These results should be interpreted in the context of the study’s strengths and limitations. Strengths include the within-subjects alcohol priming study design, well-validated neuroimaging methods, effective alcohol priming dosing procedures resulting in reasonably controlled blood alcohol levels, and the well-ascertained sample of individuals with alcohol dependence. The use of a single alcoholism severity factor score is another strength of the study as this technique is able to capture the multifaceted nature of alcohol addiction (38). Lastly, the use of a consistent alcoholic beverage for the priming dose as well as the alcohol cues delivered in the scanner adds to the translational value of the study results as it more closely models what would be experienced in a naturalistic environment; however, the decision not to use the participants’ preferred alcoholic beverage (e.g., 11) represents a limitation of the study design, despite evidence for significant increases in self-reported craving across the standardized alcohol taste cue trials as compared with water taste cue trials.
