A personality-based description of maturing out of alcohol problems: Extension with a Five-Factor model and robustness to modeling challenges

To examine the relation of changes in Five-Factor personality traits (i.e., extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience; Costa & McCrae, 1985), drinking motives, and problematic alcohol involvement in a cohort of college students (N = 467) at varying risk for alcohol use disorders from ages 21 to 35.

Parallel process latent growth models were estimated to determine the extent that prospective changes in personality and alcohol problems covaried as well as the extent to which drinking motives appeared to mediate these relations.

Changes in neuroticism and conscientiousness covaried with changes in problematic alcohol involvement. Specifically, increases in conscientiousness and decreases in neuroticism were related to decreases in alcohol from ages 21 to 35, even after accounting for marriage and/or parenthood.

Change in coping (but not enhancement) motives specifically mediated the relation between changes in conscientiousness and alcohol problems in addition to the relation between changes in neuroticism and alcohol problems.

Personality changes, as assessed by a Five-Factor model of personality, are associated with “maturing out” of alcohol problems. Of equal importance, change in coping motives may be an important mediator of the relation between personality change and the "maturing out" of alcohol problems.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: littlefielda@missouri.edu

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No anti-junk food laws, health secretary promises

Beer companies, confectionary firms and crisp-makers will be asked to fund the government's advertising campaign to persuade people to switch to a healthier lifestyle and, in return, will not face new legislation outlawing excessively fatty, sugary and salty food, the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, announced today.

In a move condemned by campaigners as the government "rolling over on their backs in front of the food lobby", Lansley told a conference of public health experts that he wanted a new partnership with food and drink firms. In exchange for a "non-regulatory approach", the private sector would put up cash to fund the Change4Life campaign to improve diets and boost levels of physical activity among young people.

Read More > > > >

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MARIN INSTITUTE COMMENTS ON 2010 DIETARY GUIDELINES REPORT

Marin Institute appreciates the opportunity to comment on the 2010 Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Founded in 1987, Marin Institute is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect the public from alcohol-related harm. We advance policies to reduce over-consumption and monitor alcohol industry practices that undermine public health and safety.

Given this background, Marin Institute is uniquely qualified to comment on the Committee’s recommendations for the 2010 Guidelines, and to help ensure that any changes made to the Guidelines are made in the interest of public health and safety.


We are extremely concerned about the alcohol recommendations contained in the Report. They suggest that increased daily consumption is safe; that the uncertain health benefits from alcohol consumption outweigh the known risks; and that public health messages should include alcohol consumption for both patients and the general public. All of these suggestions are not only questionable, but also potentially dangerous. Moreover, they represent a significant departure from previous recommendations but without nearly sufficient scientific basis to justify such a shift. > > > >

Read Full Comments (PDF)


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Defining the "Moderate" in Moderate Alcohol Consumption

The U.S. government is considering a proposal to redefine the definition of moderate alcohol consumption in its federal Dietary Guidelines. It may sound like a small change, but it's an important marker.

Every five years, the departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services review the U.S. Dietary Guidelines under congressional mandate. The goal is to update the national nutritional guidelines according to the latest scientific research. Such guidelines can have important effects on federal programs. Before the formal guidelines are published, a committee of appointed external experts gathers to draft recommendations for any changes. The 13-member committee that reviewed the 2010 guidelines released their report June 15.

The basic upper threshold for moderate alcohol intake hasn't changed since the third version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was published in 1990: Up to one drink per day for women and two for men. But one of the suggestions by the advisory committee for the 2010 version, due out later this year, is to define moderation as an average daily intake of up to one drink for women and two for men, with no more than three drinks for women on a single day and four for men.

Read More > > > >


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Ethnicity and alcohol: a review of the UK literature

The Government's alcohol strategy, 'Safe. Sensible. Social.', recommends assessing and developing provision for black and minority ethnic groups. This review explores differences in drinking patterns by ethnicity and the cultural and social contexts around alcohol use.

The review:

• describes drinking levels as reported in national surveys and local research;
• considers why drinking rates among ethnic groups may change over time;
• examines help-seeking, support and service provision for minority ethnic groups;
• examines how services are equipped to respond to the needs of minority ethnic groups

Read Full Report (PDF)


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Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) was established jointly by the Secretaries of US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Committee’s task was to advise the Secretaries of USDA and HHS on whether revisions to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines were warranted, and if so, to recommend updates to the Guidelines. The DGAC immediately recognized that, on the basis of the vast amount of published research and emerging science on numerous relevant topics, an updated report was indeed needed.


The 2010 DGAC Report is distinctly different from previous reports in several ways. First, it addresses an American public of whom the majority are overweight or obese and yet under-nourished in several key nutrients. Second, the Committee used a newly developed, state-of-the-art, web-based electronic system and methodology, known as the Nutrition Evidence Library (NEL), to answer the majority of the scientific questions it posed. The remaining questions were answered by data analyses, food pattern modeling analyses, and consideration of other evidence-based reviews or existing reports, including the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were the starting place for most reviews. If little or no scientific literature had been published on a specific topic since the 2005 Report was presented, the DGAC indicated this and established the conclusions accordingly.

A third distinctive feature of this Report is the introduction of two newly developed chapters. The first of these chapters considers the total diet and how to integrate all of the Report’s nutrient and energy recommendations into practical terms that encourage personal choice but result in an eating pattern that is nutrient dense and calorie balanced. The second chapter complements this total diet approach by integrating and translating the scientific conclusions reached at the individual level to encompass the broader environmental and societal aspects that are crucial to full adoption and successful implementation of these recommendations.

The remainder of this Executive Summary provides brief synopses of these and all of the other chapters, which reviewed current evidence related to specific topics and presents the resulting highlights that comprise the fundamental essence of this report.

Alcohol

An average daily intake of one to two alcoholic beverages is associated with the lowest all-cause mortality and a low risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease among middle-aged and older adults. Despite this overall benefit of moderate alcohol consumption, the DGAC recommends that if alcohol is consumed, it should be consumed in moderation, and only by adults.

Moderate alcohol consumption is defined as average daily consumption of up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men, with no more than three drinks in any single day for women and no more than four drinks in any single day for men. One drink is defined as 12 fl. oz. of regular beer, 5 fl. oz. of wine, or 1.5 fl. oz. of distilled spirits.

The DGAC found strong evidence that heavy consumption of four or more drinks a day for women and five or more drinks a day for men has harmful health effects.

A number of situations and conditions call for the complete avoidance of alcoholic beverages.


Read Section 7: Alcohol (PDF)

USDA Press Release ― June 15, 2010 (PDF)


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The scope of costs in alcohol studies: Cost-of-illness studies differ from economic evaluations

Alcohol abuse results in problems on various levels in society. In terms of health, alcohol abuse is not only an important risk factor for chronic disease, but it is also related to injuries. Social harms which can be related to drinking include interpersonal problems, work problems, violent and other crimes. The scope of societal costs related to alcohol abuse in principle should be the same for both economic evaluations and cost-of-illness studies. In general, economic evaluations report a small part of all societal costs. To determine the cost- effectiveness of an intervention it is necessary that all costs and benefits are included.

The purpose of this study is to describe and quantify the difference in societal costs incorporated in economic evaluations and cost-of-illness studies on alcohol abuse.

To investigate the economic costs attributable to alcohol in cost-of-illness studies we used the results of a recent systematic review (June 2009). We performed a PubMed search to identify economic evaluations on alcohol interventions. Only economic evaluations in which two or more interventions were compared from a societal perspective were included. The proportion of health care costs and the proportion of societal costs were estimated in both type of studies.

The proportion of healthcare costs in cost-of-illness studies was 17% and the proportion of societal costs 83%. In economic evaluations, the proportion of healthcare costs was 57%, and the proportion of societal costs was 43%.

The costs included in economic evaluations performed from a societal perspective do not correspond with those included in cost-of-illness studies. Economic evaluations on alcohol abuse underreport true societal cost of alcohol abuse. When considering implementation of alcohol abuse interventions, policy makers should take into account that economic evaluations from the societal perspective might underestimate the total effects and costs of interventions.

Read Full Article (PDF)

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Motor response programming and movement time in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure

The present experiment assessed motor response programming and movement time in children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (PEA).

Alcohol-exposed children between the ages of 7 and 17 years were classified into two groups: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS: n=9) and children with PEA (PEA: n=19) but who did not have the defining characteristics of FAS.

The FAS and PEA children were compared with non–alcohol-exposed children (NC: n=23) when completing two tasks: a simple reaction time task (RT alone condition) and a reaction plus movement task (RT+Move condition). The movement involved responding to an imperative stimulus signal and depressing three target buttons in a set sequence. Participants completed 24 trials each for the RT alone and RT+Move response conditions.

Results indicated no significant differences in performance among FAS, PEA, and NC groups during the RT alone condition. However, during the RT+Move condition, the FAS group produced significantly longer and more variable RTs than the PEA and NC groups, which produced comparable RTs.

The FAS group also produced significantly slower movement times when moving to all three targets, whereas movement time variability did not significantly differ as a function of group.

The observed results indicate children with FAS experience deficits in response programming and movement time production.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: rsimmons@mail.sdsu.edu

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MK-801 administration during neonatal ethanol withdrawal attenuates interpositus cell loss and juvenile eyeblink conditioning deficits

Binge-level doses of ethanol have been demonstrated to severely disrupt the cerebellum and cerebellum-dependent tasks when administered to rodent subjects during the early postnatal period. N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor-mediated excitotoxicity associated with ethanol withdrawal has been implicated as a significant component contributing to neurotoxic effects resulting from early ethanol exposure, and studies using MK-801 (dizocilpine) have reported protection from ethanol-induced damage.

The present study examined whether the administration of MK-801 during ethanol withdrawal would ameliorate ethanol-associated cell death in the interpositus nucleus of the cerebellum and behavioral deficits in a cerebellar dependent task.

Long Evans rat pups were treated with ethanol (5.25g/kg) in a binge-like manner on postnatal day 6 using intragastric intubation. Subjects then received an injection of MK-801 (0.5mg/kg) or vehicle during withdrawal, 30h after ethanol exposure. Rats were then trained on an eyeblink classical conditioning task as juveniles (40 days of age), and cerebellar interpositus nucleus numbers were assessed after conditioning.

Ethanol-exposed subjects exhibited reductions in neuronal populations and behavioral deficits during eyeblink conditioning.

However, MK-801 administration significantly attenuated observed deficiencies, suggesting a protective effect resulting from MK-801 treatment during ethanol withdrawal.

These results support the role of NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity as a component mechanism by which ethanol produces teratogenicity.

Additionally, our findings support previous reports that have shown correlations between dependent measures of eyeblink classical-conditioning behavior and unbiased cell counts in the interpositus nucleus.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: bwyoung@northwestern.edu


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Low–moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and risk to child behavioural development: a prospective cohort study

To examine the association of fetal alcohol exposure during pregnancy with child and adolescent behavioural development.

The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study recruited 2900 pregnancies (1989–91) and the 14-year follow up was conducted between 2003 and 2006.

Tertiary obstetric hospital in Perth, Western Australia.

The women in the study provided data at 18 and 34 weeks of gestation on weekly alcohol intake: no drinking, occasional drinking (up to one standard drink per week), light drinking (2–6 standard drinks per week), moderate drinking (7–10 standard drinks per week), and heavy drinking (11 or more standard drinks per week).

Longitudinal regression models were used to analyse the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) scores over 14 years, assessed by continuous z-scores and clinical cutoff points, after adjusting for confounders.

Their children were followed up at ages 2, 5, 8, 10 and 14 years. The CBCL was used to measure child behaviour.

Light drinking and moderate drinking in the first 3 months of pregnancy were associated with child CBCL z-scores indicative of positive behaviour over 14 years after adjusting for maternal and sociodemographic characteristics. These changes in z-score indicated a clinically meaningful reduction in total, internalising and externalising behavioural problems across the 14 years of follow up.

Our findings do not implicate light–moderate consumption of alcohol in pregnancy as a risk factor in the epidemiology of child behavioural problems.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: moniquer@ichr.uwa.edu.au

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Study analysing possible changes in the minimum rates and structures of excise duties on alcoholic beverages

In 2004, the Commission produced a report which recommended that the minimum rates of duty laid down in 1992 should be revalorised to take account of the inflation that has occurred since then (COM(2004) 223 final).

The report also noted problems in the classification and categorisation of alcoholic products for excise purposes such that, in some cases, the same product was classified under different categories (and hence subject to different taxation) in different Member States.

The overarching objective of the present study is to examine whether the current structures of alcohol taxation and the minimum rates laid down for the various categories are adequately supporting the effective functioning of the internal market, or whether distortions are caused and adaptations would be appropriate.

The study has two main specific aims, namely to provide an:

�� Assessment of the current burdens of taxation and economic relationships between the different types of alcoholic beverages in different Member States;

�� Assessment of the economic impact on the particular beverages and on the different Member States of potential changes to the alcohol directives compared to the current status quo.


Read Full Study (PDF)


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SENATE DEMOCRATS UNVEIL KEY PIECE OF BUDGET SOLUTION: Multi-Year Restructuring Plan Saves Billions While Providing Quality Services Effectively

Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San Diego), Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, today provided a detailed outline of the Senate Democratic Restructuring Budget Proposal which is a key piece to solving this year’s budget as well out year deficits.

2010 Restructuring Proposal

Part I – Improving Public Safety (Account #1)

Goal: Restore the ability of local communities to provide safe streets and improve outcomes for families impacted by drug and alcohol abuse.

Transfer Community-Based Public Safety Programs from State to Counties (up to $1.6 billion over 4 years):

Public Safety Sub-Account #1:

A. Shift state juvenile parole services to counties (modified version of Governor’s May Revision proposal).

B. Shift certain low-level criminal offenders (primarily drug and property crime offenders) to counties for both incarceration and community supervision (modified version of Governor’s May Revision proposal).

C. Maintain existing funding for COPS/Juvenile Justice program (set to expire in 2011-12).

Public Safety Sub-Account #2:

D. Shift Drug Medi-Cal programs to counties.

E. Shift Offender Treatment Program to counties.

F. Restore Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act Funding to counties.

G. Shift Drug Court Program to counties.

Also, eliminate the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP); transfer any necessary remaining functions to other state agencies (such as Department of Health Care Services), and add one ADP oversight position to HHS Agency.

Senate Democrats Restructuring Overview Handout


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Alcohol News - 27/2010

Daily Mail (UK) - Parents' drinking scares 30 per cent of children according to new survey

CNN (USA) - Study: Underage drinking trips to ER spike in July 4 weekend

Radio New Zealand (New Zealand) - Parents offering alcohol to under-18s could be fined

Hindustan Times - Difficult childhood linked to drinking

BBC News (UK) - Survey shows parents buy alcohol for their teenagers

Herald Scotland (Scotland) - Plans to ban below-cost alcohol sales unveiled

WalesOnline (Wales) - Drink-related admissions level off at 54,000

Private Healthcare UK - Drinking while pregnant 'damages sons' sperm quality'

allvoices (UK) - Over half the England population are using harmful levels of Alcohol and or Drugs
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BusinessWeek - Teen Girls Becoming More Open to Drugs, Alcohol

BBC News (UK) - Doctors call for an end to loyalty points for alcohol

Baltic Reports (Estonia) - Pevkur: Estonian beer must be weakened

Irish Times (Ireland) - Alcohol prices 67% above EU average

NewsTime (Russia) - Russia to ban drinking and driving completely


Read Weekly Newsletter

Event-related oscillations in the parietal cortex of adult alcohol-preferring (P) and alcohol-nonpreferring rats (NP)

The selectively bred alcohol-preferring (P) and -nonpreferring (NP) lines were developed from Wistar rats to model high and low voluntary alcohol consumption and have been demonstrated to exhibit many of the characteristics of human alcohol dependence.

Electrophysiologic studies have shown P rats exhibit more electroencephalographic fast frequency activity and reduced P3 amplitude in the parietal cortex than NP rats, findings that are more common in alcohol-dependent individuals.

Event-related oscillations (EROs) have been suggested to be good endophenotypes associated with ethanol dependence in clinical studies. Recently EROs have also been demonstrated to occur in rodents in response to stimuli that are similar to that used in human clinical studies.

The objective of the present study was to characterize EROs in adult P and NP rats.

A time-frequency representation method was used to determine delta, theta, and alpha/beta ERO energy and the degree of phase variation in the parietal cortex of adult P and NP rats.

The present results suggest that the decrease in P3 amplitudes previously shown in P rats were not associated with changes in ERO energy but were significantly associated with decreases in evoked delta and alpha/beta phase locking.

These studies demonstrate ERO measures may also be good endophenotypes in animal models of alcoholism.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: cindye@scripps.edu

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EU Alcohol Policy Conference

The Director-General for Health and Consumers Paola Testori Coggi addressed the participants of the 4th European Alcohol Policy Conference, organized by Eurocare (European Alcohol Policy Alliance) on 21-22 June 2010 in Brussels. This conference series is a key event in the field of alcohol policy taking place every two years.

Speaking as part of the welcoming session, Ms Testori drew attention to the impact of harmful alcohol consumption on the European population, particularly on young people, and the EU actions in response to this. She set out the following headline statistics: 23 million Europeans are estimated to be dependent on alcohol every year; alcohol causes nearly 200,000 deaths annually in the EU, a figure which includes around 50,000 deaths from alcohol caused cancers; every second driver who dies in a single-vehicle traffic crash is under the influence of alcohol; alcohol is responsible for 25% of all deaths of young men in the 15-24 age group.

Read More > > >


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Shock poster aimed at pregnant women

Health officials in Treviso [ Veneto] have launched a shock poster campaign featuring an image of a foetus in a cocktail glass in an attempt to discourage pregnant women from drinking alcohol. The image, showing the foetus curled up in a glass of campari spritz, carries the slogan, “Mamma beve, bimbo beve” [“If the mother drinks, the baby drinks”] and was the inspiration of the Fabrica advertising agency, which numbers Benetton among its clients.

Read More > > > >


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First Progress Report on the Implementation of the EU Alcohol Strategy

The first EU Alcohol Strategy was adopted by the European Commission in October 2006 in response to the growing recognition of the health impact of harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption in the EU. The Strategy was endorsed by the other EU institutions indicating that a broad consensus has been achieved in the EU on the approach to tackle alcohol related harm. This is the first report to review progress against strategy implementation.


Read Full Report (PDF)


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The Beer & Wholesomeness Report

Recent headlines would have us believe that red wine drinkers enjoy good health, while those who choose beer are at risk of exactly the opposite.

However a closer look at the nutritional content of beer tells a very different story. Beer, when drunk in moderation is one of the healthiest alcoholic drinks around, known down the ages as ‘liquid bread’. > > > >


Read Full Report (PDF)


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Investing in alcohol treatment - reducing costs and improving lives

One of the key challenges for local commissioners is developing a range of alcohol services for those who have problems with alcohol or who are at risk of developing problems.

The report finds that there was a 24% increase in the number of dependent drinkers between 2000 and 2007, with the current figure now standing at 1.6 million dependent drinkers in England.

Key questions to consider when developing services are:

• How should demand be assessed and services planned?
• What is the best model for local services?
• Which care pathways should commissioners prioritise?
• How should vulnerable groups be supported?
• How do we measure success?

This paper sets out Alcohol Concern's views on these questions, based upon our experience over 10 years of providing consultancy and training to regional bodies, PCTs and local authorities. The primary audience for the report is alcohol treatment commissioners, but we also want to offer a vision of treatment to service managers and others involved in service planning and provision.

Read Full Report (PDF)

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S100B and homocysteine in the acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome

Elevations of serum homocysteine levels are a consistent finding in alcohol addiction. Serum S100B levels are altered in different neuropsychiatric disorders but not well investigated in alcohol withdrawal syndromes.

Because of the close connection of S100B to ACTH and glutamate secretion that both are involved in neurodegeneration and symptoms of alcoholism the relationship of S100B and homocysteine to acute withdrawal variables has been examined.

A total of 22 male and 9 female inpatients (mean age 46.9 ± 9.7 years) with an ICD-10 diagnosis of alcohol addiction without relevant affective comorbidity were examined on admission and after 24, 48, and 120 h during withdrawal. S100B and homocysteine levels in serum were collected, and severity of withdrawal symptoms (AWS-scale), applied withdrawal medication, initial serum ethanol levels and duration of addiction were recorded.

Serum S100B and homocysteine levels declined significantly (P < .05) over time. Both levels declined with withdrawal syndrome severity. Females showed a trend to a more intense decline in serum S100B levels compared to males at day 5 (P = .06). Homocysteine levels displayed a negative relationship to applied amount of clomethiazole (P < .05) and correlated with age of onset of addiction. No withdrawal seizures were recorded during the trial. As it is known for homocysteine, S100B revealed to decline rapidly over withdrawal treatment in alcoholism. This effect is more pronounced in female patients. S100B could be of relevance in the neurobiology of alcohol withdrawal syndromes. It may be indirectly related to the level of stress level or glutamatergic activity during alcohol withdrawal.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: dwedeki1@gwdg.de


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Australia's health 2010

Australia's health 2010 is the 12th biennial health report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. It's the nation's premier source of statistics and informed commentary on: determinants of health and keys to prevention; diseases and injury; how health varies across population groups; health across the life stages; health services, expenditure and workforce; the health sector's performance.

pg. 90 Alcohol use, risk of harm and health status

This section reports against the 2001 NHMRC alcohol consumption guidelines as these were the guidelines in place when the data were collected. The guidelines were expressed in terms of short-term and long-term risk of harm (injury, ill health and death).

In 2007, an estimated 17.1% of Australians aged 14 years and older had not consumed alcohol in the previous 12 months (AIHW 2008b), and so are not assessed for risk here. The majority of Australians (60.8%) had drunk at levels considered low risk for harm in the short and long term, and 8.6% had drunk at levels considered risky or high risk for both short- and long-term harm.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, people who drank at high-risk levels in 2007, both in the short and long term, were more likely than other drinkers to assess their own health as fair or poor (AIHW 2008b).

People who abstained from alcohol consumption were more likely to report their health as fair or poor compared with risky or low-risk drinkers. It is important to note that other factors such as age and socioeconomic status may also affect self-assessment of health status.

Risky drinkers also appeared to have poorer mental health: a higher proportion of those who drank at levels considered to be high risk in the short term reported that they had a mental health illness (13.2%) compared with low-risk drinkers (10.2%) or the whole population aged 14 years and over (10.8%) (AIHW 2008b). The survey also showed that high-risk (15.3%) and risky (11.0%) drinkers were more likely than low-risk drinkers (8.5%) to experience high or very high levels of psychological distress.

The relationship between mental health and alcohol consumption is not in one direction. In some cases, mental health issues may have preceded or prompted alcohol use, while for others the alcohol use may have occurred first.


Read Full Report (PDF)

Read Section 3 Determinants: keys to prevention (PDF)
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Why Do Adolescents Drink? Motivational Patterns Related to Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol-Related Problems

The present study was designed to investigate motivational patterns for drinking alcohol and their relation about alcohol consumption and problems related to alcohol consumption.

Data were collected by semistructured interviews and questionnaires, containing questions about reasons for drinking, alcohol consumption, and problems related to alcohol consumption during the years 2001, 2004, and 2005. Three independent population samples from two different counties of central Sweden were included. A total of 11,167 adolescents participated. Data on reasons for drinking were analyzed by factor analysis to extract components explaining drinking motives. Relationships between motivational patterns and alcohol use were examined with correlation analysis.

Three drinking motives emerged (social-enhancement, coping, and dominance motives) and related to alcohol consumption and problems related to alcohol consumption.

Limitations of the study are noted and discussed.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: erika.comasco@neuro.uu.se


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What Aspects of Human Alcohol Use Disorders Can Be Modeled Using Selectively Bred Rat Lines?

The use of selective breeding to produce animal models for the study of alcohol abuse and alcoholism represents one of the major advances in the field of alcohol research.

Rats selectively bred for alcohol preference and alcohol nonpreference have been useful to both preclinical and clinical investigators in the alcohol research community for studying the behavioral, neurobiological, and molecular basis of alcohol drinking, for identifying the genes that may contribute to the development of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and for evaluating the utility of drugs aimed at reducing alcohol intake and preventing alcohol relapse.

Rats selectively bred for alcohol preference (alcohol preferring or “P” line) have enhanced responsiveness to the low dose reinforcing effects of alcohol, less aversion to moderate/high doses of alcohol, and are able to develop tolerance to the aversive effects of alcohol more rapidly and to maintain tolerance longer than rats selectively bred for alcohol nonpreference (alcohol nonpreferring or “NP” line).

The increased potency of low-dose alcohol as a reinforcer for P rats might be expected to foster and maintain alcohol drinking. Weaker aversion to the pharmacological effects of moderate/high doses of alcohol in the P line would allow P rats to drink more alcohol than NP rats before the postingestional effects become aversive.

Rapid induction of tolerance to the aversive effects of alcohol with repeated bouts of voluntary alcohol drinking, as well as persistence of alcohol tolerance in rats of the P line might serve to maintain alcohol drinking.

These are powerful mechanisms that may serve to promote and maintain a high alcohol drinking behavior. Although these rat lines have been used to address several characteristics of excessive alcohol consumption in humans, they have not yet been used to model several aspects of human alcohol use disorders.

New applications of these selectively bred rat lines are discussed which may further our understanding of the factors contributing to alcohol abuse and alcoholism.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: jcfroehl@iupui.edu.


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The Fast Alcohol Screening Test (FAST) is as Good as the AUDIT to Screen Alcohol Use Disorders

This study was aimed at assessing the psychometric qualities of the fast alcohol screening test (FAST), and at comparing these qualities to those of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) in three samples of Brazilian adults: (i) subjects attended at an emergency department (530); (ii) patients from a psychosocial care center (40); and (iii) university students (429).

The structured clinical interview for diagnosis (SCID)-IV was used as gold standard.

The FAST demonstrated high test–retest and interrater reliability coefficients, as well as high predictive and concurrent validity values.

The results attest the validity and reliability of the Brazilian version of the FAST for the screening of indicators of alcohol abuse and dependence.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: jcrippa@fmrp.usp.br


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Neuromodulation of Decision-Making in the Addictive Brain

Noninvasive brain stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation can modify decision-making behaviors in healthy subjects.

The same type of noninvasive brain stimulation can suppress drug craving in substance user patients, who often display impaired decision-making behaviors.

We discuss the implications of these studies for the cognitive neurosciences and their translational applications to the treatment of addictions.

We propose a neurocognitive model that can account for our findings and suggests a promising therapeutic role of brain stimulation in the treatment of substance abuse and addictive behavior disorders.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: sfecteau@bidmc.harvard.edu


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Subjective Responses to Alcohol Consumption as Endophenotypes: Advancing Behavioral Genetics in Etiological and Treatment Models of Alcoholism

Individual differences in subjective responses to alcohol consumption represent genetically mediated biobehavioral mechanisms of alcoholism risk (i.e., endophenotype).

The objective of this review is three-fold:

(1) to provide a critical review the literature on subjective response to alcohol and to discuss the rationale for its conceptualization as an endophenotype for alcoholism;

(2) to examine the literature on the neurobiological substrates and associated genetic factors subserving individual differences in subjective response to alcohol; and

(3) to discuss the treatment implications of this approach and to propose a framework for conceptualizing, and systematically integrating, endophenotypes into alcoholism treatment.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: lararay@psych.ucla.edu.

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Impact of prenatal alcohol consumption on placenta-associated syndromes

The biology of placental and fetal development suggests that alcohol may play a significant role in increasing the risk of feto-infant morbidity and mortality, but study results are inconsistent and the mechanism remains poorly defined. Previous studies have not examined the risk of placenta-associated syndromes (PASs: defined as the occurrence of either placental abruption, placenta previa, preeclampsia, small for gestational age, preterm, or stillbirth) as a unique entity.

Therefore, we sought to examine the relationship between prenatal alcohol use and the risk of PAS among singleton births in the Missouri maternally linked data files covering the period 1989–2005. Logistic regression with adjustment for intracluster correlation was used to generate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Compared with nondrinkers, drinkers were more likely to be smokers, 35 years of age or older, black, and multiparous. Drinkers had an increased risk of PAS (OR=1.26, 95% CI=1.22,1.31) when compared with their nondrinking counterparts. The risk of PAS was progressively amplified with increasing prenatal alcohol consumption (P for trend <.01). Women who reported consuming five or more alcoholic drinks per week had more than twofold increased risk of PASs, whereas women in the lowest drinking category (one to two drinks per week) had only a slight increased risk of PAS (OR=1.09, 95% CI=1.05, 1.14).

Enhanced understanding of the mechanism by which prenatal alcohol consumption leads to PAS may aid in the development of more targeted interventions designed to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Screening women for alcohol use may assist providers in protecting developing fetuses from the potential dangers of prenatal alcohol use.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: hamisu.salihu@gmail.com

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