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Dissertation Defense: The Influence and Manipulation of Resting-state Brain Networks in Alcohol Use Disorder

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Jeremy Myslowski

Dissertation Defense: The Influence and Manipulation of Resting-state Brain Networks in Alcohol Use Disorder 

Jeremy Myslowski

Graduate Student, Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health
Graduate Research Assistant, LaConte Lab, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Dec. 13, 2023 at 2:30 p.m.
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About this Dissertation

Alcohol is the most commonly used mind-altering substance in the United States. Most alcohol users do not develop a problem with it, but alcohol use disorder is common, and treatments are currently inadequate. Some of the acute effects of alcohol on the brain mirror the effects of chronic alcohol use, altering the decision-making and future thinking capacities. Therefore, interventions that can address these shortcomings may be useful for reducing the negative effects of alcohol use disorder in combination with other therapies. Myslowski, mentored by Stephen LaConte, examines the neural effects of a brief behavioral intervention, episodic future thinking, that seeks to address these impairments. Myslowski's research shows that episodic future thinking has both acute and longer-lasting effects on consequential brain networks at rest and during delay discounting. The researchers further examine one brain network, the default mode network, in a real-time fMRI experiment to test the degree to which people along the alcohol use severity spectrum can self-regulate this network. The research shows that default mode network suppression is impaired as alcohol use disorder severity increases, and in the process, show that direct examination of resting-state networks with these methods will provide more information than measuring them at rest alone.

More About the Candidate and Project

Education

Virginia Tech, Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Ph.D. Candidate

Pennsylvania State University, B.S., Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering

Training

Graduate Research Assistant, LaConte Lab, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC

Mentor

Stephen LaConte, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC

Committee Members

  • Warren Bickel, Ph.D., Virginia Tech Carilion Behavioral Health Research Professor and Director, Addiction Recovery Research Center and Center for Health Behaviors Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
  • Pearl Chiu, Ph.D., Professor and Patricia Caldwell Faculty Fellow, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
  • Sujith Vijayan, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Neuroscience, College of Science, Virginia Tech

Publications

Bickel, Warren K., Roberta Freitas-Lemos, Jeremy Myslowski, Fatima Quddos, Rafaela M. Fontes, Bruna Barbosa-França, Rebecca Faubion-Trejo, and Stephen M. LaConte. 2023. “Episodic Future Thinking as a Promising Intervention for Substance Use Disorders: A Reinforcer Pathology Perspective.” Current Addiction Reports, July, 1–14.

Myslowski et al. "Inconsistent decision making and choice difficulty engage brain networks that are predictive of delay discounting in adolescents". In Preparation

Myslowski et al. "Functional connectivity changes subsequent to episodic future thinking in alcohol use disorder." In Preparation

Myslowski et al. "Characterization of default mode network modulation using real-time neurofeedback." In Preparation

Myslowski et al. "Neurofeedback-enabled default mode network suppression is impaired along the alcohol use disorder severity spectrum." In Preparation


Presentations

“Differences in salience network connectivity after episodic future thinking in alcohol use disorder”, Organization for Human Brain Mapping. July 2023. Poster Presentation

“Alcohol use disorder shows increased hippocampal-frontopolar connectivity following episodic future thinking”, Research Society on Alcohol. June 2023. Poster Presentation

“Mapping and predicting pattern-based DMN neurofeedback”, Real-time Functional Imaging and Neurofeedback. October 2022. Oral Presentation

“Key nodes of the salience network are more active during inconsistent decision making”, Organization of Human Brain Mapping. June 2021. Poster Presentation

“Toward a Predictive Model of Delay Discounting”, Organization for Human Brain Mapping. June 2020.

OcuBloc: Bye Bye, Eyedrops. Tom Tom Festival, Charlottesville, VA. April 2019. Pitch Competition Presentation.

  • Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship, 2021