Alcohol最新文献

{"title":"A single dose of ethanol in adult mice transiently alters the organization of spontaneous exploratory behaviors in a dark open field","authors":"Tia N. Donaldson ,&nbsp;Ericka A. Schaeffer ,&nbsp;Holly Sampson ,&nbsp;Bethany Brundage ,&nbsp;David Linsenbardt ,&nbsp;Douglas G. Wallace ,&nbsp;Benjamin J. Clark","doi":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2025.12.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2025.12.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Acute exposure to ethanol is known to produce significant alterations to the functions of the hippocampus leading to “blackouts” which are defined as temporary disruptions to the encoding and retention of memories. The hippocampus has a prominent role in generating representations of spatial location and contributes to spatial navigation. In open environments, spatial exploratory behaviors are organized such that animals spontaneously alternate between long duration stops (absence of movement) at a specific home base location and exploratory trips or progressions (locomotion between locations) into the remaining environment. Open field exploratory behaviors are organized even in darkness, suggesting a contribution of self-motion cues (e.g., vestibular) to spatial behavior. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that acute single-dose ethanol exposure in adult mice would disrupt the expression of organized exploratory behaviors in an open field under darkened conditions. Male and female adult mice received a single injection of ethanol and explored a dark environment (under infrared light) for 30 min. Mice tested immediately after the injection exhibited reductions in locomotion and spontaneous behavior, while those tested 30 min later only exhibited suppressed locomotion. These results suggest that ethanol exposure leads to alterations in spontaneous exploratory behaviors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7712,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145879678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alcohol augments spontaneous GABAergic transmission and action potential firing in immature murine cerebellar Golgi cells, leading to enhanced inhibitory input onto cerebellar granule cells","authors":"Karick Jotty-Arroyo ,&nbsp;Andrea Iturralde-Carrillo ,&nbsp;Michael Paffett ,&nbsp;Rafael Mancero-Montalvo ,&nbsp;C. Fernando Valenzuela","doi":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.01.158","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.01.158","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Golgi cells (GoCs) are cerebellar inhibitory interneurons that provide both phasic and tonic GABAergic input to cerebellar granule cells. They receive inhibitory control from Lugaro cells, other GoCs, and cerebellar nuclear inhibitory neurons via GABAergic and glycinergic inputs. Although fetal alcohol exposure is known to impair cerebellar function, its impact on developing GoC physiology remains unclear. We investigated the acute effects of ethanol on GABA_A receptor–mediated transmission in GoCs during the mouse equivalent of the human third trimester, a critical window for inhibitory circuit formation. To identify GoCs, we used VGAT-Venus transgenic mice, in which the vesicular GABA transporter promoter drives expression of the Venus fluorescent protein. Whole-cell patch-clamp and loose-patch recordings from postnatal day (P) 6–10 mice revealed that ethanol exposure dose-dependently increased the frequency of action potential–dependent GABA_A receptor-mediated spontaneous postsynaptic currents (sPSCs) in GoCs. While ethanol produced variable effects on GoC firing rates, it more consistently enhanced GABA_A-sPSC frequency in granule cells. We also examined expression of the K⁺–Cl^- cotransporter 2 (KCC2), a chloride exporter whose developmental upregulation drives the shift in GABA_A receptor signaling from excitatory to inhibitory. Immunohistochemical analysis at P6 showed that GoCs express low levels of KCC2, suggesting that GABA_A receptor–mediated currents may remain depolarizing in a subset of GoCs. This property could contribute to ethanol-induced disruption of cerebellar circuit maturation. Together, these findings provide new insight into the cellular mechanisms by which ethanol perturbs inhibitory circuit development in the cerebellum.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7712,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 60-70"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146127611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chronic alcohol exposure parametric effects on anxiety- and pain-related behaviors in adult rats","authors":"Maria E. Secci ,&nbsp;Loren Johnson ,&nbsp;Thomas Lobell ,&nbsp;Sydney Long ,&nbsp;Lillian Shepherd ,&nbsp;Nicholas W. Gilpin ,&nbsp;Elizabeth M. Avegno","doi":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.01.157","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.01.157","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many animal models of alcohol dependence utilize forced alcohol exposure, including chronic intermittent exposure to alcohol vapor, to induce high blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) and withdrawal-associated behaviors similar to those seen in clinical contexts. Chronic alcohol exposure and withdrawal are especially important in influencing the expression of negative symptoms (e.g., negative affect and pain), which, in turn, increase alcohol consumption. However, cessation of chronic alcohol vapor exposure does not always lead to those “canonical” withdrawal behaviors in rodents. Environmental and genetic factors may modulate alcohol effects on behavior during withdrawal. Here, we used retrospective data analysis to determine associations between alcohol vapor exposure parameters (e.g., BACs, duration of exposure) and anxiety- or pain-like behavior in adult male and female Wistar rats. Our results indicate that specific vapor exposure parameters are predictive of thermal hyperalgesia in Wistar rats but less so for anxiety-like behavior during alcohol withdrawal; collectively, these data may be helpful in informing experiments designed to investigate chronic alcohol effects on behavioral outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7712,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 21-28"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146097670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The analgesic effect of neuropeptide S (NPS) in alcohol-dependent male and female rats","authors":"John Marendes Jr.,&nbsp;Camille L. Young,&nbsp;Brendan J. Tunstall","doi":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.01.159","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.01.159","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Alcohol dependence (AD) includes tolerance to alcohol's analgesic effects and increased pain sensitivity during withdrawal (i.e., hyperalgesia). Further, the reciprocal relationship between alcohol use and pain sensitivity is hypothesized to contribute to the maintenance of AD through negative reinforcement (i.e., self-medication). The neuropeptide S (NPS) system, known to regulate stress, arousal, and pain pathways, may offer a therapeutic target to ameliorate AD-induced hyperalgesia. Given previous reports on the antinociceptive properties of NPS, we hypothesized that central administration of NPS could attenuate the heightened pain sensitivity observed in AD rats.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Male (n = 11) and female (n = 7) Wistar rats were surgically implanted with an intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannula and assigned to either the AD or alcohol-naïve control group, matched in terms of their baseline thermal nociceptive thresholds. Pain sensitivity was tracked weekly using thermal (Hargreaves) and mechanical (robotic Von Frey, also known as the dynamic plantar aesthesiometer) assays to establish AD-induced hyperalgesia. After stable hyperalgesia emerged, rats received ICV NPS administrations (0, 0.1, or 1 nmol in 5 μL saline) 5 min prior to pain testing (Experiment 1: Hargreaves; Experiment 2: robotic Von Frey). In a follow-up experiment, three Von Frey methods (electronic, robotic, and manual) were compared to assess their efficacy in detecting AD-induced mechanical hyperalgesia.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>AD male and female rats developed significant hyperalgesia across both pain modalities. Central administration of NPS produced robust analgesia in a dose-dependent manner in both AD and alcohol-naïve control rats. No sex differences were observed in baseline nociception, AD-induced hyperalgesia, or NPS-induced analgesia. All three mechanical assays reliably detected AD-induced mechanical hyperalgesia, and the importance of adequate habituation procedures is discussed.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These findings indicate that NPS exerts a robust analgesic effect in male and female rats. This effect appears independent of ethanol-exposure history but produces sufficient analgesia to alleviate pain sensitivity in hyperalgesic AD rats to/beyond the level of sensitivity in vehicle treated, alcohol-naïve controls. The NPS system may therefore represent a promising, non-addictive target for treating pain-related symptoms in alcohol dependence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7712,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 29-37"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146097626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of emotion dysregulation, illness-related depression, and general anxiety in hangover anxiety","authors":"Kristin Tellez-Monnery,&nbsp;Ann M. Weber","doi":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.01.156","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.01.156","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Anxiety during hangovers, a common yet understudied phenomenon, may be influenced by psychological factors prior to or concurrent with the hangover event. Alcohol intake levels; general anxiety and depression; depression symptoms during acute physical illness; state- and trait-based emotion dysregulation; and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) were examined.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Participants reporting current alcohol consumption (n = 217) completed baseline assessments of psychological traits. Two-week follow-up (n = 136) captured state-based factors and hangover outcomes. Participants reporting hangovers (n = 39) completed symptom assessments. Anxiety severity was assessed when reporting any anxiety during hangovers, and zero severity assigned otherwise. Non-hangover participants were excluded from analyses. Non-parametric (random forest) and parametric (lasso regression) models that are insensitive to multicollinearity were used to identify psychological factors most strongly associated with hangover anxiety.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>State-based emotion dysregulation was the most important explanatory factor in the random forest model, followed by illness-related depression, general anxiety, trait emotion dysregulation, state- and trait-based RNT, and general depression. Baseline and follow-up alcohol intake showed minimal relevance in explaining hangover anxiety severity. Lasso regression also selected state-based emotion dysregulation and general anxiety as relevant explanatory factors.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Variables most strongly associated with hangover anxiety were state-based emotion dysregulation, illness-related depression, and general anxiety. The role of illness-related depression may reflect underlying inflammation or unique psychological mechanisms. State-based emotion dysregulation and inflammation emerged as relevant factors warranting additional study in the context of hangover anxiety intervention development. Additionally, findings underscore the higher probability of hangover anxiety among individuals with elevated general anxiety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7712,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 12-20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146020929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Binge drinking and mortality among older adults: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey linked to the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database","authors":"Andie MacNeil ,&nbsp;Yu Lung ,&nbsp;Esme Fuller-Thomson","doi":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.02.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.02.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Binge drinking is a growing public health concern among older adults, yet research has disproportionately focused on younger adults. The relationship between binge drinking and mortality among older adults represents a critical research gap.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>(1) To examine the association between binge drinking frequency and mortality among older adults; (2) To identify whether this relationship is attenuated by controlling for various sociodemographic and health factors.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data were drawn from the 2005-2014 Canadian Community Health Survey linked to the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. The final sample was restricted to adults aged 50 and older who reported consuming an alcoholic drink at least once per month (n = 129,470). A series of Cox regression models was conducted to examine the associations between binge drinking and other potential covariates with the time to all-cause mortality.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Most of the sample did not engage in binge drinking (60.1%), while 21.2% engaged in binge drinking less than once per month, 10.7% engaged in binge drinking one to three times per month, and 8.0% engaged in binge drinking once per week or more. Those who had never engaged in binge drinking in the preceding year had significantly lower mortality risk (HR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.74-0.90; p &lt; .0001) compared to those who engaged in binge drinking once a week or more after sociodemographics and health-related covariates were taken into account.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Binge drinking frequency is associated with an increased mortality risk among older adults. Targeted interventions and screening campaigns are needed to address binge drinking among older adults.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7712,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 38-45"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acute alcohol withdrawal increases sodium transporter expression in rat kidneys","authors":"Muhammad Syed,&nbsp;Zaria Opara,&nbsp;Jelani Thompson,&nbsp;Andriae LaCour,&nbsp;Gleice Kelli Silva-Cardoso,&nbsp;Prosper N'Gouemo ,&nbsp;Syed J. Khundmiri","doi":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.01.160","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.01.160","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alcohol consumption is associated with elevated blood pressure and disturbances in electrolytes and water balance, with the kidneys playing key roles in regulating these functions. However, the renal mechanisms involved during both alcohol consumption and subsequent withdrawal remain insufficiently understood. The present study aimed to investigate changes in the expression of key renal proteins, specifically renal sodium chloride cotransporter (NCC), Na-K-ATPase α1-subunit (NKA), sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX1), and Aquaporin-2 (Aqp2) during acute alcohol withdrawal. To achieve this goal, adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered alcohol (30% vol/vol) three times a day for 4 days, followed by an active withdrawal period of 24 or 48 h. Control rats received a vehicle without alcohol. The expressions of NCC, NKA, NCX1, and Aqp2 were determined by western blotting in renal cortical crude membranes at 24 and 48 h into withdrawal. The results indicated that alcohol withdrawal increased NCC expression in both sexes at 24 and 48 h post-withdrawal. NKA expression was higher in control females compared to males, and at 24 h into alcohol withdrawal, NKA expression increased in males but not in females, returning to control levels by 48 h. A transient increase in NCX1 expression was observed in females but not in males at 24 h into alcohol withdrawal. Furthermore, Aqp2 expression consistently decreased in both sexes following alcohol withdrawal. These findings suggest that alcohol withdrawal increases the expression of NCC, NKA, and NCX1 in the kidneys, while concurrently decreasing Aqp2 expression, potentially contributing to kidney dysfunction associated with alcohol use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7712,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 52-59"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146196077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CeA-projecting VTA neurons contribute to alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety-like behavior in male and female rats","authors":"Scott B. Klinefelter ,&nbsp;Loren Johnson ,&nbsp;Shealan C. Cruise ,&nbsp;Sydney Vita ,&nbsp;Candace Weeden ,&nbsp;Maria E. Secci ,&nbsp;Nicholas W. Gilpin ,&nbsp;Elizabeth M. Avegno","doi":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.02.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.02.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alcohol use disorder often causes patients to experience negative affect during withdrawal, and anxiety is positively correlated with relapse during abstinence. The neural adaptations that occur during the transition to dependence are not entirely understood, but they may include interactions between mesolimbic reward circuits and brain stress circuits. Previously, we demonstrated that chronic alcohol exposure leads to activation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons projecting to the central amygdala (CeA) during acute withdrawal, raising the possibility that these cells may underlie some behavioral changes observed during alcohol withdrawal. Here, we investigated the role of VTA-CeA circuitry in anxiety-like behavior during acute alcohol withdrawal in rats. Using a dual virus approach to transfect CeA-projecting VTA neurons with excitatory or inhibitory DREADDs, we demonstrate that VTA-CeA circuit activation increases anxiety-like behavior in otherwise experimentally naïve adult male and female Wistar rats, and that VTA-CeA circuit inhibition rescues increased anxiety-like behavior during acute withdrawal from chronic alcohol exposure. Collectively, the results of these experiments suggest that VTA-CeA circuitry may contribute to anxiety-like behavior and may serve as a target for alleviating alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7712,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 46-51"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146183803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of alcohol use on the gut, inflammation, and organ injury: A summary of the 2025 Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group (AIRIG) meeting","authors":"Madison M. Tschann ,&nbsp;J. Mark Brown ,&nbsp;Summer L. Thompson ,&nbsp;Anjali Kumari ,&nbsp;Ashley Peer ,&nbsp;Pranoti Mandrekar ,&nbsp;Neil Romesh ,&nbsp;Chueh-Lung Hwang ,&nbsp;Samantha M. Yeligar ,&nbsp;Elizabeth J. Kovacs ,&nbsp;Mashkoor A. Choudhry","doi":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2025.11.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2025.11.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The 30th annual Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group (AIRIG) meeting was held on June 21st, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, Louisiana as a satellite symposium of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) and International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA) joint meeting. The meeting was divided into two plenary sessions. The overall focus of this year's meeting was on the effects of alcohol on the gut microbial changes, inflammation, and organ injury.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7712,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol","volume":"130 ","pages":"Pages 28-32"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Imposter syndrome and alcohol use among graduate students: An exploratory study","authors":"Kristina Miljkovic ,&nbsp;Wei-Lin Wang ,&nbsp;Katherine Vorpe ,&nbsp;Thomas Valente ,&nbsp;Rose Marie Ward","doi":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2025.11.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.alcohol.2025.11.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Imposter syndrome, characterized by persistent self-doubt and difficulty in internalizing accomplishments, is associated with psychological distress and maladaptive coping. Graduate students may be particularly vulnerable given academic demands and transitional life phases. This study explored whether coping-related drinking motives account for the association between imposter syndrome and alcohol consumption, and whether gender moderates these associations.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Participants were 1158 graduate students enrolled at a large Midwestern university in 2024. Self-report measures assessed imposter syndrome, coping-related drinking motives, drinking quantity, and drinking frequency. Structural equation modeling tested associations, with drinking quantity and frequency modeled as observed indicators of a latent alcohol consumption construct. Interaction terms and bootstrapped differences in conditional indirect effects tested gender as a moderator.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Imposter syndrome was significantly associated with coping-related drinking motives (β = 1.007, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), which was associated with alcohol consumption (β = 16.352, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). The indirect path from imposter syndrome to alcohol consumption was significant (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), but the direct path was non-significant (<em>p</em> = 0.121). Gender moderated the indirect effect of imposter syndrome on alcohol consumption via coping-related drinking (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), with a stronger pathway among women.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Findings reveal a gender-moderated indirect pathway in which coping-related drinking motives connect imposter syndrome and alcohol consumption among graduate students. They also highlight a plausible pathway warranting longitudinal testing to determine whether coping motives function as a mediating mechanism. Results emphasize the importance of addressing high stress and maladaptive coping in graduate training environments, with future interventions promoting cognitive strategies to reframe self-doubt and behavioral strategies that support adaptive coping.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7712,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol","volume":"130 ","pages":"Pages 33-39"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145616196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}