Intrauterine substance exposures and Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-II scores at 11 years of age

The goal of this study was to evaluate whether intrauterine exposure to cocaine, alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana was associated with unique variance in children's academic achievement test scores after controlling for other substance exposures and contextual variables.

Academic achievement scores (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II)) were collected from 119, low-income, urban 11-year-olds enrolled in a prospective longitudinal study of intrauterine cocaine exposure (IUCE). Newborn recruitment eligibility included >36 weeks gestational age, no neonatal intensive care, no intrauterine exposure to illicit drugs except cocaine or marijuana, and no evidence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Intrauterine substance exposures (cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, tobacco) were documented in the newborn period using biological assays and maternal self-report. Multivariate analyses evaluated the relationship of each intrauterine exposure and each WIAT-II score controlling for contextual variables and the other substance exposures. In secondary analyses, the Child Depression Inventory (CDI) was added to final models.

Results indicate that neither IUCE nor intrauterine exposure to marijuana or tobacco was associated with lower WIAT-II scores in multivariable analyses.

Intrauterine alcohol exposure predicted significant variance in Math Reasoning and Spelling scores, but inclusion of children's depressive symptoms attenuated the relationship.

Lower maternal education and maternal US birth were also associated with lower WIAT-II scores.

Our analyses indicate that among low-income, urban 11-year-olds without a diagnosis of FAS, intrauterine alcohol exposure was negatively associated with math and spelling achievement scores after controlling for other intrauterine substance exposures and contextual factors. That relationship in this sample was partially mediated by children's depressive symptoms, but we cannot establish whether these lower achievement scores precede or follow depressive symptoms.

Our findings highlight that neurobehavioral studies evaluating a primary potential neuroteratogen should evaluate other associated intrauterine exposures and contextual factors.



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Findings bulletins review NICE alcohol guidance and quality standards

The drug and alcohol Bank has reviewed NICE alcohol guidance and standards:

UK clinical guidance on treating dependent drinkers
Assessment by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) of what evaluation research means for alcohol dependence treatment in Britain, distinguished by comprehensive reviews of the literature; in some cases these expose the inadequacies of the evidence base.

UK clinical guidance on treating acute alcohol withdrawal
Clinical guidance developed for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the medical care of patients suffering acute alcohol withdrawal. Also deals with alcohol-related thiamine deficiency, liver disease, and inflammation of the pancreas.

UK guidance on commissioning services for problem drinkers
From the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), guidance for commissioners on how to organise and procure alcohol treatment and brief intervention services which implement related national guidance and satisfy policy requirements.

UK health quality standards on identifying and caring for problem drinkers
Concise statement from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) of 13 practices which constitute high quality health care for problem drinkers and good practice in identifying and advising hazardous drinkers - standards which may be used to assess and reward providers and health service commissioning authorities.

UK public health guidance on preventing problem drinking
Experts convened by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) prioritised population-wide changes like price rises and outlet restrictions which affect everyone, independent of the choices they make. > > > > Read More

Alcohol News - 10/2012

Alcohol News - 10/2012

Baltic Times (Lithuania) - Lithuanian breweries chug on despite harships

If you can’t imagine your life without slurping a heady brew from a thick-glassed mug, enjoying every drop of it down to the very end, there might be some bad news for you ahead: beer prices will unavoidably go up, packaging will become smaller, and some dark kinds of beer are likely to be brought to extinction because of pending state regulations.

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YLE News (Finland) - Study: Unemployment and alcohol deadly combination

Men of working age are twice as likely to die as their female counterparts. Perhaps unsurprisingly, people without jobs have a higher mortality rate than the employed, but the disparity of mortality rates between those with jobs and those without is significant.

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The Local.no (Norway) - Beer makers barred from showing beer in Norway

Norwegian beer makers have reacted with fury to "surreal" rulings by two state agencies forbidding brewers from reviewing beer or showing pictures of beer on their own websites.

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Addiction (Sweden) - Changes in sobriety in the Swedish population over three decades: age, period or cohort effects?

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

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Washington Post (Australia) - Official war history says alcohol abuse posed problems for Australians fighting in Vietnam

Alcohol abuse during the Vietnam War was a significant problem for Australian troops who were supplied with the equivalent of more than five cans of beer per soldier per day during the latter years of the conflict, an official record says.

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Reuters - On-screen boozing tied to kids' binge drinking

How much drinking kids and teens had seen in recent movies was linked to the chances they overdid it on alcohol themselves in a new study from six European countries.

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Brisbane Times (Australia) - No impact from safe alcohol use campaign

A major overhaul of guidelines for the safe consumption of alcohol seems to have had no impact on Australians.

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SI.com (Brazil) - Brazil Congress divided over alcohol sales at WCup

A congressional commission partially approved a bill regulating the 2014 World Cup in Brazil on Tuesday, but congressmen remained divided on whether to allow the sale of alcohol at games during the monthlong tournament, dealing a setback to FIFA and local organizers.

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Daily Mail (UK) - Cameron facing Cabinet backlash over plans to introduce minimum alcohol unit pricing

David Cameron is facing a Cabinet backlash after overruling colleagues to introduce a minimum pricing for alcohol.

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Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Adverts for cheap alcohol could be banned

The ban, which would form part of the Coalition’s alcohol strategy, would see an end to retailers such as Tesco and Asda advertising money-off deals on beer, wine and spirits.

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Bloomberg - Lundbeck Anti-Binge Drinking Drug Helps Cut Intake by 66%

H. Lundbeck A/S (LUN), the Nordic region’s second-largest drugmaker, said its anti-alcoholism treatment nalmefene helped patients cut consumption by an average of 66 percent in three clinical trials.

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Irish Times (Ireland) - Setting minimum prices for alcohol will not break EU rules, says official

DEPARTMENT OF Health proposals to introduce a minimum price for alcohol are compatible with EU law, a spokesman for the EU commissioner for health and consumer policy has said.

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Science Daily - A Healthy Teenager Is a Happy Teenager

Teenagers who turn their backs on a healthy lifestyle and turn to drink, cigarettes and junk food are significantly unhappier than their healthier peers. New research also shows that 12-13 is a catalyst age when young people turn away from the healthy habits of their younger years and start to get involved in risky behaviours.

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Politics.co.uk (UK) - Comment: The Blair government created an alcohol monster

It is probably right to 'call time' on 'Binge Britain' and time to take up policies like Scotland's, which are based on a more nuanced understanding of the problems and benefits of drink.

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Bizcommunity.com (South Africa) - Motsoaledi resolute on banning alcohol ads

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is forging ahead with his campaign to ban alcohol advertisements.

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Motor Authority (France) – France Decrees Mandatory Breathalyzers In All Cars by July 1

It's hard to believe that a nation of amateur oenologists would take such a drastic measure, but France has instituted a new rule requiring breathalyzers in all motor vehicles (except mopeds) as of July 1, 2012.

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European Public Health Alliance (EU) - "Brewers’ Pledge is nothing but a Public Affairs exercise" says EPHA

PHA has released the following comments today (28 February 2012) on the occasion of an event organised by the Brewers’ of Europe launching what they have called the ’Brewers’ Pledge’. The Brewers claim that the Pledge represents a proactive stance on their part to tackle what they themselves recognise is a ’serious issue’. Their promise to address this with ’informational campaigns’, however, does not go far enough.

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Krakow Post (Poland) - Drink and Drugs and Krakow's Kids

A survey of almost 4,000 children and young people in Krakow – some as young as nine – has revealed that alcohol and illegal drugs such as cannabis are growing in popularity among the city’s youth.

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Independent Online (South Africa) - De Lille relaxes curbs on drinking

Tipplers may be tempted to raise a glass to mayor Patricia de Lille on Wednesday after her announcement that parts of Cape Town’s liquor by-law will be relaxed.

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The Local.de (Germany) - Company issued false 'idiot tests'

A German company has been accused of running fake “idiot tests” – special examinations drivers accused of driving under the influence have to take before being allowed back behind the wheel.

Read more


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Drinking Frequency as a Brief Screen for Adolescent Alcohol Problems

Routine alcohol screening of adolescents in pediatric settings is recommended, and could be facilitated by a very brief empirically validated alcohol screen based on alcohol consumption. This study used national sample data to test the screening performance of 3 alcohol consumption items (ie, frequency of use in the past year, quantity per occasion, frequency of heavy episodic drinking) in identifying youth with alcohol-related problems.

Data were from youth aged 12 to 18 participating in the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2000 to 2007. The screening performance of 3 alcohol consumption items was tested, by age and gender, against 2 outcomes: any Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition alcohol use disorder symptom (“moderate”-risk outcome), and a diagnosis of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition alcohol dependence (“high”-risk outcome).

Prevalence of the 2 outcomes increased with age: any alcohol use disorder symptom ranged from 1.4% to 29.2%; alcohol dependence ranged from 0.2% to 5.3%. Frequency of drinking had higher sensitivity and specificity in identifying both outcomes, compared with quantity per occasion and heavy episodic drinking frequency. For both outcomes, results indicate the utility of similar cut points for drinking frequency for males and females at each age. Age-specific frequency cut points, however, are recommended for both moderate- and high-risk outcomes to maximize screening performance.

Drinking frequency provides an empirically supported brief screen to efficiently identify youth with alcohol-related problems.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: chungta@upmc.edu.

The Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC): A Single Session Group Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Use.

The Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC) is a single session group-delivered program designed to modify alcohol expectancy processes and reduce alcohol use among children and young adults.

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of the ECALC in reducing risky alcohol use among heavy drinking college men.

Four fraternities at a large state university were randomly assigned to receive either the single session ECALC or a control presentation (2 fraternity houses per condition, n = 250). Alcohol expectancies were assessed before and immediately after program presentation.

Results demonstrated significant changes on 5 of the 7 subscales of the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol Scale (CEOA) among students who received the ECALC when compared with control participants. Alcohol use data were collected for 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after program presentation.

Compared with those in the control condition, students who received the ECALC demonstrated significant reductions in all facets of alcohol use measured, including decreased mean and peak blood alcohol content (BAC), decreased mean number of days drinking per week, decreased mean drinks per sitting, and decreased number of binge-drinking episodes per month.

This study represents 2 important advances. First is the significant reduction in risky alcohol use produced by a single session group-delivered program. The second important advance is the success in changing expectancy processes without using impractical elements common in previous expectancy challenge methods (e.g., a “barlab” environment and actual alcohol administration).


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Delineating Potential Mechanisms of Implicit Alcohol Cognitions: Drinking Restraint, Negative Affect, and Their Relationship With Approach Alcohol Ass

Problem drinkers may use alcohol to avoid negative mood states and may develop implicit cognitive associations between negative emotional states and reinforcing properties of drinking. It is paradoxical that attempts to control drinking, such as among those high in drinking restraint, may inadvertently increase desire to drink and subsequent alcohol consumption, and this may be exaggerated under times of emotional distress when urges to drink are high.

We examined whether individuals who are high on drinking restraint would demonstrate stronger alcohol-related thoughts elicited by stimuli that represent the desire to use alcohol, in response to stronger versus weaker negative mood arousal.

Seventy hazardous drinkers completed measurements of drinking restraint, alcohol consumption, and consequences of use. After being randomized to view negative or positive pictures sets, participants completed an Implicit Association Task (IAT) to test differences in the strength of the association between desire to approach or avoid alcohol or water cues, and then a measurement of subjective craving following the IAT.

Regression analyses showed that trait restriction not temptation was positively related to IAT scores, after controlling for relevant covariates and explained 7% of the total variance.

Trait temptation not IAT predicted subjective craving. Negative affect was unrelated to IAT scores, singly or in conjunction with measures of drinking restraint, contrary to predictions.

In sum, implicit alcohol cognitions are related to attempts to restrict drinking not temptation to drink and are less strongly influenced by mood state.



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Request Reprint E-Mail: amycohn@usf.edu

Predicting Alcohol Use Across Adolescence: Relative Strength of Individual, Family, Peer, and Contextual Risk and Protective Factors

The current study examined developmental changes in the relative influence of risk and protective factors (RPFs) across individual, family, peer, school, and community domains on adolescent alcohol use.

Using longitudinal data from two independent samples, multivariate cross-lagged models were used to estimate the unique influence of each RPF on subsequent changes in recent alcohol use between early to late adolescence.

The results supported the hypothesis that the influence of Individual Risk would increase during this developmental period.

However, less consistent evidence was found concerning developmental changes among the other domains. Whereas the influence arising from Family Protection diminished during adolescence, the influence of Family Risk, School Protection, and Community Protection did not vary. The influence of Peer Risk showed a nonlinear pattern across adolescence, peaking during the middle adolescent years.

The results of this study support a developmental approach to adolescent alcohol use and emphasize the need for prevention strategies that account for these developmental changes.



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Request Reprint E-Mail: mcleveland@psu.edu

Application of the Stressor Vulnerability Model to Understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Alcohol-Related Problems in an Undergraduate

Research examining the comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol-use disorder (AUD) suggests that individuals experiencing PTSD symptoms (PTSS) often drink alcohol as a means to self-medicate their trauma symptoms; however, little attention has been given to moderating variables that may make this association more likely.

The stressor vulnerability model proposes that being male, relying on maladaptive forms of coping, and holding positive alcohol-outcome expectancies predispose individuals to engage in alcohol use when experiencing psychological distress.

In the current study, sex, avoidance coping (AVC), tension-reduction expectancies (TRE), and emotional-relief drinking-refusal self-efficacy (ERDRSE) were examined as moderators of the relationship between PTSS and alcohol-related problems in a sample of 144 undergraduates.

Results indicated that males reporting high levels of TRE exhibited a stronger positive relationship between PTSS and alcohol-related problems than was present for males reporting low levels of TRE and for females reporting either high or low levels of TRE.

In addition, a significant positive relationship between PTSS and alcohol-related problems was observed for individuals reporting high levels of TRE and low levels of ERDRSE, but not for individuals reporting high levels of TRE and high levels of ERDRSE,

Assessment of these vulnerability factors in traumatized youth and young adults may serve as a useful means of identifying individuals at risk for the development of alcohol-related problems.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: bhruska1@kent.edu

$11.95 White Matter Integrity as a Link in the Association Between Motivation to Abstain and Treatment Outcome in Adolescent Substance Users.

Readiness to change constitutes an important treatment target. This study examined white matter (WM) integrity as a possible link in the pathway between motivation to abstain and treatment outcome.

Adolescents (age 14–18 years, n = 32) were recruited from intensive outpatient (IOP) substance use treatment and reported on motivation to abstain from alcohol and marijuana shortly after treatment admission (i.e., at baseline). Diffusion tensor imaging data were collected approximately 7 weeks after starting IOP and were used to quantify WM integrity (indexed by fractional anisotropy, FA) using a region of interest (ROI) approach. Treatment outcomes were assessed 6 months after baseline. Indirect effects analyses tested FA in prefrontal, orbitofrontal, and temporal ROIs as a linking variable in the pathway from motivation to abstain to alcohol and marijuana outcomes.

Bivariate correlations indicated that greater motivation to abstain from alcohol was associated with lower FA in prefrontal, orbitofrontal, and temporal ROIs and that lower FA in these three ROIs was associated with greater 6-month alcohol problem severity.

The indirect effect of FA was significant for the prefrontal ROI in the pathway from motivation to outcome for alcohol.

FA values were not associated with motivation to abstain from marijuana or marijuana-related outcomes.

Results suggest that lower WM integrity, particularly in the prefrontal brain region, may help to explain greater alcohol problem severity at 6 months despite higher motivation to abstain from alcohol.

Interventions that aim to enhance WM integrity warrant attention to improve adolescent treatment outcomes


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Request Reprint E-Mail: chungta@upmc.edu.

Alcohol Use History and Panic-Relevant Responding Among Adolescents: A Test Using a Voluntary Hyperventilation Challenge.

Given the onset of alcohol use, neurological sensitivity, and enhanced panic-relevant vulnerability, adolescence is a key period in which to study the documented linkage between alcohol and panic-related problems.

The current study was designed to build upon and uniquely extend extant work via (a) utilization of well-established experimental psychopathology techniques and (b) evaluation of unique associations between alcohol use and panic symptoms after controlling for theoretically relevant behavioral, environmental, and individual difference variables (i.e., age, gender, negative affectivity, anxiety sensitivity, child and parent tobacco use, and parental panic disorder).

Participants were 111 community-recruited adolescents ages 12–17 years (M = 15.76 years; n = 50 girls). Youth completed a battery of well-established questionnaires and a voluntary hyperventilation challenge, and parents present at the laboratory completed a structured clinical interview. Adolescent alcohol use was categorized as Non-Users, Experimenters, or Users. Panic symptoms were indexed via retrospective self-report and adolescents' response to a biological challenge procedure (i.e., voluntary hyperventilation).

After controlling for theoretically relevant covariates, Users evidenced elevated panic-relevant symptoms and responding compared with Non-Users; Experimenters did not differ from Non-Users.

Findings suggest alcohol use history is uniquely associated with panic symptomatology among youth, including “real-time” reactivity elicited by a laboratory challenge.

Although there is significant work yet to be done, these data advance extant work and lay the groundwork for the types of sophisticated designs that will be needed to answer the most pressing and complex questions regarding the link between alcohol use and panic symptoms among adolescents.



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Request Reprint E-Mail: hblumen@uark.edu

Age-Based Differences in Treatment Outcome Among Alcohol-Dependent Women

The literature suggests that women are at higher risk for negative consequences from alcohol use than men and that these risks are compounded by age.

The current study investigated how alcohol-dependent women from different age groups might differ in terms of baseline functioning and treatment response.

The sample consisted of 181 participants drawn from two randomized clinical trials of cognitive–behavioral treatments for alcohol-dependent women. Demographic and psychopathology data were obtained at baseline using the SCID (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM disorders) I for Axis I disorders and the SCID II or Personality Disorders Questionnaire for Axis II disorders. Social networks data were collected using the Important People and Activities Interview. Drinking data were collected at baseline and follow-up using the Timeline Follow Back Interview.

ANOVAs revealed that older women had better psychosocial functioning in terms of being better educated and reporting fewer Axis I disorders. Also, older women had more supportive social networks in terms of more people, a smaller percentage of heavy drinkers, and a nondrinking spouse. Older women reported a less severe lifetime substance use history with a later age of first drink, later onset of alcohol use disorders, fewer lifetime abuse/dependence items, and less drug use. However, they reported drinking more frequently and more heavily over the 90 days prior to treatment. Finally, older women were more compliant with treatment and responded better by reducing drinking frequency and percentage of heavy drinking days.

Suggestions to enhance treatment efficacy for younger women are made as well as suggestions for future research.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: zotaiba@eden.rutgers.edu

Health-Related Quality of Life Among Heavy-drinking College Students

To examine unique contributions of depression, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related consequences on functional health outcomes in college students.

Participants were heavy-drinking undergraduate students (N = 207) who completed self-report questionnaires.

For men and women, depression dicted overall general health and mental health ratings. For women, depression predicted number of days of role limitations due to poor physical or mental health and number of days of not getting enough sleep or rest.

Findings suggest that depression may have a more pervasive association with HRQOL than alcohol misuse or alcohol-related consequences in college students.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: cmonahan@memphis.edu

Do College Students use Facebook to Communicate about Alcohol? An Analysis of Student Profile Pages

The purpose of this study was to quantify the amount of alcohol-related content posted by college students on a popular social networking website and explore the relationship between that content and actual drinking behavior, as well as perceived drinking norms.

The latter has been indicated as an important variable influencing college student drinking behavior, with students tending to overestimate the quantity and frequency of other students’ alcohol use.

To better understand alcohol-related content students are exposed to online, researchers viewed college students’ Facebook profiles, recording the presence of alcohol-related content.

A total of 68 college men and women participated by allowing researchers to view their Facebook page, recording the amount of alcohol-related content, and completing a brief survey on which they reported alcohol use and perceived drinking norms.

Results indicated 76.5% of participants’ profiles contained alcohol-related content. This included a substantial proportion of underage participants.

The presence of a significant relationship between alcohol-related content on Facebook and reported alcohol use, and between reported alcohol use and perceived alcohol use of Facebook Friends suggest social networking sites may contribute to perceived drinking norms and should be addressed in future intervention efforts aimed at reducing college alcohol abuse.


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Best practice in substance misuse

While substance misuse by adolescents in the UK has declined over the last decade, the UK continues to have some of the highest rates of alcohol and drug use in Europe.

Many young people will try smoking and drinking alcohol during their adolescence and a significant minority will misuse alcohol and illicit drugs. This behaviour remains a significant cause for concern owing to its associated risks to the health and wellbeing of adolescents.

Guidance is emerging regarding good practice in the assessment and management of adolescent substance misuse.

Paediatricians may encounter substance-misusing adolescents in a variety of clinical settings and can play a valuable role in the screening, management and support of this group of young people.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: anne.taylor@nottshc.nhs.uk

A possible role of a cerebral energy gene in alcoholism

We examined a possible relationship between genes responsible for energy metabolism of the brain and addictive behavior in an animal model.

We used non-inbred, Swiss mice exposed to a three-bottle free-choice model [water, 5% (v/v) ethanol, and 10% (v/v) ethanol] over a 16-week period, consisting of four phases: acquisition, withdrawal, reexposure, and quinine-adulteration. The mice were then behaviorally classified into three groups: loss-of-control-drinker (preference for ethanol and high levels of consumption during all phases, N = 6), heavy-drinker (preference for ethanol and high levels of consumption during acquisition and reduction during quinine-adulteration, N = 7), and light-drinker (preference for water during all phases, N = 10). Another group only received tap water (ethanol-naive control mice, N = 9).

Further analysis using quantitative real-time PCR showed that in mice behaviorally classified as loss-of-control-drinkers, there was a significant inverse correlation between transcript levels of the Hadh gene and those of other energy metabolism genes in the nucleus of the amygdala, suggesting that this pathway may contribute to ethanol consumption in these mice.

We conclude that cerebral energy metabolism is involved with ethanol addiction, meriting further study.


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Alcoholism: The Science Made Easy

Alcoholism: The Science Made Easy is a publication from the ATTC National Office, the Research Society on Alcoholism and its journal, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. The book includes approximately 100 Addiction Science Made Easy articles arranged by topic. It presents current research relating to alcohol abuse and alcoholism in a concise, easy-to-understand format for educators and clinical supervisors to use in educating students, practitioners, clients and the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction Articles in the Adolescents Category Articles in the Biology - Neurobiology Category Articles in the Gender, Ethnicity & Culture Category Articles in the Genetics & Other Risk Factors Category Articles in the Mental Health Category Articles in the Pharmacology Category Articles in the Physical Health Category Articles in the Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure & Parenting Category Articles in the Prevention, Intervention & Treatment Category Articles in the Violence & Injury Category Key Word Index Read Full Text (PDF)

The Presence of p47phox in Liver Parenchymal Cells is a Key Mediator in the Pathogenesis of Alcoholic Liver Steatosis

Reactive oxygen species contribute to steatosis and inflammation in alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Here, we evaluated the selective contribution of p47phox, a critical subunit of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NADPH) oxidase complex, in liver parenchymal cells and in bone marrow (BM)-derived cells.

Female C57Bl/6 wild type [WT], total body p47phox-deficient knockout [KO] or p47phox chimera mice generated by BM transplantation of p47phox-KO-BM into irradiated WT mice (WT/p47phox-KO-BM mice) received 5% Lieber–DeCarli alcohol or control (pair feeding) diet for 4 weeks.

Alcohol-induced liver steatosis as measured by Oil Red O staining and serum triglyceride up-regulation were prevented in p47phox-KO mice but not in WT/p47phox-KO-BM chimeras compared to WT controls. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was significantly increased in alcohol-fed WT mice but not in p47phox-KO mice compared to pair-fed controls. There was no protection from alcohol-induced increase in ALT and liver damage in the WT/p47phox-KO-BM mice. Alcohol-induced liver steatosis was accompanied by up-regulation of the lipid droplet–stabilizing protein, adipocyte differentiation–related protein (ADRP), and the fatty acid synthesis–associated genes, fatty acid synthase (FASN) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACACA). Total body deficiency in p47phox but not selective absence of p47phox in BM-derived cells prevented alcohol-induced up-regulation of ADRP, FASN, and ACACA in the liver. Finally, alcohol-induced activation and DNA binding of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), a master regulator of inflammation, were significantly increased after alcohol feeding in WT but not in p47phox-KO mice. Selective deficiency of p47phox in BM-derived cells (WT/p47phox-KO-BM chimera) failed to prevent NF-κB induction after alcohol feeding.

Total body deficiency in p47phox subunit of NADPH oxidase complex protects mice from alcohol-induced liver steatosis via mechanisms involving ADRP, FASN, and ACACA as well as from alcohol-induced NF-κB activation. In contrast, selective absence of p47phox in BM-derived cells fails to provide protection via these mechanisms. These results suggest that p47phox in parenchymal cells plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of ALD.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: gyongyi.szabo@umassmed.edu

X Chromosome Inactivation in Women with Alcoholism

All female mammals with 2 X chromosomes balance gene expression with males having only 1 X by inactivating one of their X chromosomes (X chromosome inactivation [XCI]). Analysis of XCI in females offers the opportunity to investigate both X-linked genetic factors and early embryonic development that may contribute to alcoholism. Increases in the prevalence of skewing of XCI in women with alcoholism could implicate biological risk factors.

The pattern of XCI was examined in DNA isolated in blood from 44 adult women meeting DSM-IV criteria for an alcohol use disorder and 45 control women with no known history of alcohol abuse or dependence. XCI status was determined by analyzing digested and undigested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products of the polymorphic androgen receptor (AR) gene located on the X chromosome. Subjects were categorized into 3 groups based upon the degree of XCI skewness: -random (50:50 to 64:36%), moderately skewed (65:35 to 80:20%), and highly skewed (>80:20%).

XCI status from informative women with alcoholism was found to be random in 59% (n = 26), moderately skewed in 27% (n = 12), or highly skewed in 14% (n = 6). Control subjects showed 60, 29, and 11%, respectively. The distribution of skewed XCI observed among women with alcoholism did not differ statistically from that of control subjects (χ² test = 0.14, 2 df, p = 0.93).

Our data did not support an increase in XCI skewness among women with alcoholism or implicate early developmental events associated with embryonic cell loss or unequal (nonrandom) expression of X-linked gene(s) or defects in alcoholism among women.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: amanzardo@kumc.edu

Detection of Alcohol Use in the Second Trimester Among Low-Income Pregnant Women in the Prenatal Care Settings in Jefferson County, Alabama

Prenatal alcohol use, a leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities, remains a prevalent public health concern in the United States. This study aims to detect the proportion and correlates of prenatal alcohol use in the prenatal care settings in Alabama. Prenatal care settings were chosen because of their potential as stable locations to screen for and to reduce prenatal alcohol use within a community.

We conducted a cross-sectional study of 3,046 women in the 22 and 23 weeks of gestation who sought prenatal care in 8 community-based public clinics and participated in the Perinatal Emphasis Research Center project in Jefferson County, Alabama, from 1997 to 2001. Frequency and quantity of alcohol use in the past 3 months were assessed by research nurses during face-to-face interviews. We conducted logistic regression analyses to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of correlates of prenatal alcohol use.

Participants were predominantly young, African American, and unmarried, 86.5% on Medicaid. The proportion of alcohol use in the second trimester of pregnancy was 5.1%; 0.3% of women reported 4 or more drinks on a drinking day to research nurses. Older maternal age (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.08 to 1.15), use of welfare (OR = 1.43; 95% CI = 1.02 to 2.02), and male partner–perpetrated violence (OR = 2.96; 95% CI = 1.92 to 4.56) were positively associated with elevated risk of prenatal alcohol use. Protective factors included higher levels of self-esteem (OR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.89 to 0.98) and more years of education (OR = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.78 to 0.98).

Prenatal alcohol use remains a public health issue among low-income pregnant women in Jefferson County, Alabama. Research nurses detected it in the second trimester. Future studies need to encourage screening for prenatal alcohol use in the prenatal care settings by obstetrician-gynecologists, family physicians, nurses, and midwives. Combined interventions to educate and empower women and strengthen families are needed.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: youliqing@hotmail.com, youliqing08@gmail.com

Binge Alcohol–Induced Microvesicular Liver Steatosis and Injury are Associated with Down-Regulation of Hepatic Hdac1, 7, 9, 10, 11 and Up-Regulation o

Binge, as well as chronic, alcohol consumption affects global histone acetylation leading to changes in gene expression. It is becoming increasingly evident that these histone-associated epigenetic modifications play an important role in the development of alcohol-mediated hepatic injury.

C57BL/6 mice were gavaged 3 times (12-hour intervals) with ethanol (EtOH; 4.5 g/kg). Hepatic histone deacetylase (Hdac) mRNAs were assessed by qRT-PCR. Total HDAC activity was estimated by a colorimetric HDAC activity/inhibition assay. Histone acetylation levels were evaluated by Western blot. Liver steatosis and injury were evaluated by histopathology, plasma aminotransferase (ALT) activity, and liver triglyceride accumulation. Expression of fatty acid synthase (Fas) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1a (Cpt1a) was also examined. HDAC 9 association with Fas promoter was analyzed.

Binge alcohol exposure resulted in alterations of hepatic Hdac mRNA levels. Down-regulation of HDAC Class I (Hdac1), Class II (Hdac7, 9, 10), and Class IV (Hdac11) and up-regulation of HDAC Class I (Hdac3) gene expression were observed. Correspondent to the decrease in HDAC activity, an increase in hepatic histone acetylation was observed. These molecular events were associated with microvesicular hepatic steatosis and injury characterized by increased hepatic triglycerides (48.02 ± 3.83 vs. 19.90 ± 3.48 mg/g liver, p < 0.05) and elevated plasma ALT activity (51.98 ± 6.91 vs. 20.8 ± 0.62 U/l, p < 0.05). Hepatic steatosis was associated with an increase in FAS and a decrease in CPT1a mRNA and protein expression. Fas promoter analysis revealed that binge EtOH treatment decreased HDAC 9 occupancy at the Fas promoter resulting in its transcriptional activation.

Deregulation of hepatic Hdac expression likely plays a major role in the binge alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis and liver injury by affecting lipogenesis and fatty acid β-oxidation.

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Actin Dynamics in Development of Behavioral Sensitization After Withdrawal from Long-Term Ethanol Administration to Mice

The present study investigated the role of actin depolymerizing factor (ADF) in the brain of mice after withdrawal from continuous ethanol (EtOH) -vapor inhalation for 9 days using C57BL/6J and ADF mutant mice.

C57BL/6J mice with withdrawal signs 10 hours after withdrawal from EtOH vapor inhalation showed transient and significant enhancement of locomotor activity by a single injection of EtOH (2 g/kg, i.p.) and of EtOH-induced place preference 3 days after withdrawal from EtOH vapor inhalation, suggesting the development of sensitization of locomotion activity to EtOH and of place preference 3 days after withdrawal from EtOH in C57BL/6J mice with EtOH physical dependence. The levels of ADF and G-actin in the ventral tegmental area, including a little bit of surrounding tissues, increased immediately (0 hours), 10 hours, and 3 days after withdrawal from EtOH vapor. F-actin, synaptic vesicle-associated protein 38, and postsynaptic density 95 increased 0 hours and 3 days after withdrawal with their decreases 10 hours after withdrawal from EtOH vapor. An F-actin stabilizing agent phalloidin (3 nmol/mouse/d, i.c.v., once a day) administered daily for 3 days after withdrawal from continuous EtOH vapor inhalation for 9 days significantly suppressed the increase in both EtOH-induced place preference and locomotor activity by a single injection of EtOH 3 days after withdrawal from long-term EtOH vapor inhalation for 9 days. In addition, the changes in behavioral sensitization in ADF mutant mice were significantly weaker than those observed in C57BL/6J mice (wild-type mice for ADF mutant mice).

The findings presented here suggest that withdrawal from EtOH physical dependence causes behavioral sensitization to EtOH, which may be, at least in part, mediated by alternation of actin dynamics.

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Young people and alcohol: units knowledge & dry bars - two different perspectives

A study by Sussex University has reported that young people underestimate the amount of units in their typical drink.

Published in Drug and Alcohol Review, the study found young people underestimated unit content despite a good level of understanding of the recommended guidelines. Senior Psychology lecturer Dr Richard de Visser stated "Our results indicate that young people tend not to possess the knowledge or skills to drink alcohol in accordance with Government guidelines".

Nevertheless the apparent lack of knowledge about units by young people appears to be echoed by adults too - see an exploration of adult's knowledge of units and guidelines in the Statistics on Alcohol: England, 2011 report. The government has recently launched the

Change4Life campaign to educate the general public on alcohol harms. > > > > Read More

FASD News - 9/2012

NEWS AND ARTICLES

Helsinkin Sanomat (Finland) - Ministry planning coerced treatment for substance-abusing pregnant women

Women who abuse intoxicants while pregnant could soon face the possibility of being put into treatment against their will - possibly through the entire duration of their pregnancy.

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The Republic (USA) - Alaska considers new approach to fetal alcohol problems among criminal court defendants
A proposal before the Alaska Legislature would give judges flexibility when handing down criminal sentences to people who were born with effects caused by their mother drinking during pregnancy.
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Scoop.co.nz (New Zealand) - Scandalous perpetuation of brain damage to children

Alcohol Healthwatch launched an on-line resource today to assist health professionals talk to their pregnant patients about alcohol.

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CBC.ca (Canada) - New fetal alcohol disorder centre set for Moncton

The New Brunswick government and Family Service Moncton Inc. are creating a specialized centre to deal with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Moncton.

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Palate Pres - Light Drinking During Pregnancy: What Recent Studies Do — and Do Not — Tell Us

Those headlines are based on a new study by a team led by Dr. Haruna Feldman at the University of California, San Diego concerning the effects of alcohol on a developing fetus. “Study: No Amount of Alcohol During Pregnancy Safe,” one headline reads. “One Drink is Too Many,” another declares. Those headlines are based on the Feldman team’s conclusion, which says, “Women should continue to be advised to abstain from alcohol consumption from conception throughout pregnancy.”

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Native Times (USA) - One in four children born on the reservation suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome

Leaders of a South Dakota American Indian tribe who are suing beer makers, distributors and retailers are now asking a judge to restrict alcohol sales in a tiny Nebraska town that borders their reservation.

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The Australian (Australia) - New calls on booze and babies

WHEN Elizabeth Russell was eight months pregnant with her first child, her doctor advised her to have a few drinks to make sure the amniocentesis test he had just performed didn't bring on early labour.

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The West Australian (Australia) - Charge reckless mums: doctors' union

Doctors want the State Government to consider criminal penalties when unborn babies are negligently endangered in homebirths or by mothers who take drugs or drink excessively.

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ABC2 - Study pinpoints critical timeframe when alcohol can harm developing fetus

A new study shows even one drink during pregnancy can have the potential to hurt your developing baby.

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MATERIALS and RESOURCES

POPFASD - New eLearning Video - Cris Rowan - Movement, Attention & Learning

In this new eLearning video, Cris Rowan speaks about the importance of movement in improving our students' learning and attention.

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FASD – Finding Hope

The full documentary on the Finding Hope website is a wonderfully touching and informative resource highlighting the lives of several individuals with FASD and their families interspersed with commentary from professionals in the field.

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COMING UP

Webinar: Optimal Outcomes for Children with FASD

This first series of webinars focuses on advanced topics in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. It has been developed with experienced clinicians, attorneys, child welfare, and social service professionals in mind.

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CAPHC National Screening Tool Kit for FASD: Feedback and Input from Screening Tool Kit Users

CAPHC would now like to invite users of the Neurobehavioural Screening Tool (NST); the Youth Probation Officers Screening Tool and the Maternal Drinking Guide to join this webinar and share their experiences in using these tools. Your feedback and input is critical to determine the initial impact of the tools on various populations and jurisdictions. All practitioners interested in the tools and their development are welcome to join.

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RESEARCH

The International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research - Call for Papers: Special Issue on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

The International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research (IJADR) invites the submission of papers on biomedical, psychological, and sociological aspects related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), to be featured in this special issue to be published in September, 2013. Accepted papers will be published online prior to their inclusion in this special issue in order to make the research available more quickly.

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Maternal and Child Health Journal - A Prospective Study of Prevalence and Predictors of Concurrent Alcohol and Tobacco Use During Pregnancy

Concurrent drinking and smoking during pregnancy is a major public health concern. Changes in these behaviours are under-researched, although essential if effective interventions are to be implemented. Hence this paper investigated characteristics of women who decreased concurrent drinking and smoking during pregnancy.

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Alcohol and Alcoholism - Alcohol-Related Brain Damage: Report from a Medical Council on Alcohol Symposium, June 2010

The brain is particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of alcohol either directly, particularly in the foetus and young people, or in the context of malnutrition and thiamine deficiency leading to Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome; or following repeated episodes of alcohol withdrawal.

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Information for Practice - Adaptive behaviour in children and adolescents with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders: a comparison with specific learning disability and typical development

Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is a leading cause of intellectual disability in the western world. Children and adolescents with FASD are often exposed to a double burden in life, as their neurological sequelae are accompanied by adverse living surroundings exposing them to further environmental risk.

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