Evaluation of Timing and Dosage of a Parent-Based Intervention to Minimize College Students' Alcohol Consumption

The study evaluated the timing and dosage of a parent-based intervention to minimize alcohol consumption for students with varying drinking histories. 

First-year students (N = 1,900) completed Web assessments during the summer before college (baseline) and two follow-ups (fall of first and second years). Students were randomized to one of four conditions (pre-college matriculation [PCM], pre-college matriculation plus boosters [PCM+B], after college matriculation [ACM], and control conditions). Seven indicators of drinking (drink in past month, been drunk in past month, weekday [Sunday to Wednesday] drinking, Thursday drinking, weekend [Friday, Saturday] drinking, heavy episodic drinking in past 2 weeks, and peak blood alcohol concentration <.08) were used in a latent transition analysis (LTA) to examine a stage-sequential model of drinking. LTA models with dummy-coded intervention variables were used to examine the effects of the intervention conditions on changes in drinking patterns. 

Results indicated that four patterns of drinking were present at all waves: (a) nondrinkers, (b) weekend light drinkers, (c) weekend heavy episodic drinkers, and (d) heavy drinkers. Results indicated that the PCM condition was most effective at influencing baseline heavy drinkers' transition out of this pattern to lower risk patterns at first follow-up, whereas the ACM condition was not effective at preventing drinking escalation for baseline nondrinkers at first follow-up. No decay of effects was observed at long-term follow-up for the PCM condition. Finally, the results also indicated that increased dosage of the parental intervention was not significantly associated with either reduction or escalation of use.


The results underscore the value of pre-college parental interventions and targeted efforts to reduce high-risk drinking among college students. 



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Request Reprint E-Mail:   rjt13@psu.edu

Patterns of Alcohol Use and Related Consequences in Non-College-Attending Emerging Adults

Among emerging adults, those who do not attain postsecondary education are at highest risk for experiencing long-term problems related to alcohol use, including alcohol dependence. The purpose of the current study was to identify latent classes of alcohol users among non-college-attending youth and examine correlates of class membership. 

Screening criteria were used to select emerging adults between ages 18 and 22 years with no postsecondary education (N = 264) from a prerecruited probability-based Web panel. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify common patterns of alcohol use. Grouping variables and demographic variables were added to the LCA model, and rates of alcohol-related consequences across the LCA classes were compared. 

Four classes of drinking patterns were identified: (a) current nondrinkers (34%), (b) weekend light drinkers (38%), (c) weekend risky drinkers (23%), and (d) daily drinkers (5%). Class membership was associated with early onset of alcohol use (age 14 or younger), marital status, employment status, and urban residency (area populated by 50,000 or more people). The number of latent classes did not differ across sex and legal drinking age status, although proportions of subjects within classes varied by age. Weekend risky drinkers were most likely to report sickness and feelings of guilt because of drinking, whereas daily drinkers were most likely to report getting into fights, driving a car after drinking, and missing work. 

Similar to college samples of emerging adults, most of this noncollege sample belonged to latent classes defined by rare or moderate alcohol use. Nevertheless, nearly a quarter of the sample reported high-risk drinking behaviors, and a small number reported drinking alcohol on a daily basis. Both of these classes were at elevated risk for experiencing a number of alcohol-related consequences.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    mcleveland@psu.edu

C-SIDE: Drinking Simulation for College Students

Our goals were to develop a realistic simulation of collegiate drinking contexts and evaluate the predictive validity of this methodology. 

After methods development, 88 incoming students (61% women) completed measures of alcohol consumption, alcohol expectancies and motives, and the Collegiate-Simulated Intoxication Digital Elicitation (C-SIDE). Eight months later, students reported recent drinking behavior and alcohol-related consequences. 

Willingness to drink alcohol on the C-SIDE predicted high-risk drinking at the end of the students' first year above and beyond baseline consumption. Accepting offers of food/nonalcoholic beverages across contexts predicted lower scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test 8 months later. Drinking game contexts elicited different levels of behavioral willingness; a game with explicit heckling elicited less drinking willingness than one in a smaller and more casual environment. 

These findings support the integration of social context into the assessment of alcohol-related decision making and the further development of strategies to understand context-dependent phenomena.


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Request Reprint  E-Mail:    Kristen.Anderson@reed.edu

Similarities in Adolescent Siblings' Substance Use: Testing Competing Pathways of Influence

An accumulating body of work indicates that siblings uniquely influence each other's alcohol and substance use behaviors during adolescence. The mechanisms underlying these associations, however, are unknown because most studies have not measured sibling influence processes. The present study addressed this gap by exploring the links between multiple influence processes and sibling similarities in alcohol and substance use. 

The sample included one parent and two adolescent siblings (earlier born age: M = 17.17 years, SD = 0.94; later born age: M = 14.52 years, SD = 1.27) from 326 families. Data were collected via telephone interviews with parents and the two siblings. 

A series of logistic regressions revealed that, after parents' and peers' use as well as other variables including parenting was statistically controlled for, older siblings' alcohol and other substance use was positively associated with younger siblings' patterns of use. Furthermore, sibling modeling and shared friends were significant moderators of these associations. For adolescents' alcohol use, the links between sibling modeling and shared peer networks were interactive, such that the associations between modeling and similarity in alcohol use were stronger when siblings shared friends. 

Future research should continue to investigate the ways in which siblings influence each other because such processes are emerging targets for intervention and prevention efforts. 


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Requerst Reprint E-Mail:    sdwhitem@purdue.edu

Alcohol Use and Drunk Driving: The Modifying Effect of Impulsivity

The aim of this study was twofold: (a) to examine how an increase in the frequency of heavy drinking episodes affects the incidence of drunk driving and (b) to examine whether the effect of alcohol use on drunk driving is contingent on impulsivity. 

Two waves of the Young in Norway Longitudinal Study were applied (N = 2,603; response rate: 67%), when the respondents were on average 17 (1994) and 28 (2005) years of age. Measurements consisted of self-reported heavy episodic drinking, drunk driving, and impulsivity. 

The first difference method was applied to estimate the association between heavy episodic drinking and drunk driving. This means that changes in the frequency of drunk driving were regressed on changes in the frequency of drinking. In this way, the effects of time-invariant confounders were eliminated. The results showed that every additional episode of heavy drinking was associated with a 2.6% increase in the frequency of drunk driving. The increase for males was significantly higher than among females. The analyses supported the hypothesis that impulsivity modifies the association between alcohol use and drunk driving. 

The association between drinking and drunk driving is significantly stronger among those with a high score on impulsivity compared with those who have a low score.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:     ism@sirus.no

Type D Personality, Alcohol Dependence, and Drinking Motives in the General Populationadaa

The current study had two key aims: (a) to determine if Type D personality (the synergistic effect of negative affect and social inhibition) is associated with alcohol consumption in social drinkers and (b) to examine if this relationship is mediated by drinking motives. 

In a cross-sectional study, 862 participants (206 men, 656 women, mean age 26.1 years) completed the Type D Personality Scale, the Drinking Motives Questionnaire, and the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire.


Correlation analysis revealed that Type D personality was significantly and positively correlated with alcohol dependence (r = .11, p < .001). In addition, regression analyses demonstrated that this relationship was fully mediated by coping and conformity drinking motives. 

The present study has identified a positive relationship between Type D personality and alcohol dependence in the general population. We have also shown that this relationship is mediated by coping and conformity drinking motives.



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Request Reprint E-Mail:     gillian.bruce@uws.ac.uk

The Overlap of Youth Violence Among Aggressive Adolescents with Past-Year Alcohol Use—A Latent Class Analysis: Aggression and Victimization in Peer and Dating Violence in an Inner City Emergency Department Sample

The purpose of this study was to identify overlap and violence types between peer and dating aggression and victimization using latent class analysis (LCA) among a sample of aggressive adolescents with a history of alcohol use and to identify risk and protective factors associated with each violence class. 

From September 2006 to September 2009, a systematic sample of patients (14–18 years old) seeking care in an urban emergency department were approached. Adolescents reporting any past-year alcohol use and aggression completed a survey using validated measures including types of violence (severe and moderate aggression, severe and moderate victimization with both peers and dating partners). Using LCA, violence classes were identified; correlates of membership in each LCA class were determined. 

Among this sample (n = 694), LCA identified three classes described as (a) peer aggression (PA) (52.2%), (b) peer aggression + peer victimization (PAPV) (18.6%), and (c) multiple domains of violence (MDV) (29.3%). Compared with those in the PA class, those in the PAPV class were more likely to be male, report injury in a fight, and have delinquent peers. Compared with the PA class, those in the MDV class were more likely to be female, African American, report injury in a fight, carry a weapon, experience negative consequences from alcohol use, and have delinquent peers and more family conflict. Compared with the PAPV class, those in the MDV class were likely to be female, African American, receive public assistance, carry a weapon, experience negative consequences from alcohol use, and use marijuana. 

There is extensive overlap of victimization and aggression in both peer and dating relationships. Also, those with high rates of violence across relationships have increased alcohol misuse and marijuana use. Thus, violence-prevention efforts should consider addressing concomitant substance use. 


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    laurenkw@u.washington.edu.

Psychiatric Morbidity is Linked to Problem Drinking in Midlife Among Alcohol-Dependent Men: A Co-Twin Control Study

Prior research on predictors of problem drinking has been limited because of an inability to attribute an unambiguous environmental explanation to observed findings. Using a prospective co-twin control design, we examined the extent to which a history of psychiatric symptoms exerts an environmental influence on problem drinking in midlife that is unconfounded by genetic underpinnings. 

Participants were 367 complete male twin pairs (208 monozygotic, 159 dizygotic) from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry who were assessed in midlife as part of the Family Twin Study (mean age = 51.4 years, SD = 2.8). Twin pairs who were concordant for a lifetime diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 1992 were selected for participation and were reinterviewed in 2001 to measure symptoms of AUD (i.e., problem drinking) since the prior assessment (past 10 years). 

Within-pair differences in lifetime symptom counts of several psychiatric disorders measured in 1992 (i.e., major depression, dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, antisocial personality, mania, and posttraumatic stress disorder) were significantly associated with within-pair differences in AUD symptoms in the subsequent 10 years. 

A history of psychiatric problems, particularly one marked by internalizing symptoms, appears to be linked to problem drinking in midlife above and beyond the confounding influence of genetic effects and underscores the potential value of integrated interventions for comorbidity to address problem drinking among individuals during this period of the life course. 


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    dmblonigen@gmail.com

Behavioral Control in Alcohol Use Disorders: Relationships With Severity

The current study examined the relationship between severity of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and the neural circuits that underlie response inhibition and error monitoring. In addition, we explored pre- and post-inhibition trial processes to determine the potential causal mechanisms responsible for disinhibition in AUDs. 

One hundred sixty-four individuals with a range of drinking from non-treatment-seeking adults with problematic alcohol use to treatment-seeking adults with alcohol dependence completed a Go/NoGo task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. 

Correlations between signal change during response inhibition and a composite measure of AUD severity revealed significant negative relationships in right insula/inferior frontal gyrus, pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, and inferior parietal lobe. Relationships with error monitoring-related response largely overlapped with that of correct inhibitions but also included rostral anterior cingulate cortex and left inferior frontal gyrus, such that more severe AUDs were associated with reduced response in these regions. Last, examination of pre- and post-inhibition processes suggested that more severe AUDs are associated with greater engagement of motor response circuits before inhibition trials, suggesting greater pre-potent tendencies that may lead to disinhibition. 

The current results extend previous work by examining how variation in AUD severity is related to neural response during response inhibition and potential causal mechanisms responsible for impaired inhibitory control. More severe AUDs were associated with reduced engagement of neural circuits involved in behavioral control and enhanced pre-potent responding. This altered control may contribute to the progression of AUDs, as well as relapse after treatment. 


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    eclaus@mrn.org

Positive Affect and Stress Reactivity in Alcohol-Dependent Outpatients

Reactivity to stress is a common feature of alcohol dependence and is associated with poorer treatment outcome among alcohol-dependent patients. Despite the importance of stress reactivity in alcohol dependence, little is known about markers of resilience to stress in this population. The current study examined whether positive affect buffered the effect of stress on negative affect and alcohol craving in an alcohol-dependent sample. 

Outpatients (N = 1,375) enrolled in a large, randomized controlled trial for alcohol dependence (the Combined Pharmacotherapies and Behavioral Interventions for Alcohol Dependence [COMBINE] Study) completed measures of stress, positive affect, negative affect, and alcohol craving. In this secondary analysis, we hypothesized that positive affect would moderate the association between stress and negative affect and that positive affect would be negatively associated with craving. 

Results supported these hypotheses, such that patients with higher levels of positive affect exhibited a weaker relationship between stress and negative affect relative to those with low positive affect. Positive affect was negatively associated with craving but did not moderate the association between stress and craving. 

These results replicate studies suggesting a protective effect of positive affect on stress reactivity and extend this effect to an alcohol-dependent sample. If positive affect can aid in resilience to stress, the utilization of interventions that enhance positive affect may be of particular utility for alcohol-dependent patients. Future experimental studies testing the causality of this association as well as studies examining the effect of interventions to enhance positive affect are needed.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    kmchugh@mclean.harvard.edu

Protective Behavioral Strategies as a Mediator of the Generalized Anxiety and Alcohol Use Relationship Among Lesbian and Bisexual Women

Alcohol use disorders and anxiety disorders often co-occur; moreover, lesbian and bisexual women appear at higher risk for both alcohol and anxiety disorders. Although research among college student samples has found direct effects of increased use of protective behavioral strategies on decreasing alcohol use and alcohol-related negative consequences, this has yet to be demonstrated among lesbian and bisexual women. Furthermore, it is unclear whether generalized anxiety influences the use of such strategies, which in turn predict alcohol consumption and related negative consequences. The primary objective of the present study was to examine the mediating role of protective behavioral strategies on the relationships between generalized anxiety and alcohol consumption and related negative consequences among a young adult sample of lesbian and bisexual women. 

A national sample of 1,083 lesbian and bisexual women between the ages of 18 and 25 years completed an online survey that assessed the constructs of interest. 

Results showed support for mediation such that lesbian and bisexual women who reported having higher levels of generalized anxiety were less likely to use drinking protective behavioral strategies, which in turn led to higher levels of alcohol consumption as well as negative alcohol-related consequences.

These findings highlight the importance of examining who is at risk for alcohol use disorders as well as why they are at risk. Results indicate that interventions for high-risk drinking among younger lesbian and bisexual women may need to specifically address factors such as affect management or coping with anxiety, at least for the proportion of women who are endorsing significant symptoms of anxiety. 


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Request Reprint E-Mail:   dlitt@uw.edu

Alcohol consumption in men is influenced by qualitatively different genetic factors in adolescence and adulthood

Alcohol consumption is influenced by genetic factors. Previous studies have examined the heritability of alcohol consumption, or related phenotypes, from adolescence into adulthood, frequently finding that total heritability changes over time. However, it remains unclear whether the same genes underlie liability to alcohol consumption across development versus whether novel risk genes become important over time.

A population-based study of adult male twins (n=1790) born in Virginia, USA, retrospectively reported on their average monthly alcohol consumption from early adolescence through adulthood. We used twin modeling methods to explore genetic and environmental influences on alcohol consumption over time.

One latent genetic factor accounted for the majority of the heritability in alcohol consumption during mid- to late adolescence, but its influence declined thereafter; from young adulthood forward, heritability was largely attributable to a second genetic factor. The total heritability of alcohol consumption increased from 0 at ages 12–14 years to 0.40 by ages 18–21 years. Shared environmental factors declined in influence over time.

The heritability of alcohol consumption over time is dynamic both quantitatively and qualitatively. These results have important implications for gene identification endeavors. Furthermore, these findings could inform efforts to elucidate developmentally dynamic behaviors, such as antisocial behavior.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:   aedwards5@vcu.edu

Genetic Markers of Comorbid Depression and Alcoholism in Women

Alcohol dependence (AD) is often accompanied by comorbid depression. Recent clinical evidence supports the benefit of subtype-specific pharmacotherapy in treating the population of alcohol-dependent subjects with comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD). However, in many alcohol-dependent subjects, depression is a reactive response to chronic alcohol use and withdrawal and abates with a period of abstinence. Genetic markers may distinguish alcohol-dependent subjects with MDD not tied chronologically and etiologically to their alcohol consumption. In this work, we investigated the association of adenylyl cyclase genes (ADCY1–9), which are implicated in both AD and mood disorders, with alcoholism and comorbid depression.

Subjects from Vienna, Austria (n = 323) were genotyped, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (1,152) encompassing the genetic locations of the 9 ADCY genes were examined. The Vienna cohort contained alcohol-dependent subjects differentiated using the Lesch Alcoholism Typology. In this typology, subjects are segregated into 4 types. Type III alcoholism is distinguished by co-occurrence of symptoms of depression and by affecting predominantly fem

We identified 4 haplotypes associated with the phenotype of Type III alcoholism in females. One haplotype was in a genomic area in proximity to ADCY2, but actually within a lincRNA gene, 2 haplotypes were within ADCY5, and 1 haplotype was within the coding region of ADCY8. Three of the 4 haplotypes contributed independently to Type III alcoholism and together generated a positive predictive value of 72% and a negative predictive value of 78% for distinguishing women with a Lesch Type III diagnosis versus women designated as Type I or II alcoholics.

Polymorphisms in ADCY8 and ADCY5 and within a lincRNA are associated with an alcohol-dependent phenotype in females, which is distinguished by comorbid signs of depression. Each of these genetic locations can rationally contribute to the polygenic etiology of the alcoholism/depression phenotype, and the use of these genetic markers may aid in choosing appropriate and beneficial treatment strategies.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    boris.tabakoff@ucdenver.edu

Hazardous drinking among patients attending a minor injuries unit: a pilot study

Excessive alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of accidental injury. This pilot study reports on the prevalence of hazardous drinkers presenting to a minor injuries unit. 

The proportion of hazardous drinkers is broadly similar to that found in emergency departments, suggesting that such units could also host alcohol intervention and brief advice activities.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:    robert.patton@kcl.ac.uk

Tonic modulatory role of mouse cerebellar α- and β-adrenergic receptors in the expression of ethanol-induced ataxia: Role of AC–cAMP

To further study neurochemical basis of ethanol-induced ataxia (EIA), we investigated role of cerebellar α and β-adrenergic receptors. 

Male CD-1 mice received intracerebellar microinfusion of adrenergic drugs to evaluate their effect on EIA (2 g/kg; ip) by Rotorod. Isoproterenol, phenylephrine (4, 8, 16 ng each), methoxamine (8 ng), and atenolol (2, 4, 8 ng), propranolol (4, 8, 16 ng), markedly attenuated and accentuated, respectively, EIA indicating the tonic nature of modulation. 

The attenuation of EIA by isoproterenol is β₁-receptor mediated because it is blocked by atenolol. Tonic β₁ modulation is functionally correlated with EIA potentiation by atenolol and propranolol. 

The prazosin-induced attenuation of EIA, initially thought of α₁-receptor mediated, appeared instead β₁-receptor modulated because of: (i) blockade by atenolol; and (ii) phosphodiesterase inhibition by prazosin.

The phenylephrine/methoxamine-induced attenuation of EIA seems paradoxical as the response is similar to antagonist prazosin. However, functionally the attenuation seems β₁ receptor-mediated since atenolol blocked it but prazosin did not.

Also norepinephrine (NE) attenuated EIA that was inhibited by atenolol suggesting role of β₁ receptors. Similarly yohimbine and rauwolscine attenuated EIA that indicates α₂-receptor modulation associated with stimulation of AC–cAMP pathway. 

The results of study support the hypothesis that attenuation and potentiation of EIA is mediated by activation and inhibition of AC–cAMP pathway, respectively, in agreement with our previous reports, via direct and/or indirect activation of β-receptor.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:  darm@ecu.edu

Effects of nicotine and alcohol on zebrafish (Danio rerio) shoaling

The zebrafish has been used in the analysis of the effects of drugs of abuse, including alcohol and nicotine. In the current study, we investigate the effects of these drugs on shoaling, group-forming behavior, in zebrafish, using a newly developed set of behavioral measures. 

We expose our fish acutely to 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 or 1.00% (% v/v) ethyl alcohol or 4 or 8 mg/L nicotine by immersing the fish in the corresponding solutions. The behavior of the exposed fish is compared to controls in a large (91 cm diameter) circular tank in which shoals of 8 subjects under the same treatment are allowed to swim freely. Several measures of shoaling are quantified including the nearest neighbour distance (NND), inter-individual distance (IID), swimming speed, polarization (a measure of the directional synchronization of the shoal), and the number and duration of excursions (departures from the shoal). 

Alcohol and nicotine were both found to exert significant effects on shoaling but impaired the behavior in different ways. For example, alcohol strongly disrupted polarization and only modestly reduced shoal cohesion, while nicotine had only a modest effect on polarization but robustly decreased shoal cohesion. Neither drug affected the number or the duration of excursions, but both reduced swimming speed.

These results underscore the notion that using multiple measures of social behavior may allow one to characterize and distinguish different aspects of drug effects on behavior, which may facilitate discovery of novel drugs in drug screens and may also be utilized in the analysis of underlying mechanisms.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:   nymiller@princeton.edu

ffects of Sibship Size and Composition on Younger Brothers’ and Sisters’ Alcohol Use Initiation: Findings from an Australian Twin Sample

The effects of sibship size and structure on delinquency are well established. Specifically, having a large family and many brothers has been shown to predict offending. However, despite strong links between delinquency and alcohol use, the contribution of sibship factors to drinking behaviors remains largely unexplored. The current study investigated the impact of sibship size and composition on younger brothers’ and sisters’ ages of drinking and intoxication onset.

We employed a sample of 4,281 same-sex twins from the Australian Twin Register to examine whether (i) large sibship size facilitates earlier age at first drink (AFD) and age at first intoxication (AFI) in males and females, (ii) having many older brothers predicts earlier ages of AFD and AFI in males, and (iii) having many older brothers results in later AFD and AFI in females. We tested whether effects were moderated by parental divorce and alcohol misuse and mediated by familial religion.

Sibling effects were minimal before accounting for family context. However, when parental divorce and excessive parental drinking were included as moderators, sibling effects were significantly amplified among individuals from homes of divorce, and effects were strongest when siblings were close in age.

Strong close in age older sibling effects indicate that proximal sibling attitudes and behaviors about alcohol likely interact with structural factors to influence younger siblings’ drinking. Sibship factors were much more influential in one population (individuals from homes of divorce) than another (respondents with a parental history of excessive drinking), suggesting that sibling effects vary depending on the type of co-occurring familial risk. Prevention efforts performed at the family level, and introduced before first use of alcohol, are likely to delay drinking initiation and help prevent future alcohol problems.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:  lr526@mail.missouri.edu

Effects of Voluntary Access to Sweetened Ethanol During Adolescence on Intake in Adulthood

The prevalence of alcohol use during adolescence is concerning given that early age of alcohol initiation is correlated with the development of alcohol-related problems later in life. The purpose of this series of studies was to assess whether voluntary ethanol (EtOH) exposure during adolescence would influence EtOH drinking behavior in adulthood using an animal model.

Pair-housed Sprague-Dawley adolescent (postnatal day [P] 28 to 42) rats of both sexes were given single bottle access to 1 of 3 solutions in their home cages—10% EtOH in “supersac” (0.125% saccharin and 3% sucrose) (EtOH/SS), supersac without EtOH (SS), or water—for 30 minutes every other day for a total of 8 drinking days or were left nonmanipulated (NM). Animals were NM thereafter until adulthood (P70) at which time they were given 1-bottle, 30 minute limited access tests with 20% EtOH every other day (Exp 1), 10% EtOH in SS (Exp 2), or SS without EtOH (Exp 3).

Adolescent EtOH/SS exposure increased adulthood consumption of EtOH/SS (Exp 2), but not 20% unsweetened EtOH (Exp 1) or SS (Exp 3), with this increase most pronounced at the beginning of the 8 intake day procedure. Access to SS (without EtOH) during adolescence produced an analogous effect, with increased adult SS consumption during the first 2 intake days, but no increases in either of the EtOH test solutions.

Solution-specific increases in adulthood intake after adolescent exposure are most likely associated with solution acceptance due to familiarity. This is an important consideration for future intake studies assessing the influence of EtOH exposure during adolescence on intake of EtOH in adulthood.

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Request Reprint E-Mail:   lspear@binghamton.edu

Shifts in Discriminative Control with Increasing Periods of Recovery in the Rat

During recovery from alcoholism, other behavior likely increases. The development of alternative behavior may reduce attention to alcohol-associated stimuli. This could result in greater persistence of the alternative behavior when individuals again encounter alcohol-associated stimuli that might precipitate relapse. Developing animal models of this process could facilitate a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in relapse and recovery. However, current preclinical models of recovery and relapse rarely measure alternative behavior. Thus, our objective was to establish a procedure in rats in which an increase in alternative behavior (responding for food) reduced responding for ethanol (EtOH). The amount of responding for food and EtOH was then assessed after re-exposure to the alcohol-associated stimulus after varying the number of preceding sessions of increased responding for food and reduced responding for EtOH. These results were compared with those from a parallel group responding for saccharin solution instead of EtOH.

The solution (EtOH or saccharin) was always available following 5 responses. Presentation of flashing stimulus lights indicated food delivery followed 150 responses and resulted in responding predominately for the solution (84 to 86% of total responses). Presentation of solid stimulus lights indicated food delivery followed 5 responses and resulted in responding predominately for food (1 to 3% of total responses were for the solution). Rats were exposed to solid light conditions for 0, 1, 2, 4, or 16 consecutive sessions before being re-exposed to the flashing stimulus lights in extinction.

Responding for either solution resumed when rats were re-exposed to the flashing stimulus lights (associated with solution-predominate responding). However, more responses occurred on the food lever with longer recent histories of responding for food instead of the solution.

These results suggest that the longer alternative behavior replaces drinking, the more that attention to stimuli associated with drinking decreases. These results are consistent with the notion that the risk of relapse declines with longer periods of recovery because alternative behavior comes to predominate even in the presence of stimuli associated with drinking.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:   ginsburg@uthscsa.edu

Neurophysiological Correlates of Moderate Alcohol Consumption in Older and Younger Social Drinkers

Nearly 40% of adults aged 65 and older in the United States consume alcohol. Research in older adults has largely examined potential health effects of a moderate drinking lifestyle. Examination of acute effects in this population is generally lacking. To investigate alcohol-induced alteration of electrophysiological correlates of attention in this population, we employed a covert attentional task. We hypothesized that moderate alcohol administration as well as older age would reduce P3 amplitude and increase latency. We anticipated an interaction such that, relative to their age-matched controls, older adults receiving alcohol would be more affected than their younger counterparts.

Participants included healthy older (aged 50 to 67; n = 20; 9 men) and younger (aged 25 to 35; n = 12; 5 men) moderate drinkers. Participants received either a moderate dose of alcohol (breath alcohol concentration ∼50 mg/dl) or a placebo beverage. Following absorption, the task was administered and neurophysiological measures were obtained. P3 amplitude and latency were separately subjected to ANOVA across cue conditions using age and dose as independent variables.

As predicted, P3 amplitude in older adults was significantly lower than in younger adults across cue conditions. An age by alcohol interaction was detected, revealing that older adults receiving alcohol showed lower P3 amplitudes than any other group. An age effect for P3 latency was found, with older adults having longer latencies than their younger counterparts. A significant age by alcohol interaction for P3 latency was detected, revealing that older adults receiving alcohol displayed delayed P3 latencies relative to older adults receiving placebo. In contrast, younger adults receiving alcohol had reduced latency compared to those receiving placebo, although this effect did not reach significance.

Results suggest that older adults demonstrated alcohol-related shifts in P3 characteristics during an intentional attention task, whereas younger adults failed to demonstrate this pattern.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:  benlewis@ufl.edu