Assessment of Emerging Technologies to Support Individuals With At-Risk Alcohol Consumption: Pilot Controlled Investigation Study

TL;DR

This study explores using eye-scanning technology and saliva biomarkers to monitor alcohol consumption in a small group of participants.

Contribution

The study introduces eye scanning as a potential noninvasive method for detecting alcohol effects in real-time.

Findings

Eye-scanning parameters changed at 0.4 to 0.5 per mille blood alcohol concentration, indicating impaired eye convergence.

Salivary biomarkers like serotonin and orexin did not correlate with alcohol intake due to the small sample size.

Eye scanning showed promise as an accessible method for monitoring moderate alcohol consumption.

Abstract

The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare recently updated the national guidelines for at-risk consumption of alcohol. Nearly 30% of the Swedish population now falls under the at-risk category and should be provided with support.

This project aims to identify and evaluate efficient, scalable tools to support individuals with risk-prone alcohol consumption. The project seeks to explore innovative, accessible technologies that could be implemented in large-scale public health interventions.

A pilot-scale clinical study was conducted to assess the feasibility of using emerging technologies for this purpose. Eight healthy volunteers participated in controlled alcohol consumption while being monitored through 2 methods: an eye-scanning tool integrated into a standard mobile phone and saliva sampling for biomarkers such as serotonin and orexin.

Eye-scanning parameters began to shift in some participants at approximately 0.4 to 0.5 per mille blood alcohol concentration, particularly in the form of impaired eye convergence. Furthermore, at around 0.5 per mille, participants encountered practical difficulties in managing the eye-scanning app. Salivary biomarkers did not show any clear correlation with alcohol intake, presumably due to the low number of participants. Beyond biological findings, the study also generated important procedural insights for designing a large-scale clinical study.

Eye scanning showed potential as a noninvasive and accessible method for detecting and monitoring moderate alcohol consumption effects, while serotonin and orexin biomarkers were not informative in this context. On the basis of these findings and procedural learnings, eye-scanning tools warrant further investigation in larger clinical studies aimed at developing scalable support for risk-prone alcohol consumption.

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