NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION: AMYGADALA FUNCTION
1
Chronic Alcohol Consumption and Its Effect on Amygdala Function and Emotional
Regulation in Young Adults: A Neurophysiological Investigation
Eureka Butler
School of Psychology, Liberty University
NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION: AMYGADALA FUNCTION
2
Chronic Alcohol Consumption and Its Effect on Amygdala Function and Emotional
Regulation in Young Adults: A Neurophysiological Investigation
I. Problem Under Investigation
1. Chronic alcohol consumption is a growing concern among young adults, a group
particularly vulnerable to both substance use disorders and emotional instability.
This investigation examines the neurophysiological impact of chronic alcohol use
on the amygdala, a brain region critically involved in emotional processing and
regulation. Specifically, this study explores how long-term alcohol use may
impair emotional regulation abilities in young adults through its effects on
amygdala function.
2. The independent variable is chronic alcohol consumption, operationally
defined as weekly intake of alcohol exceeding the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) guidelines over a period of 12
months. The dependent variables are:
a. Amygdala function is measured through functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI), assessing blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) responses
to emotional stimuli.
b. Emotional regulation ability is measured using the Difficulties in Emotion
Regulation Scale (DERS)
NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION: AMYGADALA FUNCTION
3
This study aims to fill a gap in the current literature by integrating
neurophysiological evidence (amygdala activity) with behavioral self-report data
(emotional regulation) in a population that is underrepresented in longitudinal alcohol
studies young adults in early adulthood, a critical neurodevelopmental period.
Additionally, it offers insight into how these disruptions may predispose individuals
to internalizing disorders like depression, thereby building a bridge between
alcohol misuse and mood disorders.
II. Conceptual Context
A. Major Point #1: The amygdala is essential for emotion recognition, processing,
and regulation.
1. Supporting Fact #1: Research shows that the amygdala helps evaluate
emotional stimuli and initiate regulatory processes (LeDoux, 2000).
a. In healthy individuals, fMRI scans show heightened amygdala
activation when exposed to emotionally charged images (Hariri et al.
2002).
b. This activation is often followed by prefrontal modulation that helps
regulate emotional output.
2. Supporting Fact #2: Dysregulated amygdala activity, such as hyperactivity or
under-reactivity, has been linked to difficulties in managing emotions (Banks
et al., 2007).
NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION: AMYGADALA FUNCTION
4
B. Major Point #2: Chronic alcohol consumption alters amygdala function,
especially in young adults.
1. Supporting Fact #1: Chronic alcohol exposure has been associated with
reduced amygdala volume and impaired emotional reactivity (Meyerhoff et
al. 2004).
a. Animal studies have shown that prolonged alcohol intake disrupts
neurotransmitter function in the amygdala, affecting emotional
behavior (Pandey et al. 2008).
b. Supporting Fact #2: In human studies, individuals with alcohol
use disorders show blunted amygdala responses to emotional
stimuli, leading to poor emotion regulation (Gilman et al., 2012).
C. Major Point #3: Impaired emotion regulation is a core mechanism linking
alcohol use to psychological disorders, especially depression.
1. Support Fact #1: Emotional dysregulation is a transdiagnostic risk factor that
plays a role in the development of depressive symptoms (Berking &
Wupperman, 2012).
a. Many people with alcohol use disorders report using alcohol to self-
medicate for stress or depressive moods (Khantzian, 1997)/
2. Supporting Fact #2: Neuroimaging studies indicate that the same disruptions
in amygdala-prefrontal connectivity found in heavy drinkers are also present
in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) (Johnstone et al.
2007).
NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION: AMYGADALA FUNCTION
5
Real-Life Example: Consider a 22-year-old college student who regularly consumes
alcohol to “take the edge off” after stressful exams or emotional conflicts. Over time,
their brain becomes less responsive to emotional cues due to amygdala suppression,
making it harder for them to regulate feelings. As emotional problems mount, they may
also start to experience symptoms of depression, such as withdrawal, irritability, and
hopelessness, highlighting how alcohol use, amygdala dysfunction, and depression are
interconnected.
In summary, chronic alcohol use during young adulthood may interfere with healthy
emotional processing by altering amygdala function, increasing the risk of emotional
dysregulation and mood disorders like depression. Understanding this link is crucial for
designing preventive strategies and early interventions.
III. Research Design and Hypothesis(es)
A. Research Design:
This study will use a between-subjects, correlational design comparing young
adults with a history of chronic alcohol consumption to a control group with low or
no alcohol use. Neuroimaging (fMRI) will be used to assess amygdala activity while
participants are exposed to emotionally evocative images. Emotional regulation will
be measured using a validated questionnaire (DERS).
NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION: AMYGADALA FUNCTION
6
B. Scientific Hypothesis:
It is hypothesized that young adults who engage in chronic alcohol consumption will
show reduced amygdala activation in response to emotional stimuli and report greater
difficulties in emotional regulation compared to peers with minimal alcohol use.
These findings will suggest a neurophysiological mechanism through which alcohol
impairs emotion regulation and contributes to affective disorders such as depression.
1. Explanation:
Approach to solving the question:
To effectively address how depression relates to the topic outlined, one must
recognize that emotional regulation is a key construct in both depression and
alcohol use, is the central point of connection. The amygdala, a brain structure
involved in emotional processing, plays a critical role in how individuals
experience, interpret, and respond to emotions. Therefore, understanding how
alcohol affects amygdala function can offer insights into why some young adults
experience emotional instability or even depression.
NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION: AMYGADALA FUNCTION
7
References
Berking, M., & Wupperman, P. (2012). Emotion regulation and mental health: Current
perspectives. Clinical Psychology Review, 32(1), 1-17.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.10.003
Clark, D.B., Thatcher, D.L., & Tapert, S.F. (2008). Alcohol, psychological dysregulation, and
adolescent brain development. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 32(3),
375-385. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00601.x
Cservenka, A., & Nagel, B.J. (2012). Risky decision-making. An fMRI study of youth at high
risk for alcoholism. Alcoholism. Clinical and Experimental Research, 36(4), 604.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01640.x
Cservenka, A. (2016). Neurobiological phenotypes associated with a family history of
alcoholism. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 158, 8-21.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.10.019
Fingelkurts, A.A., Kallio-Tamminen, T., & Fingelkurts, A.A. (2020). Impaired functional
connectivity at EEG alpha and theta frequency bands in chronic alcohol use disorder.
Clinical Neurophysiology, 131(1), 112-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2019.09.017
Gilman, J.M., Ramchandani, V.A., M.B,. Bjork, J.M., & Hommer, D.W. (2008). Why we like to
drink: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of the rewarding and anxiolytic
effects of alcohol. The Journal of Neuroscience, 28(18), 4583-4591.
https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEW
NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION: AMYGADALA FUNCTION
8
Gilman, J. M., Ramchandani, V. A., Davis, M. B., Bjork, J. M., & Hommer, D. W. (2012).
Why we drink and how we feel: Amygdala activity and emotional regulation in alcohol
users. Biological Psychiatry, 72(8),
608-614.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.01.017
Heilig, M., Egli, M., Crabbe, J.C., & Becker, H.C. (2010). Acute withdrawal, protracted
abstinence and negative affect in alcoholism: Are they linked? Addiction Biology, 15(2),
169-184. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1369-1600.2009.00194.x
Johnstone, T., van Reekum, C. M., Urry, H. L., Kalin, N. H., & Davidson, R. J. (2007).
Failure to regulate: counterproductive recruitment of top-down prefrontal-subcortical
circuitry in major depression. Journal of Neuroscience, 27(33), 8877-8884.
Koob, G.F., & Volkow, N.D. (2016). Neurobiology of addiction: A neurocircuitry analysis. The
Lancet Psychiatry, 3(8), 760-773. https://doi.org?10.1016/S2215-0366(16)00104-8
Pandey, S. C., Ugale, R., Zhang, H., Tang, L., & Prakash, A. (2008). Brain chromatin
remodeling: a novel mechanism of alcoholism. Journal of Neuroscience, 28(14),
3729-3737.
Seo, D., Yang, X., Qin, W., Sinha, R., & Potenza, M. N. (2013). Hyperactivity of the
orbitofrontal cortex, ventral striatum, and amygdala associated with emotional and
motivational task processing in alcohol dependence: A functional magnetic resonance
imaging study. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 37(3), 393-403.
NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION: AMYGADALA FUNCTION
9
Seo, D., Lacadie, C.M., Tuit, K., Hong, K.I., Constable, R.T., & Sinha, R. (2013). Disrupted
ventromedial prefrontal function, alcohol craving, and subsequent relapse risk. JAMA
Psychiatry, 70(7), 727-739. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.762
Silveri, M.M., Dager, A.D., Cohen-Gibert, J.E., & Sneider, J.T. (2016). Neurobiological
signatures associated with alcohol and drug use in the human adolescent brain.
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 70, 244-259.
https://doi.org/10/1016/j.neubiorev.2016.06.042
Marinkovic, K., Oscar-Berman, M., Urban, T., O’Reilly, C.E., Howard, J.A., Sawyer, K., &
Harris, G.J. (2009). Alcoholism and dampened temporal limbic activation to emotional
faces. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 33(11), 1880-1892.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01030.x
Oscar-Berman, M., & Marinkovic, K. (2007). Alcohol: Effects on neurobehavioral functions and
the brain. Neuropsychology Review, 17(3), 239-257.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-007-9038-6
Pitel, A.L., Beaunieux, H., Witkowski, T., Vabret, F., Guillery-Girard, B., Quinette, P., &
Eustache, F. (2007). Genuine episodic memory deficits and executive dysfunction in
alcoholic subjects early in abstinence. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research,
31(7), 1169-1178. Mhttps://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00415.x
Sullivan, E.V., & Pfefferbaum, A. (2005). Neurocircuitry in alcoholism: A substrate of
disruption and repair. Psychopharmacology, 180(4), 583-594.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-2209-5
NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION: AMYGADALA FUNCTION
10
Weiland, B.J., Welsh, R.C., Yau, W.Y., Zucker, R.A., & Zubieta, J.K. (2013). Accumbens
functional connectivity during reward mediates sensation-seeking and alcohol use in high
risk youth. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 128(1-2), 130-139.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.08.019
Wetherill, R.R., Squeglia, L.M. Yang, T.T., & Tapert, S.F. (2013). A longitudinal examination of
adolescent response inhibition: Neural differences before and after the initiation of heavy
drinking. Psychopharmacology, 230(4), 663-671. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-
3198-2
Zahr, N. M., Kaufman, K. L., & Harper, C. G. (2011). Clinical and pathological features of
alcohol-related brain damage. Nature Reviews Neurology, 7(11), 560-569.
