It is important to consider potential future steps for these studies. First, in light of the great expense and large amounts of staff and subject time involved in fMRI measures, it will be worthwhile to continue to search for alternate, less costly approaches that might measure phenomena that overlap with the fMRI patterns. Second, additional work is needed to further elucidate the brain mechanisms that contribute to these fMRI results and how they relate to drinking practices. Third, the current data neither definitively support nor refute the possibility that the relatively high BOLD response contrasts during a cognitive task after placebo can by themselves predict future low LRs and/or future heavier drinking in subjects even before their first drink. Perhaps that might be best evaluated as an add-on to prospective investigations of fMRI in the future.
