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Abstract

Introduction: Acute alcohol intoxication impairs inhibitory control. Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may alter executive control, but little is known about whether accelerated iTBS can be combined with controlled alcohol administration. Methods: This double-blind, sham-controlled pilot study evaluated feasibility and preliminary behavioral effects of accelerated left prefrontal iTBS during acute alcohol intoxication in healthy young adults (N = 10). Participants completed a Cued Go/No-Go task at baseline and near peak breath alcohol concentration after active or sham iTBS delivered in two bouts separated by 30 min. Results: All participants in the analytic sample completed both stimulation conditions without serious adverse events or stimulation-related discontinuations. Alcohol increased inhibitory failures relative to baseline. Preliminary analyses suggested greater alcohol-induced increases in inhibition failures following active versus sham iTBS. Conclusion: Accelerated prefrontal iTBS can be implemented during controlled acute alcohol intoxication in a laboratory setting. Although the behavioral findings are not conclusive, they are hypothesis-generating and underscore the need to evaluate state-dependent neuromodulation effects in larger, balanced studies.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2026

Notes/Citation Information

Publisher Copyright: © 2026

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1016/j.dadr.2026.100466

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Archival

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