Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Thesis

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Jennifer Berry

Second Advisor

Kristin Trainor

Abstract

Alcohol mixed with energy drinks containing large amounts of caffeine has become a popular mixture, particularly among younger generations. The effects of mixing two opposing psychoactive drugs - caffeine, being a central nervous system stimulant, and alcohol, being a central nervous system depressant - have been shown previously to increase the risk of binge drinking and participation in other risky behaviors. The current study was designed to examine consumption patterns and withdrawal effects of adolescent mice when given alcohol mixed with the popular energy drink Red Bull®. Male and female C57BL/6J mice (N=32) arrived at 4 weeks of age and were given intermittent access to a 2-bottle choice paradigm containing a secondary bottle of water (control), sugar-free Red Bull alone, 10% alcohol, or 10% alcohol mixed with sugar-free Red Bull® (alcohol-mixed energy drink or AmED) for an additional 4 weeks. Following 4 weeks of intermittent access consumption to these substances, all mice underwent a 10-minute open field test (OFT) to examine anxiety-like behavior during withdrawal 24 hours after removal of the secondary bottles. We hypothesized that mice given access to AmEDs will consume more compared to mice given access to alcohol or energy drinks alone, and that the mice given AmED access will have a stronger withdrawal than mice given access to either alcohol or Red Bull® alone. A 2-way ANOVA (time by treatment group) revealed that male adolescent mice consumed significantly more caffeine when Red Bull® was combined with alcohol during weeks 2 and 4 compared to mice given Red Bull® alone. A separate 2-way ANOVA found similar results with caffeine consumption in adolescent female mice (weeks 2-4 were significantly different). For alcohol consumption, a 2-way ANOVA revealed that male adolescent mice consumed significantly more alcohol when it was mixed with the Red Bull® compared to alcohol alone, while adolescent female mice consumed similar amounts of alcohol, either alone or when combined with Red Bull®. In the OFT, a 2-way ANOVA (treatment group by sex) revealed no significant differences between the treatment groups or sexes. These data indicate the usefulness of intermittent access models to examine the effects of caffeinated energy drinks such as Red Bull® as well as AmEDs. Data also suggests that male, but not female, adolescent mice consume more alcohol when it is combined with Red Bull® compared to either substance alone.

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS