Exploring Gut-Brain and Brain-Gut Interactions in Alcohol Use Disorder Via Microbiota Investigations: A Pilot Study

Inclusion Criteria

• •Male or female individuals 21-70 years old (inclusive)
• •Specific For Abstinent Group; AB
• •Current Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) by DSM-5 criteria
• •Being alcohol abstinent for at least 4 weeks, with a minimum of 2 weeks in a non-protective environment at the time of study screening.
• •Specific For Current Drinking Group; CD
• •Current Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) by DSM-5 criteria
• •Participants not seeking treatment for their alcohol use will be included.
• •Satisfying heavy drinking criteria during the 4-weeks prior to screening (i.e., for men, \>14 standard drinks in any one week or greater than or equal to 4 drinks per occasion at least once per month over the past 30 days; for women, \>7 drinks per week or greater than or equal to 3 drinks per occasion at least at least once per month over the past 30 days) and any drinking during the 2-day prior to signing the study-specific consent.
• •Specific For Healthy Control Group; HC
• •No current or past diagnostic of AUD by DSM-5 criteria
• •Moderate alcohol consumers: i.e., up to 1 drink per day on average and not meeting NIAAA criteria for:
• •-heavy (i.e., for men, \>14 standard drinks in any one week or greater than or equal to 4 drinks per occasion at least once per month over the past 30 days; for women, \>7 drinks per week or greater than or equal to 3 drinks per occasion at least at least once per month over the past 30 days)
• •-or binge drinking (i.e., drinking 5 or more standard drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the past 30 days for both male and female)
• •If any answer is No , subject may not be enrolled.