Study about the interaction of food and alcohol consumption

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, the consumption of alcohol is one of the main causes of death worldwide. The concern with excessive alcohol has been increasing among adolescents. It is estimated that 14% of young people drink more doses and increasingly frequent. The pattern of consumption of alcohol may predict the development of problems associated with alcohol abuse and it is influenced by several factors such as concomitant consumption of other substances, including food. Few studies focus on understanding the microstructure of alcohol consumption, or can readily be measured in experimental animals using automatic lickometers. Since early 2019, we are developing these handsets with open-source hardware and software platform (Arduino). Use lickometers to evaluate the microstructure of alcohol consumption in C57BL/6J. In addition, this project will study how the presence of food can influence ethanol consumption. Finally, considering that alcohol abuse is strongly associated with the effects of anxiety and depression, we will conduct anxiety and anhedonia behavioral tests. This project initiates the collection of data on individual alcohol consumption with the perspective of developing behavior prediction models that may indicate future levels of alcohol abuse. (AU)