out of problem alcohol use
This study looks at how brain changes in 21–25-year-olds who binge drink might help some people cut back on heavy drinking while others keep drinking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11127667 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join 400 people aged 21–25 who report at least one binge-drinking episode per month. You will have high-resolution structural and functional MRI scans while doing tasks that measure thinking control, emotion regulation, responses to alcohol cues, and resting-state brain activity. The team will track your drinking and related behaviors over time to see who naturally reduces heavy drinking and who does not. Researchers will link patterns of brain maturation to changes in real-world drinking.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults aged 21–25 who have had at least one binge drinking episode per month for the past three months and can attend MRI visits in Ann Arbor.
Not a fit: People outside the 21–25 age range, those who do not binge drink regularly, or those already in intensive treatment for severe alcohol use disorder are less likely to benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify brain patterns that predict who will stop heavy drinking naturally and help target prevention or early interventions.
How similar studies have performed: Prior imaging studies have linked brain development to risky behavior, but directly connecting brain maturation to 'maturing out' of heavy drinking in a large longitudinal sample is largely new.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hardee, Jillian Elizabeth — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Hardee, Jillian Elizabeth
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.