Forty-eight young adults (24 with alcohol dependence, 24 healthy controls) underwent fMRI in a Siemens 3 T Trio scanner during a block-design monetary reward task. The groups were matched for age, sex, race, and smoking habits. Sample characteristics are presented in Table 1. As expected, the alcohol dependent group did not differ from the healthy control group in any demographic characteristics. Participants were recruited in the greater Pittsburgh area from a larger PET study and from community advertisements. The original total sample included 59 individuals. Of these, 9 were unable to complete the functional tasks in the fMRI scanner either due to scheduling limitations or scanner malfunction, 2 individuals were excluded for low-response rates in the scanner (less than 50% of total responses), and 1 was excluded for inadequate coverage of prefrontal regions. Exclusion criteria for this study included the following: pregnancy, serious medical or neurological illness, systolic blood pressure >140 mmHG, diastolic blood pressure <90 mmHG, any current major axis I psychiatric diagnosis (except alcohol and nicotine use disorder), metal implants or paramagnetic objects, employment as a radiation worker
