Peter R. Finn’s research while affiliated with Indiana University Bloomington and other places

Many individuals with a substance use disorder (SUD) also experience polysubstance use (PSU), yet research often focuses on single substance use. Further, investigating sex differences is vital, as males and females may exhibit distinct substance use patterns, impacting treatment outcomes. This study employs a network analytic approach to examine sex differences in symptom patterns and interrelationships in PSU, analyzing data from 792 participants using two or more substances. The study evaluates symptoms of alcohol use disorder (AUD), cannabis use disorder (CUD), and drug use disorder (DUD). Results reveal distinct network structures for males and females. Network comparison tests indicate significant differences in specific connections between symptoms for males and females. In this sample, females’ polysubstance use was more strongly associated with more severe SUD symptoms. Conclusions emphasize the need for interventions that address sex-specific vulnerabilities, enhancing the effectiveness of prevention and treatment strategies in managing PSU. Understanding these differences is crucial for developing tailored approaches to support individuals facing SUD.

Background: Drinker identity research has proliferated over the last decade, resulting in 10 self-report questionnaire measures of this construct. However, it is unknown to what extent these measures accurately reflect the theorized multi-dimensional conceptualization of drinker identity. Objectives: The current study set out to investigate and compare these different measures using content, correlational, and factor analyses. A content analysis is conducted to investigate dimensions captured within the 10 measures of drinker identity. Correlational and exploratory factor analyses on the items is conducted within a young adult sample (n = 1006). Descriptions of the measures, items, and factors within the measures are discussed. Results: Across the 10 measures, seven distinct factors were identified by the content analysis, and multi-dimensionality was confirmed by both the correlational and factor analyses. Factor analysis on all items yielded four interpretable factors representing generalized identity, relative identity importance, identity value/affect, and social identification. Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of the multi-dimensional nature of drinker identity, the psychometric equivalence of the included measures, and further issues in defining and measuring drinker identity

Temporal interference electrical neurostimulation (TI) is a relatively new method of non-invasive neurostimulation that may be able to stimulate deep brain regions without stimulating the overlying superficial regions. Despite studies in rodents, almost no studies have investigated its effects on human brain activity along with safety and tolerability profiles. We performed simultaneous TI stimulation and fMRI to investigate the effects of TI on human BOLD signals. Here we show that TI can induce increased BOLD activation in humans, with good safety and tolerability profiles. We also show the limits of spatial precision and explore the nature and causes of additional off target effects. TI may be a promising approach for addressing questions about the causal role of deep brain structures in human cognition and may also afford new clinical treatments.

Objective: Despite the potential for negative consequences, young adults continually engage in heavy alcohol use. Unplanned (vs. planned) drinking has been of particular interest in several studies, as it is theoretically suggested to be related to poor behavioral regulation and negative consequences. Ecological momentary assessment and daily diary (DD) studies have been used to examine the contexts and consequences of planned and unplanned drinking specifically, resulting in somewhat mixed findings surrounding the factors contributing to and consequences of planned drinking. The present DD study adds to this literature by studying rewarding incentives and physical contexts of planned versus unplanned alcohol use, as well as the experiences, or consequences, of planned drinking events. Method: Ninety-nine young adults took part in a mobile study investigating drinking decisions for the current day and day prior, reporting the rewarding incentives contributing to their decision, the context of drinking events, and the experience of each event. Results: Planned drinking was associated with being influenced by social/party and alcohol incentives, as well as being at a bar and pregaming. There was a positive relationship between planned drinking and subjective level of intoxication, but not negative or positive experience. Conclusions: Planned drinking is likely associated with rewarding incentives and social contexts and may contribute to higher levels of subjective intoxication.

Background Risky decision-making is associated with the development of substance use behaviors during adolescence. Although prior work has investigated risky decision-making in adolescents at familial high risk for developing substance use disorders (SUDs), little research has controlled for the presence of co-morbid externalizing disorders (EDs). Additionally, few studies have investigated the role of parental impulsivity in offspring neurobiology associated with risky decision-making. Methods One-hundred twenty-five children (28 healthy controls, 47 psychiatric controls with EDs without a familial history of SUD, and 50 high-risk children with co-morbid EDs with a familial history of SUD) participated in the Balloon Analog Risk Task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. Impulsivity for parents and children was measured using the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale. Results We found that individuals in the psychiatric control group showed greater activation, as chances of balloon explosion increased, while making choices, relative to the healthy control and high-risk groups in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC). We also found a positive association between greater activation and parental impulsivity in these regions. However, within rACC, this relationship was moderated by group, such that there was a positive relationship between activation and parental impulsivity in the HC group, but an inverse relationship in the HR group. Conclusions These findings suggest that there are key differences in the neurobiology underlying risky decision-making in individuals with EDs with and without a familial history of SUD. The current findings build on existing models of neurobiological factors influencing addiction risk by integrating parental factors. This work paves the way for more precise risk models in which to test preventive interventions.

Background: Despite the growing interest in the construct of drinker identity and empirical evidence for its role in drinking behavior, there is a paucity of papers that evaluate and integrate the results of studies on drinker identity, leaving a gap in our knowledge of the importance of the drinker identity construct. The current paper addresses this gap by reviewing and integrating the results of the studies of drinker identity. Methods: The scoping review identified, retrieved, and evaluated the existing literature regarding drinker identity. English language studies from EBSCOHost, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases were reviewed. Studies were included in the review if they were data-based studies or theoretical publications with drinker identity as the primary topic published in peer-reviewed journals. Studies were reviewed and coded based on their reported methodology and findings and codes were used to integrate and present findings. Results: This review advances this line of research in four ways. First, the operationalization of drinker identity is evaluated by examining the theoretical frameworks defining the construct. Second, the conceptualization and measurement of drinker identity is assessed, with suggestions for future measurement research. Third, an integrated framework of predictors, outcomes, moderators, and mediators is presented. Finally, the research gaps, future recommendations, and clinical implications are discussed. Conclusions: There is a need for continued research, specifically research which aims to standardize and improve measurement of drinker identity, considers longitudinal and developmental processes, and broadens the research samples and settings.

Background Young adults often decide to engage in heavy drinking. Learning more about the real‐time factors that predict decisions to initiate a drinking episode and how much is consumed in any single drinking episode is necessary in developing our understanding of momentary alcohol use and discrete decisions surrounding alcohol use. Methods The current study examined the association between contextual factors and decisions to initiate and consume alcohol in 104 young adult individuals over 2 weeks via mobile daily diary. Participants responded to daily notifications about decisions to drink or not and the contextual factors surrounding each event. The contextual factors included the situation (e.g., bar setting and pregaming) and incentives (e.g., alcohol, social, and mood enhancement). Results Multilevel analyses revealed that incentives predicted both the initiation of drinking and the amount consumed. Event‐based alcohol and mood incentives predicted the initiation of drinking, while alcohol, mood, and social/party incentives predicted how much was consumed at a specific event. However, context had a more complex association with drinking outcomes. Being in a bar, alone, or at a residence predicted decisions to initiate drinking, while being in a bar, pregaming situation, or other party situation with others who are drinking predicted how much a person drank. Conclusions The results highlight the importance of studying event‐specific predictors of drinking decisions and the complex association between context/location and the type of drinking decision or outcome.