Spring 2013 Meeting of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (ICCFASD)

 

Date:

April 4, 2013 - 8:30am to 3:30pm

 

Details:

Registration is not required. The meeting is sponsored by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Wednesday, April 3, 2013, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., ICCFASD Work Group Meetings (closed to the public)

Thursday, April 4, 2013, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., General ICCFASD Meeting (open to the public)

Agenda: Draft agenda for April 4 program

Thursday, April 4, 2013 program will consist of:

1. Updates of FASD-relevant activities of ICCFASD Member Organizations
2. Reports of recent and upcoming activities of the ICCFASD Work Group on Diagnostic Issues and the ICCFASD Work Group on Justice Issues
3. A Panel Discussion on Diagnosing Young Children

 

Location:

5635 Fishers Lane
Terrace Level Conference Center
Rockville, Maryland 20852
 

Directions:

There is a parking garage behind 5635 Fishers Lane. For additional information, contact sanders1@mail.nih.gov.

 

Acute Alcohol Produces Ataxia and Cognitive Impairments in Aged Animals: A Comparison Between Young Adult and Aged Rats

 

Aging in both humans and rodents appears to be accompanied by physiological changes that increase biologic sensitivity to ethanol (EtOH) intoxication. However, animal models designed to investigate this increased alcohol sensitivity have yet to be established. For this reason, we sought to determine whether acute EtOH administration produces differential effects on motor coordination and spatial cognition in young adult and aged rats.

Male young adult (postnatal day 70 to 72) and aged (~18 months) Sprague-Dawley rats were assessed on 2 motor tasks (the accelerating rotarod [RR] and the aerial righting reflex [ARR]) and a single cognitive performance task (the Morris water maze [MWM]). Following acute EtOH exposure via intraperitoneal injection, animals' performance was reassessed.

Aged rats showed a dramatic increase in EtOH-induced ataxia on the RR and the ARR relative to young adult animals. Similarly, results from the MWM revealed that aged animals had slightly greater EtOH-induced impairments compared with young adult animals. Importantly, the increased impairments produced by EtOH were not due to differential blood EtOH levels.

We demonstrate for the first time that aged rats show greater EtOH-induced deficits compared with young adults in tasks of motor and cognitive performance. The possible role of protein kinase C as a mechanism for increased sensitivity to the motor-impairing effects of EtOH is discussed. Given the high prevalence of alcohol use among the elderly, increased vulnerability to alcohol-induced deficits may have a profound effect on injury in this population.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail:   dmatthews@ntu.edu.sg

Decreased Peripheral Blood CD4+/CD25+ Regulatory T Cells in Patients with Alcoholic Hepatitis

Development of alcoholic hepatitis (AH) may be favored by the activation of the innate immune response. Recently, decreased numbers of circulating regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been reported in diseases associated with an immune activation status, but no studies have focused so far, in investigating the distribution of Tregs in chronic alcoholism and its potential association with liver disease. Here, we analyzed for the first time the frequency of peripheral blood (PB) Tregs and Treg subsets in AH and its relationship with the production of inflammatory cytokines by PB monocytes and dendritic cells (DCs).

 

PB samples from 25 male patients with AH were studied; in parallel, 15 male chronic alcoholic patients without liver disease (AWLD) and 17 male healthy donors were also studied, as controls. The distribution of CD4⁺CD25^hiCD127^−/lo Tregs and their maturation subsets (naïve, central memory, and peripheral memory Tregs) was analyzed by flow cytometry. Spontaneous and in vitro-stimulated production of inflammatory cytokines by PB monocytes and DCs was analyzed by flow cytometry at the cytoplasmic level.

 

Patients with AH showed decreased (p < 0.05) numbers of PB CD4⁺CD25^hiCD127^−/lo Tregs at the expense of all maturation-associated subsets, while AWLD and healthy subjects showed a similar (p > 0.05) distribution of PB CD4⁺CD25^hiCD127^−/lo Tregs. Interestingly, significantly increased amounts of spontaneously produced inflammatory cytokines were found among circulating monocyte-derived DCs and monocytes from AH (and AWLD) patients in comparison with healthy donors. Conversely, the ability of these cell subsets to produce cytokines after in vitro stimulation was lower (p < 0.05) in AH versus the 2 control groups.

 

PB CD4⁺CD25^hiCD127^−/lo Tregs are significantly decreased in patients with AH when compared to both healthy and AWLD; this may contribute to explain the more pronounced activation of the innate immune response observed in AH, as reflected by an increased secretion of inflammatory cytokines by PB DCs and monocytes, and could facilitate the development of liver disease.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail:     laso@usal.es: 

 

Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Decreased Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Developing Hypothalamic Neuronal Cells: Role of Microglia

We have previously shown that ethanol (EtOH) increases cellular apoptosis to developing neurons via the effects on oxidative stress of neurons directly and via increasing production of microglia-derived factors. To study further the mechanism of EtOH action on neuronal apoptosis, we determined the effects of 2 well-known PKA activators, dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), on EtOH-activated oxidative stress and apoptotic processes in the hypothalamic neurons in the presence and absence of microglial cells' influence.

 

In enriched neuronal cells from fetal rat hypothalami treated with EtOH or with conditioned medium from EtOH-treated microglia, we measured cellular apoptosis by the free nucleosome assay and the levels of cAMP, BDNF, O²⁻, reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitrite, glutathione (GSH), and catalase following treatment with EtOH or EtOH-treated microglial culture conditioned medium. Additionally, we tested the effectiveness of dbcAMP and BDNF in preventing EtOH or EtOH-treated microglial conditioned medium on cellular apoptosis and oxidative stress in enriched hypothalamic neuronal cell in primary cultures.

 

Neuronal cell cultures following treatment with EtOH or EtOH-activated microglial conditioned medium showed decreased production levels of cAMP and BDNF. EtOH also increased apoptotic death as well as oxidative status, as demonstrated by higher cellular levels of oxidants but lower levels of antioxidants, in neuronal cells. These effects of EtOH on oxidative stress and cell death were enhanced by the presence of microglia. Treatment with BDNF or dbcAMP decreased EtOH or EtOH-activated microglial conditioned medium-induced changes in the levels of intracellular free radicals, ROS and O²⁻, nitrite, GSH, and catalase.

 

These data support the possibility that EtOH by acting directly and via increasing the production of microglial-derived factors reduces cellular levels of cAMP and BDNF to increase cellular oxidative status and apoptosis in hypothalamic neuronal cells in primary cultures.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail:    sarkar@aesop.rutgers.edu

Circadian Clock Period Inversely Correlates with Illness Severity in Cells from Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders

Clinical and genetic studies suggest circadian clock genes may contribute to biological mechanisms underlying alcohol use disorders (AUD). In particular, the Per2 gene regulates alcohol consumption in mutant animals, and in humans with AUD, the 10870 variant in PER2 has been associated with alcohol consumption. However, with respect to function, the molecular clock remains largely uncharacterized in AUD patients.

 

In skin fibroblast cultures from well-characterized human AUD patients (n = 19) and controls (n = 13), we used a bioluminescent reporter gene (Per2::luc) to measure circadian rhythms in gene expression at high sampling density for 5 days. Cells were genotyped for the PER2 10870 variant. The rhythm parameters period and amplitude were then analyzed using a case–control design and by genetic and clinical characteristics of the AUD subjects.

 

There were no differences between AUD cases and controls in rhythm parameters. However, period was inversely correlated with illness severity (defined as the number of alcohol dependence criteria met). The PER2 variant 10870 was not associated with differences in rhythm parameters.

 

Our data suggest that differences in the cellular circadian clock are not pronounced in fibroblasts from AUD cases and controls. However, we found evidence that the circadian clock may be associated with an altered trajectory of AUD, possibly related to illness severity. Future work will be required to determine the mechanistic basis of this association.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail:    mmccarthy@ucsd.edu

Activation of PPARγ by Pioglitazone Potentiates the Effects of Naltrexone on Alcohol Drinking and Relapse in msP Rats

Pioglitazone is a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonist used for the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Previous studies conducted in our laboratory showed that activation of PPARγ by pioglitazone reduces alcohol drinking, stress-induced relapse, and alcohol withdrawal syndrome in rats. Pioglitazone was not able to prevent relapse elicited by alcohol cues. Conversely, the nonselective opioid antagonist naltrexone has been shown to reduce alcohol drinking and cue- but not stress-induced relapse in rodents.

 

Based on these findings, this study was sought to determine the efficacy of pioglitazone and naltrexone combination on alcohol intake and relapse behavior. Genetically selected alcohol-preferring Marchigian Sardinian (msP) rats were used for the study.

 

Pioglitazone (10 and 30 mg/kg) and naltrexone (0.25 and 1.0 mg/kg) each individually reduced alcohol drinking in msP rats. The combination of the 2 drugs resulted in a more potent alcohol drinking reduction than single agents. Confirming previous studies, pioglitazone (10 and 30 mg/kg) significantly reduced relapse induced by the pharmacological stressor yohimbine (1.25 mg/kg) but not by cues predictive of alcohol availability. Conversely, naltrexone reduced reinstatement of drug seeking elicited by alcohol cues but not by yohimbine.

 

The drug combination was effective in reducing both relapse behaviors. These findings open new vistas in the use pioglitazone in combination with naltrexone for the treatment of alcoholism.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail:     roberto.ciccocioppo@unicam.it

Intraperitoneal Injection of Ethanol Results in Drastic Changes in Bone Metabolism Not Observed when Ethanol Is Administered by Oral Gavage

Chronic alcohol abuse is associated with increased risk of osteoporosis while light-to-moderate alcohol intake correlates with reduced osteoporosis risk. Addition of alcohol to a liquid diet is often used to model chronic alcohol abuse. Methods to model intermittent drinking (including binge drinking and light-to-moderate consumption) include (i) intragastric administration of alcohol by oral gavage or (ii) intraperitoneal (ip) administration of alcohol by injection. However, it is unclear whether the latter 2 methods produce comparable results. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the skeletal response to alcohol delivered daily by oral gavage or ip injection.

 

Ethanol (EtOH) or vehicle was administered to 4-month-old female Sprague–Dawley rats once daily at 1.2 g/kg body weight for 7 days. Following necropsy, bone formation and bone architecture were evaluated in tibial diaphysis (cortical bone) and proximal tibial metaphysis (cancellous bone) by histomorphometry. mRNA was measured for bone matrix proteins in distal femur metaphysis.

 

Administration of alcohol by gavage had no significant effect on body weight gain or bone measurements. In contrast, administration of the same dose of alcohol by ip injection resulted in reduced body weight, total suppression of periosteal bone formation in tibial diaphysis, decreased cancellous bone formation in proximal tibial metaphysis, and decreased mRNA levels for bone matrix proteins in distal femur.

 

Our findings raise concerns regarding the use of ip injection of EtOH in rodents as a method for modeling the skeletal effects of intermittent exposure to alcohol in humans. This concern is based on a failure of the ip route to replicate the oral route of alcohol administration.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail:    urszula.iwaniec@oregonstate.edu

Selection for Drinking in the Dark Alters Brain Gene Coexpression Networks

 

Heterogeneous stock (HS/NPT) mice have been used to create lines selectively bred in replicate for elevated drinking in the dark (DID). Both selected lines routinely reach a blood ethanol (EtOH) concentration (BEC) of 1.00 mg/ml or greater at the end of the 4-hour period of access in Day 2. The mechanisms through which genetic differences influence DID are currently unclear. Therefore, the current study examines the transcriptome, the first stage at which genetic variability affects neurobiology. Rather than focusing solely on differential expression (DE), we also examine changes in the ways that gene transcripts collectively interact with each other, as revealed by changes in coexpression patterns.

 

Naïve mice (N = 48/group) were genotyped using the Mouse Universal Genotyping Array, which provided 3,683 informative markers. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis used a marker-by-marker strategy with the threshold for a significant logarithm of odds (LOD) set at 10.6. Gene expression in the ventral striatum was measured using the Illumina Mouse 8.2 array. Differential gene expression and the weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) were implemented largely as described elsewhere.

 

Significant QTLs for elevated BECs after DID were detected on chromosomes 4, 14, and 16; the latter 2 were associated with gene-poor regions. None of the QTLs overlapped with known QTLs for EtOH preference drinking. Ninety-four transcripts were detected as being differentially expressed in both selected lines versus HS controls; there was no overlap with known preference genes. The WGCNA revealed 2 modules as showing significant effects of both selections on intramodular connectivity. A number of genes known to be associated with EtOH phenotypes (e.g., Gabrg1, Glra2, Grik1, Npy2r, and Nts) showed significant changes in connectivity.

 

We found marked and consistent effects of selection on coexpression patterns; DE changes were more modest and less concordant. The QTLs and differentially expressed genes detected here are distinct from the preference phenotype. This is consistent with behavioral data and suggests that the DID and preference phenotypes are markedly different genetically.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail:   iancuo@ohsu.edu

Chronic Ethanol (EtOH) Consumption Differentially Alters Gray and White Matter EtOH Methyl 1H Magnetic Resonance Intensity in the Primate Brain

In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has previously been used to directly monitor brain ethanol (EtOH). It has been proposed that the EtOH methyl ¹H resonance intensity is larger in EtOH-tolerant individuals than in sensitive individuals. To characterize the relationship between long-term EtOH exposure and the brain EtOH MRS intensity, we present data from a longitudinal experiment conducted using nonhuman primate subjects.

 

In vivo MRS was used to measure the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) EtOH methyl ¹H MRS intensity in 18 adult male rhesus macaques at 4 time points throughout the course of a chronic drinking experiment. Time points were prior to EtOH drinking, following a 3-month EtOH induction procedure, and following 6, and 12 subsequent months of 22 h/d of “open access” to EtOH (4% w/v) and water.

 

The EtOH methyl ¹H MRS intensity, which we observed to be independent of age over the range examined, increased with chronic EtOH exposure in GM and WM. In GM, MRS intensity increased from naïve level following the EtOH induction period (90 g/kg cumulative EtOH intake). In WM, MRS intensity was not significantly different from the EtOH-naïve state until after 6 months of 22-hour free access (110 to 850 g/kg cumulative intake range). The WM MRS intensity in the EtOH-naïve state was positively correlated with future drinking, and the increase in WM MRS intensity was negatively correlated with the amount of EtOH consumed throughout the experiment.

 

Chronic exposure to EtOH is associated with brain changes that result in differential increases in EtOH MRS intensity in GM and WM. The EtOH-naïve WM MRS intensity pattern is consistent with its previously proposed relationship to innate tolerance to the intoxicating effects of EtOH. EtOH-dependent MRS intensity changes in GM required less EtOH exposure than was necessary to produce changes in WM. Within WM, an unexpected, potentially age dependent, enhanced sensitivity to EtOH in light drinkers relative to heavy drinkers was observed.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint  E-Mail:    kroenkec@ohsu.edu

The Impact of Adolescent Binge Drinking and Sustained Abstinence on Affective State

While it is clear that affect is negatively impacted by heavy drinking in adulthood and that it improves with abstinence, little is known about effects of heavy drinking on mood during adolescence.

 

This study examined negative mood states among 2 groups of 16- to 18-year-old high school students; youth with a history of recent heavy episodic drinking (HED; n = 39) and comparison youth with limited lifetime drinking experience (CON; n = 26). Affect was assessed at 3 time points during a 4- to 6-week period of monitored abstinence using the Hamilton Rating Scales for Anxiety and Depression; self-reports were obtained with the state portion of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and experience sampling of current affect was assessed via daily text messages sent at randomly determined times in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

 

Youth with a recent history of HED reported more negative affect compared with nondrinking youth during early stages of abstinence (days since last HED at assessment 1: M = 6.46; SD = 5.06); however, differences in affect were not observed after 4 to 6 weeks of abstinence. Sex differences were evident, with HED girls reporting greater depression and anxiety than HED male peers. Although not significant, response patterns indicated that boys may experience faster resolution of negative emotional states than girls with sustained abstinence.

 

Findings suggest that high-dose drinking is associated with elevated negative affect for adolescents and that negative mood states may take longer to resolve for girls than for boys following heavy drinking episodes. Future research clarifying naturally occurring changes in affective response during early and sustained abstinence is necessary for improving programs designed to promote adolescent decision-making and to reduce risk for relapse.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail:   sandrabrown@ucsd.edu

Genetic Polymorphisms of Alcohol Dehydrogenase-1B and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase-2 and Liver Cirrhosis, Chronic Calcific Pancreatitis, Diabetes Mellitus, and Hypertension Among Japanese Alcoholic Men

The presence of the less-active form of alcohol dehydrogenase-1B encoded by ADH1B*1/*1 (vs. *2 allele) and active form of aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) encoded by ALDH2*1/*1 (vs. *2 allele) increases the risk of alcoholism in East Asians.

 

The subjects in this cross-sectional survey were 1,902 Japanese alcoholic men (≥40 years) who underwent ADH1B/ALDH2 genotyping.

 

Age-adjusted daily alcohol consumption did not differ according to the ADH1B/ALDH2 genotypes. The age-adjusted odds ratios (AORs; 95% confidence interval) for liver cirrhosis (LC; n = 359, 1.58 [1.19 to 2.09]), chronic calcific pancreatitis (CP; n = 80, 2.24 [1.20 to 4.20]), and diabetes mellitus (DM; n = 383, 1.51 [1.15 to 1.99]) were higher in the ADH1B*2 allele carriers than in the ADH1B*1/*1 carriers. The AORs for LC (1.43 [1.01 to 2.02]), CP (1.68 [0.80 to 3.53]), DM (1.63 [1.15 to 2.30]), and hypertension (HT; n = 495, 1.52 [1.11 to 2.07]) were higher in the ALDH2*1/*1 carriers than in the ALDH2*1/*2 carriers. The ADH1B*2-associated AOR for LC was 2.08 (1.46 to 2.94) among those aged 40 to 59 years, but 0.89 (0.56 to 1.43) among those aged 60 years or over, and the interaction between ADH1B genotype and age on the LC risk was significant (p = 0.009). When the group with non-LC and no/mild fibrosis was used as controls, the ADH1B*2-associated AORs increased according to the severity of their liver disease: 1.67 (1.32 to 2.11) for the group with non-LC and serum type IV collagen values ≥200 ng/ml, 1.81 (1.24 to 2.63) for the group of Child-Pugh class A LC, and 3.17 (1.98 to 5.07) for the group with Child-Pugh class B/C LC. Anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody was positive in 103 patients, and the groups with a high anti-HCV antibody titer and either the ADH1B*2/*2 genotype or the ALDH2*1/*1 genotype had the highest AORs (8.83 and 4.90, respectively). The population attributable fraction (PAF) due to the ADH1B*2 allele was 29% for LC, 47% for CP, and 27% for DM, and the PAF due to the ALDH2*1/*1 genotype was 26% for LC, 34% for DM, and 30% for HT.

 

The ADH1B*2 allele increased the AORs for LC, CP, and DM of the alcoholics, and the ALDH2*1/*1 genotype increased their AORs for LC, DM, and HT. HCV infection and genetic susceptibility had a synergistic effect on the AOR for LC.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail:   a_yokoyama@kurihama1.hosp.go.jp

Alcohol News 13/2013

 

 

 

Alcolock.se (Sweden) - STOP DRINKING AND DRIVING: THIRTEEN PERCENT LIVE

Of all deaths on the road to responsible alcohol approximately thirteen percent. Strictly speaking: no alcohol, but the drivers.

Read more

News in English (Norway) - Demand crashed Vinmonopolet site

Thirsty, holiday-bound Norwegians were so curious about the opening hours at Norway’s state wine and liquor store chain, Vinmonopolet, on Wednesday that their heavy traffic to the monopoly’s website ended up crashing it. Vinmonopolet’s restricted opening hours may be liberalized somewhat next year.

Read more

Nordstjernan (Norway/Sweden) - Systembolaget closed due to Norwegian invasion

Swedish Systembolaget (the government owned chain of liquor stores) was closing in the town of Strömstad as a precaution because of the massive “invasion” of Norwegians expected around Easter.

Read more

The Baltic Course (Lithuania) - Lithuania health min wants to increase excise duty on cigarettes and alcohol every year

Lithuanian Minister of Health Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis says that he is in favour of continuously increasing excise duties on cigarettes and alcohol, reports LETA/ELTA.

Read more

ICEnew (Finland) - Finland clamp down on under-age drinking

Three people who bought alcohol on behalf of Finnish under-age drinkers have each been given tough sentences by the Vantaa district court. The leader of the trio, a 59-year-old man, has been charged with tobacco sales crimes, weapons crimes, alcohol crimes and tax fraud.

Read more

Yle.fi (Finland) - Tough sentences in under-age alcohol case

A trio who bought alcohol for under-age drinkers in the capital city region were convicted of tax fraud and alcohol crimes at Vantaa district court.

Read more

ScandAsia.com (Finland) - Finnish research: “Coffee might protect alcohol drinkers from liver disease”

The researchers asked nearly 19,000 Finnish men and women aged from 25 to 74 about their coffee and alcohol consumption. They also measured participants’ blood levels of the liver enzyme gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT).

Read more

Baltic Course (Estonia) - Estonian beverage producers set a ceiling to alcohol content of cider and long drink

Estonian Beer Association members A. LeCoq, Saku Õlletehas ja Viru Õlu will reduce the alcohol content of cider produced and marketed at a the local market to 4.5% and that of long drink to 5.5% starting July 1, 2013, LETA/Public Broadcasting reports.

Read more

Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - The price that society pays for heavy drinkers' freedom is a crying shame

I was shown a photo recently of me giving a leaving certificate to one of my students. The photo moved me greatly because the boy is now dead. His name was Thomas Kelly and he was killed last year when someone hit him from behind while he strolled in Kings Cross with his girlfriend.

Read more

IrishCentral (Ireland) - Irish government set to introduce a minimum price on alcohol to tackle abuse

The government is preparing measures, including setting minimum pricing, to tackle alcohol abuse. A major study of how much alcohol Irish people consume is already underway. The report will determine how often they go to the pub and with whom they drink.

Read more

SU The Daily Orange - Nasa: Healthy ideas about body image, alcoholic beverage consumption must be promoted

College women face more scrutiny than their male counterparts when it comes to gaining weight from excessive drinking. Some companies have found a way to cash in on this stigma by creating alcohol marketed specifically toward the insecurities of women.

Read more

The Nationa Student (UK) - Alcohol restriction proposed for under 25s

To curb binge drinking in the UK, a Government think-tank has proposed restricting all alcohol consumption by people under 25 to their recommended daily amount of units.

Read more

Daily Mail (France) - 'Le binge-drinking' takes hold of France as alcohol-related hospital admissions rise by 30%

France has seen a sharp rise in the number of people being hospitalised for alcohol-related conditions. Around 400,000 people out of a population of 65 million are admitted to French hospitals every year for conditions like comas, hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, a rise of 30 per cent compared with three years ago.

Read more

Adelaide Now (Australia) - Foetal alcohol syndrome linked to binge drinking by mums

YOUNG women who binge drink while pregnant are producing a new wave of school children with learning difficulties, experts say.

Read more

Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey) - Governor of Aegean province defends anti-alcohol measures overturned by court

The Afyonkarahisar Governor’s Office has defended its decision to restrict alcohol consumption in the western province after a court recently struck down anti-drinking measures, saying its moves were not illegal.

Read more

Prague Daily Monitor (Chech Republic) - Gov't toughens fight against alcohol drinking, smoking

The Czech government Wednesday approved a plan of the state's tougher fight against excessive alcohol drinking and smoking, mainly by young people, by enhancing prevention steps at schools and setting up a network of services for those in trouble due to drugs, alcohol and gambling.

Read more

 

 

Read Full Newsletter

Strategic Plan for the Organization and Delivery of Substance Abuse Services in Maryland

 

The health care landscape has changed in the two years since the Maryland State Drug and Alcohol Advisory Council (SDAAC) developed its 2010-2012 Strategic Plan. Most significantly, the US Congress passed, and President Obama signed into law, the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), which “offered states an unprecedented opportunity to change the face of health care.”[1] In response, Governor O’Malley established the Health Care Reform Coordinating Council (HCRCC) which defined Maryland’s vision, and created the blueprint, for health care reform in the State. An important HCRCC recommendation was that “DHMH examine different strategies to achieve integration of mental health, substance abuse, and somatic services. Potential avenues to be explored include statewide administrative structure and policy, financing strategies designed to encourage coordination of care, and delivery system changes.”[2]

Yet, it must be acknowledged that the field of substance abuse had been moving towards coordinated, comprehensive service delivery even before the 2010 passage of ACA and the recommendations of the HCRCC. In fact, the SDAAC Strategic Plan posits a recovery-oriented system of care as its “intended outcome…consistent with the vision for the Council articulates by its members on December 9, 2008.”[3] To help inform this process, Maryland can refer to the concept and definition of recovery refined by leaders in the behavioral health field. In May 2011, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published the group’s working definition of, and set of principles for, recovery to “assure access to recovery-oriented services…as well as reimbursement to providers.”[4] The group defined recovery as “a process of change whereby individuals work to improve their own health and wellness and to live a meaningful life in a community of their choice while striving to achieve their full potential.” Infused throughout the Principles of Recovery are a focus on individual strengths, on relationships with peers, family and community, on hope and respect. Another “call” for collaboration and coordination” arises from the U.S. Department of Health And Human Services’ Strategic Framework on Multiple Chronic Conditions, which identifies behavioral health problems “such as substance use and addictions disorders, mental illness, dementia and other cognitive impairment disorders, and developmental disabilities” as “multiple chronic conditions.” [5]   > > > >  Read More

Mark Kleiman on why we need to solve our alcohol problem to solve our crime problem

Mark Kleiman is Professor of Public Policy at the UCLA School of Public Affairs and is currently advising Washington State on marijuana legalization. His article in the latest issue of the journal “Democracy” argues that we can reform the criminal justice system to make sanctions more predictable and less cruel while reducing crime in the process. We spoke on the phone Thursday afternoon; a lightly edited transcript follows.  > > > >  Read More

FASD News - 12/2013

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS and ARTICLES

BBC (UK) - Oxford trust publishes alcohol-related foetus disorder guidelines

A charity has published recommendations for medical staff to tackle a foetal disorder caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Read more

Hibbing Daily Tribune (USA) - County program helps fight fetal alcohol syndrome

A St. Louis County program that assists pregnant women addicted to alcohol or other drugs received some national attention this winter.

Read more

Alberta Daily Herald Tribune (Canada) - New mobile clinic for Grande Prairie FASD

Those dealing with, or who have a child dealing with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) now have better access to services with the addition of a mobile program offered by the North West FASD Service Network.

Read more

Science Network (Australia) - Population based study provides new alcohol and pregnancy data

BOTH Indigenous and non-Indigenous children of mothers with an alcohol-use disorder have the same risk of intellectual disability, a Curtin University study has found.

Read more

ABC (Australia) - Drinking during pregnancy affecting development in Gippsland's Indigenous children

The negative effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy are showing up in Indigenous children in Gippsland says Michael Moyle, one of the speakers at a recent Indigenous Health Forum in Inverloch. He was speaking about his experience with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder or FASD.

Read more

Mother Nature Network - Light drinking while pregnant could lower baby's IQ

Bad news for moms-to-be: Drinking even a few alcoholic beverages per week during pregnancy could lower a baby's IQ by a few points, a new study has found.

Read more

UPCOMING

University of Alaska - FASD: Best Practices in the Last Frontier

The Arctic FASD Regional Training Center and the University of Alaska Anchorage Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services invite you to attend the 2013 conference on FASDs: FASD: Best Practices in the Last Frontier.

Read more

CAPHC - A Novel Screening Test for the Behavioral Phenotype of FASD

The NST is a simple pen and paper questionnaire, which is based on 10 individual items representing common areas of parent reported behavioural concerns in children with FASD. It is intended to be used as a brief screening instrument as part of a diagnostic interview conducted by a psychologist, in a variety of settings. Join us For a Webinar on April 19, 1:00 - 2:30 pm EDT.

Read more

MATERIALS and VIDEOS

Girls Action Foundation - GIRLS ACTION ON GIRLS AND HEALTHY LIVING (Infographic)

Read more

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Social Marketing Campaign

Read more

RESEARCH

PLOS - Violence against People with Disability in England and Wales: Findings from a National Cross-Sectional Survey

The recent World Report on Disability highlighted violence as a leading cause of morbidity among disabled people. However, we know little about the extent to which people with disability experience different violence types, and associated health/economic costs. The recent introduction of disability measures into the England&Wales victimization survey provided an opportunity to address this gap.

Read more

PLOS - Alcohol Production as an Adaptive Livelihood Strategy for Women Farmers in Tanzania and Its Potential for Unintended Consequences on Women’s Reproductive Health

Although women occupy a central position in agriculture in many developing countries, they face numerous constraints to achieving their full potential including unequal access to assets and limited decision-making authority.

Read more

Alcoholism - Prenatal Ethanol Exposure Delays the Onset of Spermatogenesis in the Rat

During late prenatal and early postnatal life, the reproductive system in males undergoes an extensive series of physiological and morphological changes.

Read more

Maternal and Child Health Journal - Prevalence and Correlates of Drinking in Early Pregnancy Among Women who Stopped Drinking on Pregnancy Recognition

Women most at risk for drinking and binge drinking in early pregnancy were younger in age and exhibited risky drinking behaviour prior to pregnancy. A targeted intervention to reduce the risk for an alcohol exposed pregnancy is warranted for sexually active younger women in New Zealand and elsewhere.

Read more

 

 

Read Full Newsletter

Alcohol Research Center Battles Addiction with Science

The University of Connecticut Alcohol Research Center achieved a milestone recently when the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism renewed the center’s funding for another five years. Founded in 1978, the Center was already the longest-funded center, both at UConn and within the NIH/NIAAA structure. The new grant funds the ARC through late 2017, when it will mark its 40^th anniversary. Longevity isn’t the ARC’s sole claim to fame, however. Its research into the causes and treatment of alcohol disorders has led to groundbreaking advances and a worldwide reputation.  > > > >  Read More

The role of acetaldehyde in ethanol reinforcement assessed by Pavlovian conditioning in newborn rats

 

 

 

Animal studies indicate that central acetaldehyde, dependent on catalase metabolism of ethanol (EtOH), modulates ethanol reinforcement. Brain catalase activity and acetaldehyde (ACD) production are significantly higher in rat pups compared with adults. Interestingly, infant rats show high EtOH affinity for alcohol consumption and are particularly sensitive to the drug’s reinforcing effects.

 

We tested whether central ACD is necessary and sufficient to induce appetitive conditioning in newborn rats through the artificial nipple technique.

 

Vehicle, EtOH (100 mg%), and acetaldehyde (0.35 μmol) were administered into the cisterna magna (1 μl). Half of the animals also received a central administration of 75 μg (experiment 1) or 40 μg of d-penicillamine (experiment 2). Afterwards, pups were exposed to an olfactory cue (conditioned stimulus). One hour later, neonates were tested with an artificial nipple in the presence of the conditioned cue. Nipple attachment duration, mean grasp duration, and number of nipple disengagements served as dependent variables.

 

Positive responses to the scented nipple occurred in neonates conditioned with EtOH or ACD (experiments 1 and 2). In experiment 1, there were indications that d-penicillamine weakened the reinforcing effects of EtOH and ACD. In experiment 2, d-penicillamine (40 μg) significantly inhibited appetitive conditioned responses dependent upon EtOH or ACD.

 

Appetitive conditioning was observed when employing either central EtOH or ACD as unconditioned stimuli. Central abduction of ACD inhibited conditioned appetitive responsiveness to the surrogate nipple. Central ACD is involved in the determination or modulation of EtOH’s motivational properties during early stages in development.

 

 

Read Full Abstract

 

Request Reprint E-Mail:   smarch@immf.uncor.edu