The Auburn University Brain Imaging and Ethanol (AUBIE) Lab is located in the research park off South Donahue Drive, just a few miles from main campus. The centerpiece of the AUBIE lab is a powerful 7 Tesla MRI, one of only a handful in the country. With the power to create a magnetic field more than five times stronger than a typical 3 Tesla machine, this cutting-edge technology allows the researchers to get clearer images of the brain than ever before.
Currently, there are two major ongoing studies in the AUBIE Lab. One is an EEG study, headed by Auburn professor Dr. Travis Evans, which looks at the relationship between social anxiety and substance use. The other is an MRI study looking to see if there is a correlation between post-traumatic stress and increased alcohol use.
An EEG, or electroencephalogram, is a medical test that studies brain waves. Small electrodes are attached to the subject’s scalp, allowing scientists to record and interpret their brain waves. In this study, researchers are looking to see how subjects react to different facial expressions, depending on whether they have social anxiety or a substance use disorder.
In the MRI study, researchers are looking to better understand how those with alcohol use disorders respond to stressful situations and how post-traumatic stress and alcohol use interact with one another. The researchers use what is known as a functional MRI, or fMRI, to study brain activity in the patient. Unlike a typical MRI, an fMRI is intended to capture brain activity, as it occurs as the result of specific stimuli. In this case, the stimulus in question is a series of images designed to create stress in the patient.
“My previous work was in people who had very severe alcohol use disorders, people who were going inpatient over and over and still relapsing, and a lot of them had post-traumatic stress,” said Dr. Sara Blaine, associate professor of psychological sciences and leader of the MRI study. “So, since then, my career has been about looking at how people develop the alcohol use disorder, like the beginning part of it, and so this study is looking at ‘does the PTSD accelerate that?’”
In both studies, student researchers are heavily involved in the day-to-day activities of running the lab. Research assistants complete patient interviews and examinations, help interpret data and ensure the safety of everyone in the study. The two primary concerns are MRI safety and ensuring patients make it home safely from study appointments where alcohol is involved.
Detailed safety procedures are in place to prevent potential hazards. For example, for appointments where alcohol is consumed, the lab team orders the patient an Uber to and from the lab to make sure they are not driving while potentially intoxicated.
The research team is excited about their work and committed to making a difference through their studies. They believe that not only will their research potentially improve individuals' understanding of the conditions, but that it might also be able to help improve the quality of life for those who have them.
“All knowledge can be helpful to society, especially when it comes to substance use disorders because there’s a lot of stigma around it and how they interact in social situations,” said Abigail Starace, senior studying psychology and research assistant at the AUBIE Lab. “It advances society’s opportunity to treat people better that have those disorders.”
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