Common and unique latent transition analysis (CULTA) as a way to examine the trait-state dynamics of alcohol intoxication

OBJECTIVE: This article introduces the common and unique latent transition analysis (CULTA), a novel approach to studying alcohol intoxication dynamics in young adults engaged in heavy episodic drinking. CULTA merges the common and unique trait-state model with latent transition analysis to separate stable, traitlike intoxication components from transient fluctuations while modeling transitions between distinct drinking profiles. METHOD: A sample of 222 young adults wore transdermal alcohol concentration sensors for 6 days, capturing real-time alcohol levels. The CULTA model decomposed intoxication variability into common and unique influences across four transdermal alcohol concentration features-peak, rise rate, fall rate, and duration. Latent intoxication profiles were identified, and transition probabilities between profiles were estimated with a focus on the influence of alcohol use disorder risk measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. RESULTS: Two latent intoxication profiles emerged. The first, chronic heavy episodic drinking, was characterized by persistently high intoxication without significant inertia, while the second, inertia-driven drinking, featured moderate episodic intoxication with a strong autoregressive effect, reflecting lingering intoxication that dissipates over time. Individuals with higher Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores were more likely to remain in or transition to the chronic heavy episodic drinking profile. Although peak intoxication and rise rate showed limited individual variability, fall rate and duration varied substantially, marking them as potential targets for intervention. CONCLUSIONS: CULTA advances our understanding of alcohol intoxication by distinguishing stable from transient influences and modeling transitions between drinking states. These findings suggest that interventions should address both persistent and situational aspects of intoxication-especially by reducing duration and fall rate-and encourage research across longer periods and populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).