Determinants of Nurses' Attitudes toward the Care of Patients with Alcohol Problems

Nurses from an Australian metropolitan hospital completed the Marcus Alcoholism, Seaman Mannello Nurses' Attitudes toward Alcoholism, and the shortened Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaires.

The majority had personal (73%) and/or professional (93%) experience with people with alcohol problems. Not one reported receiving drug and alcohol training.

On average, nurses held neutral to positive attitudes toward alcohol problems; however, 14.3% completely disagreed with the statement “I want to work with drinkers,” and 12.5% completely disagreed that they were likely to find working with people with alcohol problems rewarding.

Attitudes to care were significantly influenced by age, personal drinking habits, and beliefs about whether patients can be helped, whether alcoholism is a character defect, and the relationship between alcoholism and social status.

Negative attitudes towards patient care persist and are influenced by age, personal drinking habits, and beliefs about alcoholism. Specific training in this area may be beneficial.

Read Full Text (PDF)

Economic Costs of Excessive Alcohol Consumption in the U.S., 2006

Excessive alcohol consumption causes premature death (average of 79,000 deaths annually); increased disease and injury; property damage from fire and motor vehicle crashes; alcohol-related crime; and lost productivity. However, its economic cost has not been assessed for the U.S. since 1998.

To update prior national estimates of the economic costs of excessive drinking.

This study (conducted 2009–2010) followed U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines to assess the economic cost of excessive alcohol consumption in 2006. Costs for health care, productivity losses, and other effects (e.g., property damage) in 2006 were obtained from national databases. Alcohol-attributable fractions were obtained from multiple sources and used to assess the proportion of costs that could be attributed to excessive alcohol consumption.

The estimated economic cost of excessive drinking was $223.5 billion in 2006 (72.2% from lost productivity, 11.0% from healthcare costs, 9.4% from criminal justice costs, and 7.5% from other effects) or approximately $1.90 per alcoholic drink. Binge drinking resulted in costs of $170.7 billion (76.4% of the total); underage drinking $27.0 billion; and drinking during pregnancy $5.2 billion. The cost of alcohol-attributable crime was $73.3 billion. The cost to government was $94.2 billion (42.1% of the total cost), which corresponds to about $0.80 per alcoholic drink consumed in 2006 (categories are not mutually exclusive and may overlap).

On a per capita basis, the economic impact of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S. is approximately $746 per person, most of which is attributable to binge drinking. Evidence-based strategies for reducing excessive drinking should be widely implemented.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: sacksj@bellsouth.net

Personality Traits and Coping Compensate for Disadvantageous Decision-making in Long-term Alcohol Abstinence

High relapse rate and extreme difficulty to maintain abstinence are core characteristics of alcohol dependence (AD). Previous studies have demonstrated a persistent decision-making (DM) deficit in AD. We aimed to reveal specific personality features and stress-coping mechanisms presumed to compensate for ineffective DM skills.

Eighty-eight unmedicated patients with AD were enrolled. Intact general cognitive status was assured by IQ above 90. Forty-three patients had an average abstinence period of 12 weeks and were currently in an inpatient treatment program (short-term abstinence group, STA) and 45 patients were abstinent for at least 3 years (long-term abstinence group, LTA). The two groups were assessed using an integrative approach combining domains of DM, temperament and character dimensions and stress-coping measures.

Both groups performed at chance level wth no linear improvement tendency on the gambling task assessing DM adequacy. The LTA group scored significantly higher on scales of self-directedness and cooperativeness. In contrast, levels of harm avoidance, emotion-oriented coping and perceived stress were significantly higher in the STA group

Our findings provide new evidence for a persistent DM deficit with no learning effect in AD. Despite the deficit, alcohol-dependent patients can achieve LTA. STA patients perceive higher levels of stress and use non-adaptive coping strategies. We propose that the more adaptive personality profile of LTA patients contributes to the compensation of the trait-like DM deficit in alcoholism. These compensatory features represent promising new targets for preventive measures and therapeutic interventions in AD.



Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: must.anita@med.u-szeged.hu

Individual psychomotor impairment in relation to zopiclone and ethanol concentrations in blood – a randomized controlled double-blinded trial

To investigate individual traffic-relevant impairment related to measured blood zopiclone and ethanol concentrations. Also, we aimed to study possible development of acute tolerance.

A randomized controlled 4-way crossover double blinded trial. Study drugs were zopiclone 5 or 10 mg, 50 g ethanol or placebo.

Laboratory study with computerized tests: Connors Continuous Performance test, Choice reaction time, and Stockings of Cambridge. Altogether, the tests consisted of 15 test components, representing 3 levels of behavior (automotive, control, executive planning), relevant to traffic safety.

16 healthy male volunteers.

Each study day, 10 blood samples were collected from each volunteer. 15 psychomotor test components were registered at baseline and a further 3 times after intake. Impairment was defined as any individual deterioration in performance compared to individual baseline performance.

Blood drug concentrations up to 74 µg/l zopiclone and 0.100 % ethanol were measured. We found a clear positive concentration-effect relationship for zopiclone and ethanol for both automotive and control behaviors, and a modest relationship for executive planning behavior. Significant impairment started to be observed at concentrations above 16 µg/l zopiclone (automotive and control behavior) and above 0.026 % ethanol (automotive behavior). Acute tolerance was found for both drugs.

The hypnotic, zopiclone, can impair psychomotor performance at blood concentrations as low as 16ug/ml.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: ingebjorg.g.gustavsen@fhi.no

Changes in sobriety in the Swedish population over three decades: Age, period, or cohort effects?

This study aimed to examine age, cohort, and period trends in alcohol abstinence.

Two surveys, the Level of Living Survey collected in 1968, 1974, 1981, 1990 and 2000, and the SWEOLD collected in 1992 and 2002 were studied with graphical depictions of cross-sectional and longitudinal data presented over time and over age. Cross-sectional 10-year age group differences, time-lag differences between waves, and within-cohort differences between waves for 10-year birth cohorts were examined. Logistic regression models were applied to confirm the observed patterns.

The samples were representative of the Swedish population.

Participants ranged in age from 18 to 75 (n = 5000 per wave), and 77+ at later waves (n = 500).

Alcohol abstinence was determined by asking “Do you ever drink wine, beer, or spirits?”, where a “no” response indicated abstinence.

Decreases in abstinence rates were observed from 1968 to 2000/2002. While cross-sectional analysis indicated increased abstinence with advancing age, the longitudinal analysis suggested otherwise. Inspection of cohort differences revealed little change within cohorts and large differences between cohorts; abstinence rates declined in later born cohorts up to the 1940s birth cohorts; stability was observed in cohorts born since the 1940s. Logistic regression models indicated that neither age nor period were significant (p > .05) predictors of abstinence when cohort (p < .001) was included.

Decreasing proportions of total alcohol abstainers in Sweden from 1968 to 2000 appear to be primarily attributable to decreases in successive cohorts rather than drinkers becoming abstainers.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: Kozma.Ahacic@ki.se

Alcohol and aggressive behavior in men – moderating effects of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphisms

We explored if the disposition to react with aggression while alcohol intoxicated was moderated by polymorphic variants of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR).

Twelve OXTR polymorphisms were genotyped in 116 Finnish men (aged 18-30, M = 22.7, SD = 2.4) who were randomly assigned to an alcohol condition in which they received an alcohol dose of 0.7g pure ethanol / kg body weight or a placebo condition. Aggressive behavior was measured using a laboratory paradigm in which aggressive behavior was operationalized as the level of aversive noise administered to a fictive opponent.

No main effects of the polymorphisms on aggressive behavior were found after controlling for multiple testing.

The interactive effect between alcohol and two of the OXTR polymorphisms (rs4564970 and rs1488467) on aggressive behavior was nominally significant and remained significant for the rs4564970 when controlled for multiple tests.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental study suggesting interactive effects of specific genetic variants and alcohol on aggressive behavior in humans.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: ada.johansson@abo.fi

Genome-wide significant association between alcohol dependence and a variant in the ADH gene cluster

Alcohol dependence (AD) is an important contributory factor to the global burden of disease. The etiology of AD involves both environmental and genetic factors, and the disorder has a heritability of around 50%.

The aim of the present study was to identify susceptibility genes for AD by performing a genome-wide association study (GWAS).

The sample comprised 1333 male in-patients with severe AD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, and 2168 controls. These included 487 patients and 1358 controls from a previous GWAS study by our group. All individuals were of German descent. Single-marker tests and a polygenic score-based analysis to assess the combined contribution of multiple markers with small effects were performed.

The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1789891, which is located between the ADH1B and ADH1C genes, achieved genome-wide significance [P = 1.27E–8, odds ratio (OR) = 1.46].

Other markers from this region were also associated with AD, and conditional analyses indicated that these made a partially independent contribution.

The SNP rs1789891 is in complete linkage disequilibrium with the functional Arg272Gln variant (P = 1.24E–7, OR = 1.31) of the ADH1C gene, which has been reported to modify the rate of ethanol oxidation to acetaldehyde in vitro. A polygenic score-based approach produced a significant result (P = 9.66E–9).

This is the first GWAS of AD to provide genome-wide significant support for the role of the ADH gene cluster and to suggest a polygenic component to the etiology of AD. The latter result may indicate that many more AD susceptibility genes still await identification.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: marcella.rietschel@zi-mannheim.de

Chronic disease and recent addiction treatment utilization among alcohol and drug dependent adults

Chronic medical diseases require regular and longitudinal care and self-management for effective treatment. When chronic diseases include substance use disorders, care and treatment of both the medical and addiction disorders may affect access to care and the ability to focus on both conditions. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the association between the presence of chronic medical disease and recent addiction treatment utilization among adults with substance dependence.

Cross-sectional secondary data analysis of self-reported baseline data from alcohol and/or drug-dependent adults enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of a disease management program for substance dependence in primary care. The main independent variable was chronic medical disease status, categorized using the Katz Comorbidity Score as none, single condition of lower severity, or higher severity (multiple conditions or single higher severity condition), based on comorbidity scores determined from self-report. Asthma was also examined in secondary analyses. The primary outcome was any self-reported addiction treatment utilization (excluding detoxification) in the 3 months prior to study entry, including receipt of any addiction-focused counseling or addiction medication from any healthcare provider. Logistic regression models were adjusted for sociodemographics, type of substance dependence, recruitment site, current smoking, and recent anxiety severity.

Of 563 subjects, 184 (33%) reported any chronic disease (20% low severity; 13% higher severity) and 111 (20%) reported asthma; 157 (28%) reported any addiction treatment utilization in the past 3 months. In multivariate regression analyses, no significant effect was detected for chronic disease on addiction treatment utilization (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.88 lower severity vs. none, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.60, 1.28; AOR 1.29 higher severity vs. none, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.88) nor for asthma.

In this cohort of alcohol and drug dependent persons, there was no significant effect of chronic medical disease on recent addiction treatment utilization. Chronic disease may not hinder or facilitate connection to addiction treatment.

Read Full Text (PDF)

Development and Applications of Biomarkers of Alcohol Abuse and Tissue Damage, Cancer and Neurodegeneration

NIAAA Satellite Symposium at the Annual Meeting and Exposition of the
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
October 23, 2011, Washington, DC

Biomarkers have considerable potential as indicators of disease states and processes as well as aids in assessing responses to therapeutics.

Biomarkers of alcohol consumption, alcohol dependence and alcohol-induced tissue and organ damage are necessary for detection and diagnosis of alcohol use disorders and for evaluations of the efficacy of treatments for these disorders.

As alcohol use disorders are prevalent in the general population and have broad and long-term effects, improved alcohol biomarkers could provide significant public health benefits.

This session will feature examples of alcohol-related biomarker signatures that reflect both alcohol consumption and alcohol-mediated tissue damage.

Additional presentations will describe novel biomarkers in the fields of cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, with the goal of gaining insights that may be broadly applicable. Challenges and prospects for development and application of biomarkers in the pharmaceutical industry will be also be addressed.

• Home
• Program
• Agenda
• Registration
• Contact

Decision Memo for Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions in Primary Care to Reduce Alcohol Misuse (CAG-00427N)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined that the evidence is adequate to conclude that screening and behavioral counseling to reduce alcohol misuse, which is recommended with a grade of B by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for adults, including pregnant women, in primary care settings, is reasonable and necessary for the prevention or early detection of illness or disability, and is appropriate for individuals entitled to benefits under Part A or enrolled under Part B.

Therefore CMS will cover annual alcohol screening and for those that screen positive, up to four brief, face-to-face, behavioral counseling interventions per year for Medicare beneficiaries, including pregnant women:

• Who misuse alcohol, but whose levels or patterns of alcohol consumption do not meet criteria for alcohol dependence (defined as at least three of the following: tolerance; withdrawal symptoms; impaired control; preoccupation with acquisition and/or use; persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to quit; sustains social, occupational, or recreational disability; use continues despite adverse consequences); and
• Who are competent and alert at the time that counseling is provided; and
• Whose counseling is furnished by qualified primary care physicians or other primary care practitioners in a primary care setting.

Each of the behavioral counseling interventions should be consistent with the 5A’s approach that has been adopted by the USPSTF to describe such services:

1. Assess: Ask about/assess behavioral health risk(s) and factors affecting choice of behavior change goals/methods.
2. Advise: Give clear, specific, and personalized behavior change advice, including information about personal health harms and benefits.
3. Agree: Collaboratively select appropriate treatment goals and methods based on the patient’s interest in and willingness to change the behavior.
4. Assist: Using behavior change techniques (self-help and/or counseling), aid the patient in achieving agreed-upon goals by acquiring the skills, confidence, and social/environmental supports for behavior change, supplemented with adjunctive medical treatments when appropriate.
5. Arrange: Schedule follow-up contacts (in person or by telephone) to provide ongoing assistance/support and to adjust the treatment plan as needed, including referral to more intensive or specialized treatment. > > > > Read More
   

Press Release - MEDICARE COVERS SCREENING AND COUNSELING FOR ALCOHOL MISUSE AND SCREENING FOR DEPRESSION

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced two new national coverage determinations that cover alcohol misuse screening and behavioral counseling for Medicare beneficiaries as well as screening for depression. These new coverage policies add to the existing portfolio of covered preventive services, most of which are now available to people with Medicare at no additional cost. > > > > Read More

Gender-related influences of parental alcoholism on the prevalence of psychiatric illnesses: Analysis of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol

Offspring of individuals with alcoholism are at increased risk for psychiatric illness, but the effects of gender on this risk are not well known. In this study we tested the hypothesis that the gender of the parent with alcoholism and the gender of offspring affect the association between parental alcoholism and offspring psychiatric illness.

We analyzed the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) data to examine the gender-specific prevalence of Axis I and Axis II disorders in 23,006 male and 17,368 female respondents with and without a history of paternal or maternal alcoholism. Adjusted odds-ratios were calculated for the disorders based on gender and presence of maternal or paternal alcoholism.

Maternal or paternal alcoholism was associated with a higher prevalence of every disorder examined, regardless of the gender of offspring. Gender-related differences in prevalences were present in nearly all examined disorders and the association between parental alcoholism and offspring psychiatric disorders was significantly different in men and women. These differences included stronger associations in female offspring of men with alcoholism (alcohol abuse without dependence); in female offspring of women with alcoholism (mania, nicotine dependence, alcohol abuse, and schizoid personality disorder); in male offspring of men with alcoholism (mania); and in male offspring of women with alcoholism (panic disorder).

Interactions between gender and parental alcoholism were specific to certain disorders but varied in their effects, and in general female children of women with alcoholism appear at greatest risk for adult psychopathology.


Read Full Text (PDF)

Motivational enhancement therapy for African American substance users: A randomized clinical trial.

Limited empirical evidence concerning the efficacy of substance abuse treatments among African Americans reduces opportunities to evaluate and improve program efficacy.

The current study, conducted as a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial conducted by the Clinical Trials Network of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, addressed this knowledge gap by examining the efficacy of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) compared with counseling as usual (CAU) among 194 African American adults seeking outpatient substance abuse treatment at 5 participating sites.

The findings revealed higher retention rates among women in MET than in CAU during the initial 12 weeks of the 16-week study. Men in MET and CAU did not differ in retention.

However, MET participants self-reported more drug-using days per week than participants in CAU.

Implications for future substance abuse treatment research with African Americans are discussed.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: latrice.montgomery@yale.edu

A Generic, Cross-Chemical Predictive PBTK Model with Multiple Entry Routes Running as Application in MS Excel; Design of the Model and Comparison of P

Physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) models are computational tools, which simulate the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of chemicals. The purpose of this study was to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model with a high level of transparency. The model should be able to predict blood and urine concentrations of environmental chemicals and metabolites, given a certain environmental or occupational exposure scenario.

The model refers to a reference human of 70 kg. The partition coefficients of the parent compound and its metabolites (blood:air and tissue:blood partition coefficients of 11 organs) are estimated by means of quantitative structure–property relationship, in which five easily available physicochemical properties of the compound are the independent parameters. The model gives a prediction of the fate of the compound, based on easily available chemical properties; therefore, it can be applied as a generic model applicable to multiple compounds. Three routes of uptake are considered (inhalation, dermal, and/or oral) as well as two built-in exercise levels (at rest and at light work). Dermal uptake is estimated by the use of a dermal diffusion-based module that considers dermal deposition rate and duration of deposition. Moreover, evaporation during skin contact is fully accounted for and related to the volatility of the substance. Saturable metabolism according to Michaelis–Menten kinetics can be modelled in any of 11 organs/tissues or in liver only. Renal tubular resorption is based on a built-in algorithm, dependent on the (log) octanol:water partition coefficient. Enterohepatic circulation is optional at a user-defined rate. The generic PBTK model is available as a spreadsheet application in MS Excel. The differential equations of the model are programmed in Visual Basic. Output is presented as numerical listing over time in tabular form and in graphs. The MS Excel application of the PBTK model is available as freeware.

The accuracy of the model prediction is illustrated by simulating experimental observations. Published experimental inhalation and dermal exposure studies on a series of different chemicals (pyrene, N-methyl-pyrrolidone, methyl-tert-butylether, heptane, 2-butoxyethanol, and ethanol) were selected to compare the observed data with the model-simulated data. The examples show that the model-predicted concentrations in blood and/or urine after inhalation and/or transdermal uptake have an accuracy of within an order of magnitude.

It is advocated that this PBTK model, called IndusChemFate, is suitable for ‘first tier assessments’ and for early explorations of the fate of chemicals and/or metabolites in the human body. The availability of a simple model with a minimum burden of input information on the parent compound and its metabolites might be a stimulation to apply PBTK modelling more often in the field of biomonitoring and exposure science.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: frans.jongeneelen@industox.nl

Excessive Drinking Costs U.S. $223.5 Billion

A new study finds that excessive alcohol consumption cost the United States $223.5 billion in 2006, or about $1.90 per drink. By implementing effective community-based prevention strategies, we can reduce excessive alcohol consumption and its costs. > > > > Read More

Can Simply Answering Research Questions Change Behaviour? Systematic Review and Meta Analyses of Brief Alcohol Intervention Trials

Participant reports of their own behaviour are critical for the provision and evaluation of behavioural interventions. Recent developments in brief alcohol intervention trials provide an opportunity to evaluate longstanding concerns that answering questions on behaviour as part of research assessments may inadvertently influence it and produce bias. The study objective was to evaluate the size and nature of effects observed in randomized manipulations of
the effects of answering questions on drinking behaviour in brief intervention trials.

Multiple methods were used to identify primary studies. Between-group differences intotal weekly alcohol consumption, quantity per drinking day and AUDIT scores were evaluated in random effects metaanalyses. Ten trials were included in this review, of which two did not provide findings for quantitative study, in which three outcomes were evaluated. Between-group differences were of the magnitude of 13.7 (20.17 to 27.6) grams of alcohol per week (approximately 1.5 U.K. units or 1 standard U.S. drink) and 1 point (0.1 to 1.9) in AUDIT score. There was no difference in quantity per drinking day.

Answering questions on drinking in brief intervention trials appears to alter subsequent selfreportedbehaviour. This potentially generates bias by exposing non-intervention control groups to an integral component of the intervention. The effects of brief alcohol interventions may thus have been consistently under-estimated. These
findings are relevant to evaluations of any interventions to alter behaviours which involve participant self-report.


Read Full Text (PDF)

News Release - Genetically Influenced Responses to Alcohol Affect Brain Activation

A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests that differences in brain activation in individuals with a low level of response to alcohol may contribute to their inability to recognize modest levels of alcohol intoxication. Their findings could provide the potential to identify individuals who are at risk for developing an alcohol-use disorder before it develops – in essence, providing a marker for this vulnerability. > > > > Read More

Prevalence and association of dental injuries with socioeconomic conditions and alcohol/drug use in adolescents between 15 and 19 years of age

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of dental trauma, etiological factors, predisposing factors, and associations with socioeconomic status and the risk of alcohol and illicit drug use among adolescents in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

A cross-sectional study was carried out that included clinical examinations and self-administered questionnaires. The sample population was composed of 891 adolescents from public and private schools. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) was used for socioeconomic classification. Information on alcohol and illicit drug use was obtained using two questionnaires: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST).

The prevalence of traumatic dental injury (TDI) was 24.7%. Falls (17.7%) was the most frequently cited etiological factor in dental injury. Among the participants with TDI, 32.8% were students in the private school system (P = 0.006). A total of 56.8% of individuals with accentuated overjet had some type of TDI (P = 0.000). There was a high prevalence of adolescents who consumed alcoholic beverages (50.3%) and used illicit substances (15.2%). However, no statistically significant associations were found between these variables and the presence of TDI.

The results of the analysis demonstrate that individuals in a private school system [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.11; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–1.20] and those with accentuated overjet (>3 mm) (PR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.10–1.25) had a 1.11- and 1.17-fold greater chance of belonging to the group of individuals diagnosed with some type of TDI.

The prevalence of dental trauma in the study population was high. The same was true regarding alcohol and illicit drug use among the adolescents examined, although no statistically significant associations were found between these variables and a history of TDI. Private school system and accentuated overjet were significantly associated with dental trauma.



Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: kellyoliva@yahoo.com.br

Behavioral Traits Predicting Alcohol Drinking in Outbred Rats: An Investigation of Anxiety, Novelty Seeking, and Cognitive Flexibility

Most adults in Western society consume alcohol regularly without negative consequences. For a small subpopulation, however, drinking can quickly progress to excessive and chronic intake. Given the dangers associated with alcohol abuse, it is critical to identify traits that may place an individual at risk for developing these behaviors. To that end, we used a rat model to determine whether anxiety-related behaviors, novelty seeking, or cognitive flexibility predict excessive alcohol drinking under both limited and continuous access conditions.

Adult male rats were assessed in a series of behavioral tasks (elevated plus maze [EPM], locomotor activity, and discrimination/reversal learning in a Y-maze) followed by 6 weeks of daily, 1-hour access to alcohol in a free-choice, 2-bottle paradigm (10% alcohol vs. tap water). Next, subjects were given the opportunity to consume alcohol for 72 hours in drinking chambers that permit separate measures of each drinking bout. Half of the animals experienced a 2-week deprivation period between the limited and continuous access sessions.

Time spent on the open arms of the EPM, but not novelty seeking or discrimination/reversal learning, predicted alcohol consumption during limited, 1-h/d access sessions to alcohol. Anxiety-related behavior also predicted the escalation of intake when animals were given 72 hours of continuous access to alcohol. Bout size, but not frequency, was responsible for the increased consumption by high-anxiety subjects during this period. Finally, intake during limited access sessions predicted intake during continuous access, but only in subjects with low intake during limited access.

These findings confirm that preexisting anxiety-related behavior predicts alcohol intake under several schedules of alcohol access. Moreover, when access is unlimited, the high-anxiety-related group exhibited an increase in bout size, but not frequency, of drinking. In addition, we show that modest intake when alcohol is restricted may or may not progress to excessive intake when the drug is freely available.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: olmstead@queensu.ca

Solitary Versus Social Drinking: An Experimental Study on Effects of Social Exposures on In Situ Alcohol Consumption

  Whereas the effects of modeling and of drinking contexts on alcohol use are documented, studies are lacking regarding the effect of given social exposures on actual alcohol consumption during drinking episodes (i.e., in situ alcohol consumption, the quantity of alcohol actually ingested in given occasion, e.g., in grams).

Applying the experimental paradigms, our study investigates the impact of social condition (alone vs. with others) on in situ alcohol consumption (analog measurements) of 123 young adults who participated in 2 wine-tasting sessions (one together with others, i.e., group condition; 1 solitary, i.e., individual condition: the sequence of participation was assigned at random). Bivariate and multivariate analyses, that is, paired- and independent-samples t-tests and repeated measure analysis of variance, were applied to investigate the effects through both transversal and longitudinal perspectives.

In the first session, higher average amounts of alcohol were consumed in the group condition compared with the individual one. Conversely, higher average consumption was recorded in the individual compared with the group condition in the second session. Considering simultaneously data from the 2 experimental sessions demonstrated that subjects consumed higher amounts of alcohol in individual condition when this condition was organized subsequent and not prior to the group condition. Yet, alcohol consumption in group condition appeared to not vary between the 2 sessions.

Results first highlight the effects of social condition on in situ alcohol consumption. However, they also suggest that in situ exposition to others drinking is possibly involved in shaping the perception of context-related drinking norms, which might further influence subsequent drinking behaviors in an analogous context. Beyond the issues of imitation effects, these findings raise the issues of the development of preventive initiatives aiming to induce changes in individuals’ perception of context-specific drinking norms.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: hkuendig@addiction-info.ch