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Last Updated: Nov 18, 2006 - 12:32:53 PM |
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DNA highly-promising predictor for successful treatment of alcoholics
According to Dutch researcher Wendy Ooteman, the biological and genetic characteristics of alcoholics can predict which drugs will best suppress the desire to drink. Naltrexone and acamprosate are drugs that are supposed to suppress the desire for a drink. The researcher investigated which patient characteristics were responsible for predicting the drug that would work best.
Oct 5, 2006 - 1:12:00 AM
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Nicotine may actually reduce blood alcohol concentrations
It's no mystery that many drinkers smoke, and many smokers drink. What is novel is a recent finding among rodents that nicotine can reduce blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at dosage levels that could be achieved by human smokers. This may lead to more drinking.
Jul 31, 2006 - 5:22:00 PM
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Alcoholics' deficits in smell are linked to frontal lobe dysfunction
Prior research has shown that chronic alcoholism is associated with numerous olfactory deficits in odor judgment, odor identification, odor sensitivity, and the ability to qualitatively discriminate between odors. New findings indicate that olfactory deficits among alcoholics are associated with prefrontal cognitive dysfunction, specifically, impairment in the functional integrity of the prefrontal lobe.
Jul 31, 2006 - 5:21:00 PM
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Asp carriers of the OPRM1 gene taking naltrexone have increased urge to drink
Naltrexone (NTX) is able to reduce drinking and craving among many alcoholics and heavy drinkers, but not all of them. Polymorphisms in the D4 dopamine receptor (DRD4) gene and the � opiate receptor (OPRM1) gene may moderate NTX's effects on craving. New findings indicate that Asp carriers of the OPRM1 gene do indeed have a different response to NTX, albeit contrary to expectations: these individuals have a greater urge to drink.
Jul 31, 2006 - 5:10:00 PM
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Early Drinking Linked to Risk of Alcohol Dependence
Individuals who are younger when they begin drinking alcohol may face a higher risk of alcohol dependence throughout life, at a younger age and consisting of multiple episodes, according to results of a national survey published in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Jul 4, 2006 - 1:24:00 PM
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Inattentional blindness more likely under influence of alcohol
The study showed that subjects who were mildly intoxicated (at half the legal intoxication limit in the US) were heavily compromised in their ability to notice an unexpected visual object when they were focused on another simple task. The phenomenon, known as 'Inattentional blindness' � where unexpected, yet salient objects appear in the visual fields but fail to be detected while subjects are focused on another task� has been demonstrated under various conditions, but this is the first instance to show that these visual errors become even more likely under the influence of alcohol.
Jun 30, 2006 - 1:06:00 PM
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Moderate alcohol intake associated with better mental function
Research involving more than 7,000 older women found that those who drink a moderate amount of alcohol have slightly higher levels of mental function than non-drinkers, particularly in verbal abilities, according to researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.
Jun 1, 2006 - 1:12:00 PM
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Medical management with naltrexone or behavioral therapy can effectively treat alcohol dependence
Medical management combined with the drug naltrexone or with a specialized behavioral therapy can be effective treatments for alcohol dependence, according to a study in the May 3 issue of JAMA. About 8 million individuals in the U.S. currently meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence (also called alcoholism), a leading preventable cause of illness and death and a major contributor to health care costs, according to background information in the article. In primary care settings, the prevalence of alcohol use disorders ranges from 20 percent to 36 percent; most of those patients are never treated and, if they are, do not receive specialty care. Several behavioral treatments and at least two medications approved by the U.S. FDA, naltrexone and acamprosate, have shown efficacy in the treatment of alcohol dependence. However, no large-scale randomized controlled study has evaluated whether combined drug treatment with or without behavioral therapy could improve outcome.
May 7, 2006 - 6:59:00 PM
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Underage drinkers account for about 17 percent of consumer expenditures for alcohol
Underage drinking contributes an estimated $23 billion yearly to the alcohol industry, more than 17 percent of the total consumer expenditures for alcohol, according to an article in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
May 7, 2006 - 6:53:00 PM
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Alcohol could make you more depressed: study
People who drink alcohol to feel better are wrong. In fact, they are at increased risk of depression, scientists in Britain have found.
Apr 19, 2006 - 5:27:00 PM
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Scientists unravel genetic predisposition to alcohol
Genes could be the reason for some people to drink high amounts of alcohol, says a study which could lead to a better understanding of alcoholism.
Apr 18, 2006 - 2:11:00 PM
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At-risk drinking associated with higher death rates among men with certain diseases
Older men who drink as few as two drinks twice a week and also have diseases that could be worsened by alcohol or cause problems with medications taken while drinking alcohol have higher death rates, as compared to men who either drink less or may drink more but don't have such comorbidities.
Apr 11, 2006 - 12:49:00 PM
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Psychiatry
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Young British women out-drinking men
Young women are out-drinking men of the same age in Britain, says a study pointing out that many of them were beginning to suffer from liver disease in their late teens.
Mar 22, 2006 - 1:20:00 AM
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Alcohol Quantity Depends on Shape of Glass
People pour 20-30% more alcohol into short, wide glasses than into tall, narrow ones of the same volume, but they wrongly believe that tall glasses hold more, finds a study in this week�s BMJ. Even professional bartenders pour more into short, wide �tumblers� than into �highball� glasses, suggesting that experience of pouring alcohol has little effect. The study involved 198 college students and 86 bartenders from a large city in the United States.
Dec 27, 2005 - 5:29:00 AM
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Interventions for preventing or treating alcohol hangover:
No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any complementary or conventional intervention is effective for treating or preventing alcohol hangover, say researchers in this week�s BMJ. In Britain, alcohol hangovers account for about �2bn in lost wages each year, mostly due to sickness absence, and a plethora of �hangover cures� is on offer.
Dec 27, 2005 - 3:41:00 AM
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Somkers drinking behavior linked alcohol addiction genes
Scientists have found in a study of tobacco users that their drinking behavior is linked to some of the same chromosome regions associated with alcohol addiction. The study, published in the December issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, offers evidence that the interaction between smoking and alcohol consumption may partly be due to overlapping genetic risk factors. The results also provide further confirmation that alcoholism is a complex behavior drawing from both environmental and genetic factors.
Dec 22, 2005 - 4:11:00 PM
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Psychiatry
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Maternal influences set drinking path
Teenagers are more likely to develop drinking problems if their mothers are depressed and drink regularly. The findings come from University of Queensland researchers who tracked alcohol related disorders of children through adulthood as part of one of the world's longest health studies. Data was collected from 2551 Brisbane mothers and their children at six months, five, 14 and 21 years of age.
Nov 25, 2005 - 6:18:00 AM
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Fetal alcohol exposure affects brain's dopamine system
In a study of adult monkeys who were exposed to moderate amounts of alcohol in utero, scientists have found that prenatal exposure to alcohol - even in small doses - has pronounced effects on the development and function later in life of the brain's dopamine system, a critical component of the central nervous system that regulates many regions of the brain.
Sep 20, 2005 - 9:56:00 PM
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Psychiatry
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Alcohol
Researchers Discover Cost Effective Alcohol Treatment Programme
Research published today by psychologists at the University of Birmingham in The BMJ (9th September 05) has found that two different strategies of treatment are highly effective for those who are alcohol dependent and that for every �1 spent on these treatments, �5 of the tax payers� money is saved.
Sep 10, 2005 - 12:24:00 AM
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Effectiveness of treatment for alcohol problems - UKATT
Two types of non-residential treatments for alcohol abuse are highly effective and save society five times as much as they cost to run, say two papers in this week�s BMJ.
Sep 10, 2005 - 12:10:00 AM
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Gamblers and alcoholics have distinctive personality traits that affect their cravings
There are two types of addiction-related craving: one is physical, which is related to withdrawal; and the other is memory-based, consisting of a desire that persists long after withdrawal has been subdued. A study in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research compares craving between pathological gamblers and alcoholics, correlating craving with personality. Results indicate that gamblers and alcoholics have distinctive personality traits that affect their cravings
Aug 15, 2005 - 8:36:00 PM
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Chronobiological disruptions in human alcoholics - Review Study
Circadian rhythms refer to biological phenomena that oscillate within a 24-hour cycle, in keeping with the earth's rotation. A review in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research summarizes new findings on interactions between alcohol and the "clock genes" that underlie circadian rhythmicity.
Aug 15, 2005 - 5:53:00 PM
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The Role of Genes in Alcohol Dependence
Clues looking into the root causes of alcoholism are emerging from new findings that center on the genetic patterns of young drinkers, with particular focus on why adolescents are more likely to drink large quantities of alcohol even if they need more alcohol to get the effects they desire.
Jul 22, 2005 - 12:32:00 AM
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Psychiatry
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Women who drink excessively are more likely to experience depression
Women who drink to excess are more likely to experience depression and anxiety according to new research.
Jun 8, 2005 - 1:46:00 PM
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College Students Who Get Drunk Weekly Have Higher Risk of Injuries
College students who get drunk at least once a week are significantly more likely to be hurt or injured than other student drinkers, according to new research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
May 24, 2005 - 12:37:00 PM
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Psychiatry
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Substance Abuse
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Alcohol
Greater vulnerability of women's brains to alcohol
Women appear to be more vulnerable to chronic drinking than men are. Yet few studies have looked at gender differences in alcohol's effects on the brain. A study in the May issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research addresses this gap in research, using computed tomography (CT) to examine brain atrophy in the brains of alcoholic men and women. The findings support and build upon a prior hypothesis that women develop alcohol-related brain damage more readily than men.
May 18, 2005 - 11:51:00 PM
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Psychiatry
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Substance Abuse
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Alcohol
Alcohol Leads to Brain Cell Growth
Moderate alcohol consumption over a relatively long period of time can enhance the formation of new nerve cells in the adult brain. The new cells could prove important in the development of alcohol dependency and other long-term effects of alcohol on the brain. The findings are published by Karolinska Institutet.
Apr 29, 2005 - 8:13:00 PM
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Psychiatry
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Substance Abuse
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Alcohol
Alcohol 'binges' can upset Circadian Rhythm
In a study believed to have implications for children and adults suffering from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, rat pups given alcohol during a period of rapid brain development demonstrated significant changes in circadian or 24-hour rhythms as adults.
Apr 15, 2005 - 6:31:00 PM
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Psychiatry
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Substance Abuse
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Alcohol
Once-a-month naltrexone successfully used to treat alcohol dependence
Long-acting injections of the drug naltrexone, combined with psychotherapy, significantly reduced heavy drinking in patients being treated for alcohol dependence, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association by a Yale School of Medicine researcher.
Apr 8, 2005 - 1:43:00 AM
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Psychiatry
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Substance Abuse
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Alcohol
A 'few drinks' do not promote optimal Lactation
Despite age-old claims advising breastfeeding moms that alcoholic beverages can improve their nursing performance, researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center report that even moderate doses of alcohol affect the hormones responsible for lactation in a counterproductive manner.
Apr 6, 2005 - 7:14:00 PM
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