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Wenger LP, Hamm O, Mühle C, Hoffmann S, Reinhard I, Bach P, Kornhuber J, Alpers GW, Kiefer F, Leménager T, Lenz B. Alcohol does not influence trust in others or oxytocin, but increases positive affect and risk-taking: a randomized, controlled, within-subject trial. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024; 274:311-320. [PMID: 37707566 PMCID: PMC10914917 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01676-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption to facilitate social interaction is an important drinking motive. Here, we tested whether alcohol influences trust in others via modulation of oxytocin and/or androgens. We also aimed at confirming previously shown alcohol effects on positive affect and risk-taking, because of their role in facilitating social interaction. METHODS This randomized, controlled, within-subject, parallel group, alcohol-challenge experiment investigated the effects of alcohol (versus water, both mixed with orange juice) on perceived trustworthiness via salivary oxytocin (primary and secondary endpoint) as well as testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, positive affect, and risk-taking (additional endpoints). We compared 56 male participants in the alcohol condition (1.07 ± 0.18 per mille blood alcohol concentration) with 20 in the control condition. RESULTS The group (alcohol versus control condition) × time (before [versus during] versus after drinking) interactions were not significantly associated with perceived trustworthiness (η2 < 0.001) or oxytocin (η2 = 0.003). Bayes factors provided also substantial evidence for the absence of these effects (BF01 = 3.65; BF01 = 7.53). The group × time interactions were related to dihydrotestosterone (η2 = 0.018 with an increase in the control condition) as well as positive affect and risk-taking (η2 = 0.027 and 0.007 with increases in the alcohol condition), but not significantly to testosterone. DISCUSSION The results do not verify alcohol effects on perceived trustworthiness or oxytocin in male individuals. However, they indicate that alcohol (versus control) might inhibit an increase in dihydrotestosterone and confirm that alcohol amplifies positive affect and risk-taking. This provides novel mechanistic insight into social facilitation as an alcohol-drinking motive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard P Wenger
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Oliver Hamm
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christiane Mühle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sabine Hoffmann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Iris Reinhard
- Department of Biostatistics, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Georg W Alpers
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tagrid Leménager
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Bernd Lenz
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
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