A baseline session was carried out outside the PET scanner to ensure that subjects tolerated the alcohol infusion without experiencing nausea or marked sedation, and allow them to habituate to the procedure. All subjects received i.v. alcohol that raised BACs from 0 to 80 mg/dl within 15 min. This is a peak BAC commonly achieved by social drinkers, although the infusion procedure produced this level at a faster rate than is typically achieved with oral alcohol use. The exposure profile was chosen based on prior findings showing that it robustly activates the ventral striatum in a manner that can be detected by functional brain imaging 27. Subjective response to alcohol was measured using a modified Drug Effects Questionnaire [DEQ; 28] obtained before the beginning of the infusion and every 7.5 min minutes during the infusion. Breath alcohol concentrations (BrAC) were monitored every 7.5 min during the infusion, and every 30 min thereafter. Blood samples for BACs were collected before starting the infusion, and then at 15, 30 and 45 min.
