In a study on fetal alcohol syndrome, researchers were able to prevent the damage that alcohol causes to cells in a key area of the fetal brain by blocking acid sensitive potassium channels and preventing the acidic environment that alcohol produces. The cerebellum, the portion of the brain that is responsible for balance and muscle coordination, is particularly vulnerable to injury from alcohol during development.
The researchers also found that although alcohol lowers the amount of oxygen in the blood of the mother, it is not the lack of oxygen that damages the fetal cerebellum, but the drop in pH.
The study with sheep, published in the August issue of the American Journal of Physiology, demonstrated that the damage can be prevented by blocking acid sensitive potassium channels, known as TASK channels, that lead into the Purkinje cells. The study, "Acid Sensitive Channel Inhibition Prevents Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Loss," was carried out by Jayanth Ramadoss, Emilie R. Lunde, Nengtai Ouyang, Wei-Jung A. Chen and Timothy A. Cudd. The research was done at Texas A&M University.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition in which maternal drinking during pregnancy injures the brain of the developing fetus. Alcohol is the most common cause of injury to the fetal brain. Children born with fetal alcohol syndrome may have cognitive impairments and difficulty regulating their behavior. They often have difficulty in school and exhibit behavioral problems, such as impulsiveness, later in life.
The syndrome is estimated to occur in approximately one in every 1,000 births in Western countries. Milder forms of the condition, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, occur more frequently.
Maternal drinking lowers the blood pH of both the mother and the fetus, making the blood more acidic. The researchers hypothesized that this acidity damages the Purkinje cells of the fetal cerebellum. Using 56 pregnant sheep, they induced the change in pH in some sheep using alcohol, while in others they manipulated the extracellular pH. This approach allowed them to test their hypothesis that it was the fall in pH that created the damage, not the alcohol, per se.
Alcohol produced a 45% reduction in Purkinje cells of the fetal cerebellum, while the pH changes alone produced a 24% decrease. A drop in the number of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum is a measure of damage.
However, when the researchers used a drug, doxapram, to block the TASK channels leading into the Purkinje cells, they prevented the change in pH in the fetal cerebellar cells and prevented any reduction in the number of these cells.
"This study demonstrates that direct pharmacological blockade of TASK 1 and TASK 3 channels protects the most sensitive target of fetal alcohol exposure, cerebellar Purkinje cells," the authors concluded.
Finding adds to growing body of work
This study complements work by other researchers who have found success with supplements such as choline, a precursor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. These supplements may work on the same mechanism that Dr. Cudd's lab has been researching.
A fuller audio interview with Drs. Cudd and Ramadoss is available in Episode 12 of the APS podcast, Life Lines, at lifelines.
Funding: The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pediatrics Initiatives and the NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Physiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function to create health or disease. The American Physiological Society (APS) has been an integral part of this scientific discovery process since it was established in 1887.
American Physiological Society
суббота, 30 апреля 2011 г.
пятница, 29 апреля 2011 г.
PA Department Of Health Offers Help To Those With Gambling Problems
With the recent introduction of table games in casinos across the state, the Pennsylvania Department of Health continues to offer assistance to Pennsylvanians who have a gambling problem.
"For most people, gambling is simply a game," said Robin Rothermel, director of the Department of Health's Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs. "However, for the up to four percent of gamblers for whom gambling may become a problem, it can be a devastating illness that affects you and everyone close to you. We are offering an easy way for those who may have a gambling problem to seek help."
The hotline offers resources such as problem gambling brochures; counseling referral services, including self-help groups; state-subsidized care and private care options; and related information. This service will provide assistance to anyone seeking information or help, whether for themselves, a friend or a family member.
Problem gambling is gambling that results in significant debt, family disruption, job losses, criminal activity or suicide. It affects the gamblers, their families, their employers and the community.
As a gambler goes through the phases of addiction, warning signs may include: spending less time with family and friends; spending money on gambling at the expense of the household and family's needs; and stealing money to support a gambling habit.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Health
"For most people, gambling is simply a game," said Robin Rothermel, director of the Department of Health's Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs. "However, for the up to four percent of gamblers for whom gambling may become a problem, it can be a devastating illness that affects you and everyone close to you. We are offering an easy way for those who may have a gambling problem to seek help."
The hotline offers resources such as problem gambling brochures; counseling referral services, including self-help groups; state-subsidized care and private care options; and related information. This service will provide assistance to anyone seeking information or help, whether for themselves, a friend or a family member.
Problem gambling is gambling that results in significant debt, family disruption, job losses, criminal activity or suicide. It affects the gamblers, their families, their employers and the community.
As a gambler goes through the phases of addiction, warning signs may include: spending less time with family and friends; spending money on gambling at the expense of the household and family's needs; and stealing money to support a gambling habit.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Health
четверг, 28 апреля 2011 г.
Combining Alcohol With Sleep Restriction Can Affect Young Men's Alertness And Performance Behind The Wheel
Combining low-dose alcohol with moderate sleep restriction can have a significant adverse effect on young men's subjective alertness and performance behind the wheel.
The study, authored by Andrew Vakulin, of the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health at Repatriation General Hospital in Australia, focused on 21 healthy young men, aged 18-30 years, who all had normal sleep patterns and no sleep disorders. The participants completed a 70-minute simulated driving session, which included steering deviation, braking reaction time, and number of collisions, and underwent repeated measures with four experimental conditions: normal sleep without alcohol, sleep restriction alone (four hours) and sleep restriction in combination with two different low BACs (0.025 g/dL and 0.035 g/dL).
According to the results, steering deviation increased significantly when sleep restriction was combined with the higher dose alcohol. This combination also resulted in a greater subjective sleepiness and negative driving performance ratings compared to control or sleep restriction alone.
"The ability to keep the car in the middle of the lane is critical to safe driving, and is one of the more sensitive measures of driving impairment," said Vakulin. "Although steering deviation was not significantly affected by sleep restriction alone, alcohol at a BAC as low as 0.025 g/dL in combination with sleep restriction was sufficient to significantly impair steering ability. This combination may considerably reduce the threshold for safe driving, as suggested by the steering deviation data and an increase in off-road collisions following sleep restriction and alcohol ingestion in this study."
SLEEP is the official journal of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Sleep Research Society.
SleepEducation, a Web site maintained by the AASM, provides information about various sleep disorders, the forms of treatment available, recent news on the topic of sleep, sleep studies that have been conducted and a listing of sleep facilities.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
The study, authored by Andrew Vakulin, of the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health at Repatriation General Hospital in Australia, focused on 21 healthy young men, aged 18-30 years, who all had normal sleep patterns and no sleep disorders. The participants completed a 70-minute simulated driving session, which included steering deviation, braking reaction time, and number of collisions, and underwent repeated measures with four experimental conditions: normal sleep without alcohol, sleep restriction alone (four hours) and sleep restriction in combination with two different low BACs (0.025 g/dL and 0.035 g/dL).
According to the results, steering deviation increased significantly when sleep restriction was combined with the higher dose alcohol. This combination also resulted in a greater subjective sleepiness and negative driving performance ratings compared to control or sleep restriction alone.
"The ability to keep the car in the middle of the lane is critical to safe driving, and is one of the more sensitive measures of driving impairment," said Vakulin. "Although steering deviation was not significantly affected by sleep restriction alone, alcohol at a BAC as low as 0.025 g/dL in combination with sleep restriction was sufficient to significantly impair steering ability. This combination may considerably reduce the threshold for safe driving, as suggested by the steering deviation data and an increase in off-road collisions following sleep restriction and alcohol ingestion in this study."
SLEEP is the official journal of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Sleep Research Society.
SleepEducation, a Web site maintained by the AASM, provides information about various sleep disorders, the forms of treatment available, recent news on the topic of sleep, sleep studies that have been conducted and a listing of sleep facilities.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
среда, 27 апреля 2011 г.
Alcohol And Licensing Policy Could Be Changing The Habits Of Young Drinkers
In a new report published online in the January issue of Addiction, researchers question whether current licensing policies have contributed to a rise in the phenomenon of "pre-drinking" amongst young people.
"Pre-drinking" or "pre-gaming" involves planned heavy drinking, usually at someone's home, before going to a social event, typically a bar or nightclub. As defined by young people themselves (see online dictionary of slang at urbandictionary) pre-drinking is "[the] act of drinking alcohol before you go out to the club to maximise your fun at the club while spending the least amount on extremely overpriced alcoholic beverages".
The authors see pre-drinking as symptomatic of a "new culture of intoxication" whereby young people are drinking with the primary motive of getting drunk. Recent research suggests that a large proportion of young people pre-drink and that pre-drinkers are more likely to drink heavily and to experience negative consequences as compared to non-pre-drinkers. Pre-drinking often involves the rapid consumption of large quantities of alcohol which may increase the risk of blackouts, hangovers and even alcohol poisoning. It may also encourage the use of other recreational drugs such as cannabis and cocaine as drinkers are socialising in unsupervised environments.
The authors argue that the policy of banning drink promotions or specials such as "happy hour" in bars and clubs may have the unintended consequence of encouraging young people to drink cheaper alcohol in private settings before going out, especially when heavily discounted alcohol is offered in shops and supermarkets. The authors also point out that while later closing times have been justified as a way of reducing problems associated with large numbers of young people being on the street after bars and clubs close, they may encourage private drinking to precede rather than follow public drinking, producing different social dynamics and possibly increasing the potential for violence and other alcohol-related problems.
To discourage or reduce pre-drinking, the authors suggest a comprehensive strategy including:
Developing policies that reduce large imbalances between on and off premise alcohol pricing
Attracting young people of legal drinking age back to the bar for early drinking, where alcohol consumption is monitored by serving staff and drinks are served in standard sizes
Addressing young people's motivations for pre-drinking, including being able to socialize with friends and saving money - for example bars might expand their social function and create an attractive atmosphere for more intimate socialising
Forming effective strategies to reduce planned intoxication - for example policy and programming could be aimed at changing drinking norms and promoting moderation
Lead author Dr. Samantha Wells, a researcher at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada says, "Many young bar-goers have found a way to avoid paying high alcohol prices in bars: they pre-drink. And we have begun to see that this intense and ritualized activity among young adults may result in harmful consequences. Therefore, we need to look closely at the combined impact of various policies affecting bars and young people's drinking and come up with a more comprehensive strategy that will reduce these harmful styles of drinking among young people."
Source: Molly Jarvis
Wiley-Blackwell
"Pre-drinking" or "pre-gaming" involves planned heavy drinking, usually at someone's home, before going to a social event, typically a bar or nightclub. As defined by young people themselves (see online dictionary of slang at urbandictionary) pre-drinking is "[the] act of drinking alcohol before you go out to the club to maximise your fun at the club while spending the least amount on extremely overpriced alcoholic beverages".
The authors see pre-drinking as symptomatic of a "new culture of intoxication" whereby young people are drinking with the primary motive of getting drunk. Recent research suggests that a large proportion of young people pre-drink and that pre-drinkers are more likely to drink heavily and to experience negative consequences as compared to non-pre-drinkers. Pre-drinking often involves the rapid consumption of large quantities of alcohol which may increase the risk of blackouts, hangovers and even alcohol poisoning. It may also encourage the use of other recreational drugs such as cannabis and cocaine as drinkers are socialising in unsupervised environments.
The authors argue that the policy of banning drink promotions or specials such as "happy hour" in bars and clubs may have the unintended consequence of encouraging young people to drink cheaper alcohol in private settings before going out, especially when heavily discounted alcohol is offered in shops and supermarkets. The authors also point out that while later closing times have been justified as a way of reducing problems associated with large numbers of young people being on the street after bars and clubs close, they may encourage private drinking to precede rather than follow public drinking, producing different social dynamics and possibly increasing the potential for violence and other alcohol-related problems.
To discourage or reduce pre-drinking, the authors suggest a comprehensive strategy including:
Developing policies that reduce large imbalances between on and off premise alcohol pricing
Attracting young people of legal drinking age back to the bar for early drinking, where alcohol consumption is monitored by serving staff and drinks are served in standard sizes
Addressing young people's motivations for pre-drinking, including being able to socialize with friends and saving money - for example bars might expand their social function and create an attractive atmosphere for more intimate socialising
Forming effective strategies to reduce planned intoxication - for example policy and programming could be aimed at changing drinking norms and promoting moderation
Lead author Dr. Samantha Wells, a researcher at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada says, "Many young bar-goers have found a way to avoid paying high alcohol prices in bars: they pre-drink. And we have begun to see that this intense and ritualized activity among young adults may result in harmful consequences. Therefore, we need to look closely at the combined impact of various policies affecting bars and young people's drinking and come up with a more comprehensive strategy that will reduce these harmful styles of drinking among young people."
Source: Molly Jarvis
Wiley-Blackwell
вторник, 26 апреля 2011 г.
Review Finds Ways Of Helping The Children Of Drug And Alcohol Misusers
A review published in the journal Advances in Psychiatric Treatment suggests how children whose parents have drug or alcohol problems can be protected from the consequences usually associated with parental substance misuse.
Drawing on research from around the world, the review highlights ways of reducing children's exposure to risk and increasing the protective factors that promote the child's resilience.
"The children of people with drug or alcohol problems usually suffer very badly," said Professor Richard Velleman from the Mental Health R&D Unit (MHRDU), a collaboration between the University of Bath and the Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.
"Conservative estimates suggest as many as 26 million people in the UK are affected by problematic alcohol and drug misuse in their immediate family.
"As a result, these family members are more likely to experience high levels of violence, witness or experience abuse, and suffer other disruptions to family life.
"Children whose parents misuse drugs or alcohol often demonstrate the negative effects of this through emotional difficulties, behavioural problems and social isolation.
"This can lead to depression and anxiety, or involve early drug or alcohol misuse and antisocial behaviour.
"Whilst it is easy to become pessimistic about the future of children brought up in these kinds on environments, we find in practice that some children are resilient; they develop no significant problems related to their parents' substance misuse.
"We have looked through the research literature on this subject and drawn on our own research with more than 1,000 people whose families have been affected by substance misuse to find out why this might be, and how we can encourage similar results elsewhere."
The findings highlight the risk factors such as domestic violence, both parents being substance misusers, exposure to criminal activity and witnessing someone injecting drugs - that place family members at greater risk of negative outcomes.
It also shows the factors and processes such as improving parenting techniques, helping the child learn to disengage from negative situations and support from school, family and other networks - that make children more resilient to the negative impacts of parental drug or alcohol misuse.
"Resilience is really a process rather than a static trait and it is possible, especially for young people, to develop greater resilience to negative situations," said Lorna Templeton, deputy manager and senior researcher at the MHRDU, who also worked on the review.
"In practice this means working with family members who can help look after the children, teaching the child how to avoid problems, helping them learn how to disengage from negative, and embrace the positive aspects of their life, and looking for other stabilising influences.
"Resilience is self-perpetuating, but a central issue in its success is giving children the feeling that they had choices and were in control of their lives."
Government estimates suggest that almost four million people aged 16-65 in the UK are dependent on alcohol or drugs and a further nine million people take drugs or drink alcohol at risky levels that affect their family's wellbeing.
Assuming that every one of these people will negatively affect at least two family members, a conservative estimate of 26 million people in the UK are affected by problematic alcohol and drug misuse in their immediate family.
"There is growing recognition of the importance of involving the family in drug and alcohol treatments programmes," said Professor Velleman.
"However, this should not just be seen in the context of treating the individual with the problem, but also in terms of reducing the impact on the wider family.
"Family members are often overlooked, and it is important that they receive support in their own right; it's not just about changing the behaviour of the misuser."
BATH UNIVERSITY
Wessex House
Bath
BA2 7AY
bath.ac
Drawing on research from around the world, the review highlights ways of reducing children's exposure to risk and increasing the protective factors that promote the child's resilience.
"The children of people with drug or alcohol problems usually suffer very badly," said Professor Richard Velleman from the Mental Health R&D Unit (MHRDU), a collaboration between the University of Bath and the Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.
"Conservative estimates suggest as many as 26 million people in the UK are affected by problematic alcohol and drug misuse in their immediate family.
"As a result, these family members are more likely to experience high levels of violence, witness or experience abuse, and suffer other disruptions to family life.
"Children whose parents misuse drugs or alcohol often demonstrate the negative effects of this through emotional difficulties, behavioural problems and social isolation.
"This can lead to depression and anxiety, or involve early drug or alcohol misuse and antisocial behaviour.
"Whilst it is easy to become pessimistic about the future of children brought up in these kinds on environments, we find in practice that some children are resilient; they develop no significant problems related to their parents' substance misuse.
"We have looked through the research literature on this subject and drawn on our own research with more than 1,000 people whose families have been affected by substance misuse to find out why this might be, and how we can encourage similar results elsewhere."
The findings highlight the risk factors such as domestic violence, both parents being substance misusers, exposure to criminal activity and witnessing someone injecting drugs - that place family members at greater risk of negative outcomes.
It also shows the factors and processes such as improving parenting techniques, helping the child learn to disengage from negative situations and support from school, family and other networks - that make children more resilient to the negative impacts of parental drug or alcohol misuse.
"Resilience is really a process rather than a static trait and it is possible, especially for young people, to develop greater resilience to negative situations," said Lorna Templeton, deputy manager and senior researcher at the MHRDU, who also worked on the review.
"In practice this means working with family members who can help look after the children, teaching the child how to avoid problems, helping them learn how to disengage from negative, and embrace the positive aspects of their life, and looking for other stabilising influences.
"Resilience is self-perpetuating, but a central issue in its success is giving children the feeling that they had choices and were in control of their lives."
Government estimates suggest that almost four million people aged 16-65 in the UK are dependent on alcohol or drugs and a further nine million people take drugs or drink alcohol at risky levels that affect their family's wellbeing.
Assuming that every one of these people will negatively affect at least two family members, a conservative estimate of 26 million people in the UK are affected by problematic alcohol and drug misuse in their immediate family.
"There is growing recognition of the importance of involving the family in drug and alcohol treatments programmes," said Professor Velleman.
"However, this should not just be seen in the context of treating the individual with the problem, but also in terms of reducing the impact on the wider family.
"Family members are often overlooked, and it is important that they receive support in their own right; it's not just about changing the behaviour of the misuser."
BATH UNIVERSITY
Wessex House
Bath
BA2 7AY
bath.ac
понедельник, 25 апреля 2011 г.
Insurers Bringing Plans Into Compliance With New Mental Health Rules
Most Popular Articles For Mental Health
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Promiscuity And Infidelity Could Be A Genetic Trait In Some Humans
03 Dec 2010
People who are unfaithful to their partner may be genetically predisposed that way. Certain genes linked to sensation-seeking behaviors have been identified by researchers from State University of New York in Binghamton...
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Youths Punished More Severely For Same Offense
06 Dec 2010
PTSD Linked To Long Term Physical, Emotional And Cognitive Symptoms
04 Jan 2011
Falling In Love Hits The Brain Like Cocaine Does
27 Oct 2010
Many Americans Caught In Cycle Of Stress And Unhealthy Ways To Manage It
09 Nov 2010
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urchinTracker();
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Promiscuity And Infidelity Could Be A Genetic Trait In Some Humans
03 Dec 2010
People who are unfaithful to their partner may be genetically predisposed that way. Certain genes linked to sensation-seeking behaviors have been identified by researchers from State University of New York in Binghamton...
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Youths Punished More Severely For Same Offense
06 Dec 2010
PTSD Linked To Long Term Physical, Emotional And Cognitive Symptoms
04 Jan 2011
Falling In Love Hits The Brain Like Cocaine Does
27 Oct 2010
Many Americans Caught In Cycle Of Stress And Unhealthy Ways To Manage It
09 Nov 2010
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urchinTracker();
воскресенье, 24 апреля 2011 г.
Abstinent Alcoholics And Postural Sway
Excessive sway during quiet standing is a common and significant consequence of chronic alcoholism, even after prolonged sobriety, and can lead to fall-related injury and even death. A new study of residual postural instability in alcohol-abstinent men and women shows that alcoholics improve with prolonged sobriety, but the improvement may not fully erase the problem of instability.
Results will be published in the March 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
"Caricatures depict acutely intoxicated individuals with a stumbling, weaving, wobbly gait," said Edith V. Sullivan, professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine and corresponding author for the study. "With sobriety, gait and balance become stable. However, even with prolonged sobriety, people with long-term chronic alcohol dependence can have difficulty in standing upright. Their balance can be marked by sway that exceeds what most of us experience while standing still in one place, especially with feet together and hands down by one's side, that is, without use of natural stabilizing factors."
Sullivan said that quantifying the sway can be accomplished by using a force plate to record the sway path in fractions of an inch over fractions of seconds during quiet standing. This provides "sway path tracking" as well as measurement of body tremor, which are micro-movements often reflective of central nervous system damage that can be found both in Parkinson's disease and alcoholism.
Researchers used a "force platform" to measure postural sway - with and without stabilizing conditions from touch, vision and stance - in 34 alcoholic men, 15 alcoholic women, 22 control men, and 29 control women. They then analyzed "biomechanical control mechanisms" that indicate skeletomuscular control over balance, which - under normal circumstances - means the muscles, joints, and skeletal structure are working synergistically, in a give-and-take manner.
"Results show the sway paths of alcoholics are longer and cover a wider area than those of controls for a given time," said Sullivan. "However, it is important to note that the standing stability of sober alcoholics can be improved by using stabilizing factors. These factors can include simple aids like turning a light on in a dark room, touching a banister while walking down a flight of stairs, or walking or standing with feet apart rather than with ankles close together."
Sullivan added that the disproportionately greater sway in the anterior-posterior (front-to-back) direction than the medial-lateral (side-to-side) direction that they found is associated with chronic alcoholism as well as pathology of the anterior superior vermis of the cerebellum.
"This part of the brain is often disturbed in alcoholism, and lesions there, whether or not a result of alcoholism, can cause impairment in gait and balance," she said. "It is interesting to note that while alcoholic men and women can quell their imbalance with stabilizing factors, alcoholic women do not necessarily improve to control levels." Until more is known about improving this deficit, Sullivan suggested that people who are at risk utilized simple strategies to stabilize balance and to avert falls.
Source: Edith V. Sullivan, Ph.D.
Stanford University School of Medicine
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Results will be published in the March 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
"Caricatures depict acutely intoxicated individuals with a stumbling, weaving, wobbly gait," said Edith V. Sullivan, professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine and corresponding author for the study. "With sobriety, gait and balance become stable. However, even with prolonged sobriety, people with long-term chronic alcohol dependence can have difficulty in standing upright. Their balance can be marked by sway that exceeds what most of us experience while standing still in one place, especially with feet together and hands down by one's side, that is, without use of natural stabilizing factors."
Sullivan said that quantifying the sway can be accomplished by using a force plate to record the sway path in fractions of an inch over fractions of seconds during quiet standing. This provides "sway path tracking" as well as measurement of body tremor, which are micro-movements often reflective of central nervous system damage that can be found both in Parkinson's disease and alcoholism.
Researchers used a "force platform" to measure postural sway - with and without stabilizing conditions from touch, vision and stance - in 34 alcoholic men, 15 alcoholic women, 22 control men, and 29 control women. They then analyzed "biomechanical control mechanisms" that indicate skeletomuscular control over balance, which - under normal circumstances - means the muscles, joints, and skeletal structure are working synergistically, in a give-and-take manner.
"Results show the sway paths of alcoholics are longer and cover a wider area than those of controls for a given time," said Sullivan. "However, it is important to note that the standing stability of sober alcoholics can be improved by using stabilizing factors. These factors can include simple aids like turning a light on in a dark room, touching a banister while walking down a flight of stairs, or walking or standing with feet apart rather than with ankles close together."
Sullivan added that the disproportionately greater sway in the anterior-posterior (front-to-back) direction than the medial-lateral (side-to-side) direction that they found is associated with chronic alcoholism as well as pathology of the anterior superior vermis of the cerebellum.
"This part of the brain is often disturbed in alcoholism, and lesions there, whether or not a result of alcoholism, can cause impairment in gait and balance," she said. "It is interesting to note that while alcoholic men and women can quell their imbalance with stabilizing factors, alcoholic women do not necessarily improve to control levels." Until more is known about improving this deficit, Sullivan suggested that people who are at risk utilized simple strategies to stabilize balance and to avert falls.
Source: Edith V. Sullivan, Ph.D.
Stanford University School of Medicine
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
суббота, 23 апреля 2011 г.
High School Students Engaging In Fewer Risky Behaviors, But Findings Vary By Race, CDC Survey Finds
While rates of sexual activity and alcohol and drug use have dropped overall among U.S. high school students, rates of such activities and other risky behaviors did not improve in some racial groups, particularly among Hispanics, according to a new CDC survey, Reuters reports.
The survey, conducted in spring 2007, includes responses from 14,041 students in grades nine through 12 in 39 states. Students were asked questions about a variety of behaviors. The survey is conducted every two years.
The survey, conducted in spring 2007, includes responses from 14,041 students in grades nine through 12 in 39 states. Students were asked questions about a variety of behaviors. The survey is conducted every two years.
Sexual Behavior
According to the survey, 48% of students in 2007 had had sex, compared with 54% of students in 1991. In addition, 15% of students in 2007 had had four or more sexual partners, compared with 19% in 1991.
However, the survey found "major racial and ethnic disparities," Reuters reports (Dunham, Reuters, 6/4). While there were improvements in the number of black and white students having sex and their number of sexual partners since 1991, there was no similar decline for Hispanic students (Stobbe, AP/Contra Costa Times, 6/4). The survey did not have enough data to include separate comparisons for American Indian or Asian-American groups (Narancio, McClatchy/Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6/5).
According to the survey, 66% of black students and 44% of white students in 2007 had had sex, compared with 82% of blacks and 50% of whites in 1991. Among Hispanics, 52% reported having had sex in the 2007 survey, compared with 53% in 1991.
In addition, 28% of blacks and 12% of whites in 2007 had had four or more sexual partners, down from 43% of blacks and 15% of whites reporting the same in 1991. The rate of Hispanics reporting four or more sexual partners in the 2007 survey did not change from the 1991 survey -- 17% (Reuters, 6/4).
The survey indicates a gap in HIV/AIDS education by race, MedPage Today reports. According to the survey, 82% to 84% of white, black and Hispanic students in 1991 received HIV/AIDS education, compared with 91% of whites, 90% of blacks and 85% of Hispanics in 2007 (Gever, MedPage Today, 6/4).
Other Risky Behaviors
The 2007 survey also found that Hispanic students had higher rates of drug use than other students. In addition, 10% to 11% of Hispanic students said they attempted suicide, compared with about 7% of whites and 8% of blacks, the survey said (AP/Contra Costa Times, 6/4).
Hispanic students did show improvements in rates of alcohol use and condom use, Howell Wechsler, director of CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health, said (McClatchy/Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6/5). In addition, the survey shows that current cigarette smoking by Hispanic students dropped from 22% in 2005 to 16.7% in 2007 (MedPage Today, 6/4).
Black children were the most likely to watch more than two hours of television a day, an amount considered too high because it can prevent children from engaging in physical activities that stave off obesity. Sixty-three percent of black children watched three or more hours of TV daily, compared with 43% of Hispanics and 27% of whites, according to the 2007 survey (AP/Contra Costa Times, 6/4).
Comments
Wechsler said, "It's extremely important that our schools and community programs understand and address the health-related needs of our Hispanic students" (Reuters, 6/4).
Sonia Perez, senior vice president of the National Council of La Raza, said, "When Latino teenagers live in poor households, have less-educated parents and go to overcrowded schools that offer less-quality education, it is more likely that they will engage in these kinds of behaviors" (McClatchy/Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6/5).
Glenn Flores of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center called for better data collection on minority students, saying that care providers should determine patients' race and ethnicity, primary language spoken at home and parental English proficiency. He also said that "healthy lifestyles interventions and education are needed in all U.S. schools, including regular physical education, elimination of soda vending machines, healthier school lunches and mandatory health education classes" (MedPage Today, 6/4).
The survey is available online.
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
пятница, 22 апреля 2011 г.
Only 6 Percent Of Parents Worried About Teen RX Drug Abuse
A scant 6 percent of
parents are concerned about their children abusing prescription drugs,
according to a survey released today by Project 7th Grade
(project7thgrade), a national program of notMYkid, a non-profit organization devoted to drug abuse prevention among teens, in conjunction with First Check Diagnostics Corp.
(firstcheckfamily), the leading provider of over-the-counter (OTC) home drug testing kits and consumer health diagnostic technologies. With statistics showing at least three students in every high school
classroom abusing prescription drugs, parents cannot afford to
underestimate this threat or leave prescription drug abuse out of
conversations when talking to their kids about drugs.
The survey, conducted by national polling firm RT Strategies on August
2- 5, 2007, polled 1,000 adults nationwide as part of Project 7th Grade and
First Check's Back to School campaign.
"As parents across the country prepare to send their teens back to
school, they must be aware of the potential dangers their children will
likely encounter during the school year," said Debbie Moak, co-founder of
Project 7th Grade and notMYkid. "The good news is that we are seeing a
decrease in the use of some traditionally popular illicit drugs. The bad
news is that teens' use and abuse of easily accessible prescription drugs
continues to grow at an alarming rate -- yet parents aren't concerned about
that threat.
"We must raise awareness of these drug trends so parents realize that
talking to their kids about drug abuse and prevention before heading back
to school is on par with buying school supplies -- both are necessary and
will lay the foundation for a successful and healthy school year,"
continued Moak.
Key findings of the survey include:
-- Two-thirds of parents believe their children will first be exposed to
drugs between the ages of 10 and 15.
-- Close to 75 percent of respondents believe that drug testing of teens
should be the responsibility of parents.
-- Over 70 percent of parents say they have not purchased a home drug test
kit because they have not had the need. However, over 36 percent of
high school seniors reported using illicit drugs at some point in the
year. By age 17, 70 percent of teens will have been offered an illegal
drug (1).
-- Almost 80 percent of parents deny there are easily accessible
prescription drugs in their home. Unfortunately, more than 10 percent
of 12 to 17 year olds have taken prescription drugs from relatives or
friends without asking, and nearly half say they get prescription drugs
for free from relatives or friends (2).
This survey is part of First Check and Project 7th Grade's annual Back
to School campaign, which extends beyond just the start of the school year.
Project 7th Grade offers free seminars for parents of middle school
children year round to help them begin an early dialogue with their
children about the perils of substance abuse, giving parents insight on
ways to prevent drug abuse and incorporating home drug testing as a
cornerstone of deterrence. For those who attend Project 7th Grade programs,
the organization provides a complimentary First Check home drug testing kit
that checks for both illicit and prescription drugs.
The Back to School program also includes an online tool kit to help
parents prepare and communicate with their children to ensure a safe and
drug free school year. The tool kit, available at
firstchecktips, includes Back to School tips for kids and
parents, conversation starters and a list of common school supplies.
Included on the list this year is a home drug test kit such as the First
Check 12 Panel Drug Test. The website also contains information for parents to request a Project 7th
Grade seminar in their region and a coupon for $5 off the First Check 12
panel Drug test.
"Based on our experience, typically teens have been abusing drugs for
two years before parents even realize there is a problem. And while more
than two-thirds of parents say they are willing to drug test their teen,
only 4 percent have actually purchased a test kit," said Moak. "We believe
that having a drug test kit in the home not only helps parents begin an
ongoing dialogue with their child about drugs, but it acts as a deterrent
to teens as they are faced with peer pressure to try drugs."
Statistics have shown that teens believe prescription drugs are safer
than illicit drugs, driving the proliferation of such trends as "pharm
parties" where teens mix and trade pills with one another to get high,
leading to dangerous and sometimes deadly outcomes. Ongoing, honest
discussions between parents and their children can serve as a way to teach
children about the perils of drug use, help them find the best ways to turn
down offers to try drugs and also give parents insights into the peer
pressures that kids face at school each day.
About Project 7th Grade -- Project 7th Grade is a fully-funded,
innovative drug prevention program designed to reduce drug use among middle
school students through education and proactive prevention. Project 7th
Grade is offered to parents of middle school children through a partnership
between notMYkid, a non-profit organization, and First Check Diagnostics
Corp., the leading provider of home drug testing kits. Project 7th Grade
works with school districts, law enforcement, community organization, and
the media to bring this program to parents and communities across the
country. Project 7th Grade informs parents of middle school students about
today's drug-related issues, and provides guidance about using a drug test
kit as a prevention tool. At the conclusion of the presentation each family
is given a complimentary First Check drug test kit. For additional
information, please visit project7thgrade.
About First Check Diagnostics Corp.: First Check Diagnostics Corp.,
which was acquired by Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc., in January,
2007, is the nation's leading provider of over-the-counter (OTC) home drug
testing kits and consumer health diagnostic technologies. The company is
committed to being the leader in providing the highest quality home
diagnostic testing kits that assist people in living safer and healthier
lives. First Check is a proud sponsor of Project 7th Grade, a non-profit
dedicated to the prevention of teen drug abuse. For additional information,
please visit firstcheckfamily.
(1) 2006 Monitoring the Future study; CASA National Survey of
American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XI
(2) The 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, SAMHSA. 2006
notMYkid
notmykid
parents are concerned about their children abusing prescription drugs,
according to a survey released today by Project 7th Grade
(project7thgrade), a national program of notMYkid, a non-profit organization devoted to drug abuse prevention among teens, in conjunction with First Check Diagnostics Corp.
(firstcheckfamily), the leading provider of over-the-counter (OTC) home drug testing kits and consumer health diagnostic technologies. With statistics showing at least three students in every high school
classroom abusing prescription drugs, parents cannot afford to
underestimate this threat or leave prescription drug abuse out of
conversations when talking to their kids about drugs.
The survey, conducted by national polling firm RT Strategies on August
2- 5, 2007, polled 1,000 adults nationwide as part of Project 7th Grade and
First Check's Back to School campaign.
"As parents across the country prepare to send their teens back to
school, they must be aware of the potential dangers their children will
likely encounter during the school year," said Debbie Moak, co-founder of
Project 7th Grade and notMYkid. "The good news is that we are seeing a
decrease in the use of some traditionally popular illicit drugs. The bad
news is that teens' use and abuse of easily accessible prescription drugs
continues to grow at an alarming rate -- yet parents aren't concerned about
that threat.
"We must raise awareness of these drug trends so parents realize that
talking to their kids about drug abuse and prevention before heading back
to school is on par with buying school supplies -- both are necessary and
will lay the foundation for a successful and healthy school year,"
continued Moak.
Key findings of the survey include:
-- Two-thirds of parents believe their children will first be exposed to
drugs between the ages of 10 and 15.
-- Close to 75 percent of respondents believe that drug testing of teens
should be the responsibility of parents.
-- Over 70 percent of parents say they have not purchased a home drug test
kit because they have not had the need. However, over 36 percent of
high school seniors reported using illicit drugs at some point in the
year. By age 17, 70 percent of teens will have been offered an illegal
drug (1).
-- Almost 80 percent of parents deny there are easily accessible
prescription drugs in their home. Unfortunately, more than 10 percent
of 12 to 17 year olds have taken prescription drugs from relatives or
friends without asking, and nearly half say they get prescription drugs
for free from relatives or friends (2).
This survey is part of First Check and Project 7th Grade's annual Back
to School campaign, which extends beyond just the start of the school year.
Project 7th Grade offers free seminars for parents of middle school
children year round to help them begin an early dialogue with their
children about the perils of substance abuse, giving parents insight on
ways to prevent drug abuse and incorporating home drug testing as a
cornerstone of deterrence. For those who attend Project 7th Grade programs,
the organization provides a complimentary First Check home drug testing kit
that checks for both illicit and prescription drugs.
The Back to School program also includes an online tool kit to help
parents prepare and communicate with their children to ensure a safe and
drug free school year. The tool kit, available at
firstchecktips, includes Back to School tips for kids and
parents, conversation starters and a list of common school supplies.
Included on the list this year is a home drug test kit such as the First
Check 12 Panel Drug Test. The website also contains information for parents to request a Project 7th
Grade seminar in their region and a coupon for $5 off the First Check 12
panel Drug test.
"Based on our experience, typically teens have been abusing drugs for
two years before parents even realize there is a problem. And while more
than two-thirds of parents say they are willing to drug test their teen,
only 4 percent have actually purchased a test kit," said Moak. "We believe
that having a drug test kit in the home not only helps parents begin an
ongoing dialogue with their child about drugs, but it acts as a deterrent
to teens as they are faced with peer pressure to try drugs."
Statistics have shown that teens believe prescription drugs are safer
than illicit drugs, driving the proliferation of such trends as "pharm
parties" where teens mix and trade pills with one another to get high,
leading to dangerous and sometimes deadly outcomes. Ongoing, honest
discussions between parents and their children can serve as a way to teach
children about the perils of drug use, help them find the best ways to turn
down offers to try drugs and also give parents insights into the peer
pressures that kids face at school each day.
About Project 7th Grade -- Project 7th Grade is a fully-funded,
innovative drug prevention program designed to reduce drug use among middle
school students through education and proactive prevention. Project 7th
Grade is offered to parents of middle school children through a partnership
between notMYkid, a non-profit organization, and First Check Diagnostics
Corp., the leading provider of home drug testing kits. Project 7th Grade
works with school districts, law enforcement, community organization, and
the media to bring this program to parents and communities across the
country. Project 7th Grade informs parents of middle school students about
today's drug-related issues, and provides guidance about using a drug test
kit as a prevention tool. At the conclusion of the presentation each family
is given a complimentary First Check drug test kit. For additional
information, please visit project7thgrade.
About First Check Diagnostics Corp.: First Check Diagnostics Corp.,
which was acquired by Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc., in January,
2007, is the nation's leading provider of over-the-counter (OTC) home drug
testing kits and consumer health diagnostic technologies. The company is
committed to being the leader in providing the highest quality home
diagnostic testing kits that assist people in living safer and healthier
lives. First Check is a proud sponsor of Project 7th Grade, a non-profit
dedicated to the prevention of teen drug abuse. For additional information,
please visit firstcheckfamily.
(1) 2006 Monitoring the Future study; CASA National Survey of
American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XI
(2) The 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, SAMHSA. 2006
notMYkid
notmykid
четверг, 21 апреля 2011 г.
Failure To Tackle UK's Alcohol Problem Could See Many Thousands Of Extra Liver Deaths Than In Other European Countries
The UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand have similar cultures, genetic backgrounds and drinking cultures, and, until the mid-1980s, had similar death rates from liver disease. However, while liver death rates in most of these countries have remained low since then, the UK has seen a doubling of its liver death rate from 4.9 per 100,000 population to 11.4. In a Comment published Online First by The Lancet, three experts, including Royal College of Physicians Past President Ian Gilmore, discuss the thousands of deaths from liver disease that can be avoided if the UK adopts appropriate alcohol policies.
The authors (Gilmore, Nick Sheron, University of Southampton, UK, and Chris Hawkey, Queen's Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham, UK) look at several projected scenarios in which the UK follows its current projection to a worst case scenario in 2019, or instead reverses its trend to match that of European countries such as France that have shown huge reductions in liver death rates over the past few decades. This reversal would also over the next decade bring the UK back in line with Australia, New Zealand, and the other countries mentioned above.
Their main findings are (please also refer to diagram in full Comment):
Using the Office of National Statistics figure for alcohol-related liver deaths in 2008 as the baseline,
by 2019 the green (best case) scenario reaches the target (2500 deaths each year) with 22 000 fewer liver deaths in total by 2019
The black scenario (worst case) results in 8900 additional deaths by 2019
Over 20 years, the difference between black and green scenarios would be 77 000 liver deaths (80% under age 65).
Taking the wider harms of alcohol into account, (health problems other than liver deaths) conservative estimate of the difference between black and green scenarios probably amounts to between 160 000 and 250 000 lives lost or saved over a 20-year period in England and Wales.
The authors discuss the price, place of sale (availability), and promotions, saying that these three factors, plus a fourth which the marketing industry terms 'product' constitute the basic components of all marketing activity. They cite regulation-based activity that has helped control UK alcohol consumption in the past, and say: "These and other data show the influence of price and indicate that the regulation of population-level alcohol consumption is a duty of
responsible government."
France has, say the authors, achieved its phenomenal success in reducing death rates by increasing alcohol quality and profit and limiting availability of cheap alcohol products. But they add on the UK: "Currently the UK drinks producers and retailers are reliant on people risking their health to provide profits: figures from the Department of Health show that three-quarters of the alcohol sold in the UK is consumed by hazardous and harmful drinkers."
The authors highlight a number of things about current UK policy:
They support the current UK coalition government's intention to maintain the 2% above inflation duty escalator for the time being,
other recent announcements give cause for concern about their commitment to use the lever of price. Plans to ban the sale of alcohol beverages below cost (duty plus value added tax) and to increase duty on beer over 7???5% strength are inconsequential because of the tiny fraction of sales that fall into either category.
They are concerned about the involvement of private commercial companies such as ASDA and Tesco and Diageo in the Responsibility Deal Board chaired by the UK Health Secretary. (This board was set up with no specific representation from alcohol health experts. Since the paper was accepted the UK Government has allowed a health representative (Mark Bellis) to co-chair the Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network, as a result Dr Bellis also attends the RD Board)
The authors conclude: "Irrespective of the means the UK Government chooses to design and implement their public health strategy, the key test must be the impact on hard outcomes. We have seen a change of emphasis from setting targets for process measures to outcomes measures, an approach quintessentially applicable to alcohol. Alongside debates on the effectiveness of individual measures, an outcomes framework should be created that establishes the level of liver mortality that the UK aspires to achieve."
Link to comment
Source
The Lancet
The authors (Gilmore, Nick Sheron, University of Southampton, UK, and Chris Hawkey, Queen's Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham, UK) look at several projected scenarios in which the UK follows its current projection to a worst case scenario in 2019, or instead reverses its trend to match that of European countries such as France that have shown huge reductions in liver death rates over the past few decades. This reversal would also over the next decade bring the UK back in line with Australia, New Zealand, and the other countries mentioned above.
Their main findings are (please also refer to diagram in full Comment):
Using the Office of National Statistics figure for alcohol-related liver deaths in 2008 as the baseline,
by 2019 the green (best case) scenario reaches the target (2500 deaths each year) with 22 000 fewer liver deaths in total by 2019
The black scenario (worst case) results in 8900 additional deaths by 2019
Over 20 years, the difference between black and green scenarios would be 77 000 liver deaths (80% under age 65).
Taking the wider harms of alcohol into account, (health problems other than liver deaths) conservative estimate of the difference between black and green scenarios probably amounts to between 160 000 and 250 000 lives lost or saved over a 20-year period in England and Wales.
The authors discuss the price, place of sale (availability), and promotions, saying that these three factors, plus a fourth which the marketing industry terms 'product' constitute the basic components of all marketing activity. They cite regulation-based activity that has helped control UK alcohol consumption in the past, and say: "These and other data show the influence of price and indicate that the regulation of population-level alcohol consumption is a duty of
responsible government."
France has, say the authors, achieved its phenomenal success in reducing death rates by increasing alcohol quality and profit and limiting availability of cheap alcohol products. But they add on the UK: "Currently the UK drinks producers and retailers are reliant on people risking their health to provide profits: figures from the Department of Health show that three-quarters of the alcohol sold in the UK is consumed by hazardous and harmful drinkers."
The authors highlight a number of things about current UK policy:
They support the current UK coalition government's intention to maintain the 2% above inflation duty escalator for the time being,
other recent announcements give cause for concern about their commitment to use the lever of price. Plans to ban the sale of alcohol beverages below cost (duty plus value added tax) and to increase duty on beer over 7???5% strength are inconsequential because of the tiny fraction of sales that fall into either category.
They are concerned about the involvement of private commercial companies such as ASDA and Tesco and Diageo in the Responsibility Deal Board chaired by the UK Health Secretary. (This board was set up with no specific representation from alcohol health experts. Since the paper was accepted the UK Government has allowed a health representative (Mark Bellis) to co-chair the Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network, as a result Dr Bellis also attends the RD Board)
The authors conclude: "Irrespective of the means the UK Government chooses to design and implement their public health strategy, the key test must be the impact on hard outcomes. We have seen a change of emphasis from setting targets for process measures to outcomes measures, an approach quintessentially applicable to alcohol. Alongside debates on the effectiveness of individual measures, an outcomes framework should be created that establishes the level of liver mortality that the UK aspires to achieve."
Link to comment
Source
The Lancet
среда, 20 апреля 2011 г.
Gender Divide In Alcohol-Related Deaths Persists, Scotland
A study by the University of Glasgow and the Medical Research Council (MRC) has found that more than twice as many men die every year in Scotland from alcohol misuse than women.
The findings, published online today (Monday 23 February), reveal that men's death rate from alcohol is 38 deaths per 100,000, while women's rate is 16 per 100,000. On average, the study found that 999 Scottish men and 448 women die from alcohol-related causes each year.
The study comes as the Scottish Government prepares to publish its new strategic approach to tacking alcohol misuse, which was put out to consultation last year. Scotland has one of the highest rates of mortality due to cirrhosis of the liver in Western Europe.
The university report, which consolidates existing data showing that alcohol-related fatalities in both genders have doubled over the past 10 years, also found that death rates within Scotland vary considerably. Most alcohol-related deaths occur in the Greater Glasgow area, though the authors identified areas with high rates in all regions of the country. However, researchers say the findings go against the prevailing public perception that alcohol abuse is more prevalent among young women.
The report was carried out by Dr Richard Mitchell, of the University of Glasgow's Public Health department and Dr Carol Emslie, of the University of Glasgow and MRC's Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, and can be found at biomedcentral/bmcpublichealth.
Dr Carol Emslie, of the University of Glasgow and MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, said the aim of the study was to establish a clearer picture of the gender and geographical divide in alcohol-related deaths in Scotland. She explained,
"We wanted to find out whether environment influenced the rate of alcohol-related deaths in both men and women across Scotland. In doing this, we looked at three main questions - which areas have the highest rates of alcohol-related death in Scotland; are these areas the same for men and women and are there areas in Scotland where the gap between men and women's alcohol-related death rates is unusually large or small."
Dr Richard Mitchell added: "The study shows remarkable differences from place to place in alcohol-related deaths. Scotland is facing a huge public health problem which will require strong and radical action by the Scottish government. It is interesting that the areas in which alcohol-related deaths are a particular problem are largely the same for men and women. The results suggest to us that both men and women are vulnerable to the social, economic and cultural pressures which can make people drink too much."
In carrying out their research Dr Mitchell and Dr Emslie divided Scotland into 144 areas based on the last population census. "These areas were about half a parliamentary constituency in size with a typical population 35,000 people,"
explained Dr Mitchell.
It is the first time such a detailed scale has been used in a study of this kind. The researchers obtained records of alcohol-related deaths between 2000 and 2005 for each of these areas from the General Register Office for Scotland. "We used the National Statistics definition of 'alcohol-related deaths' which includes chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. We calculated rates of alcohol-related death separately for men and women. Our method took account of any differences in the population size of each of our 144 areas and the rates can be compared from area to area. We also looked for areas in which women's alcohol-related mortality rates were unusually small or unusually large, compared to the men's rate for that area," continued Dr Mitchell.
Most of the areas with very high alcohol-related death rates are found in Greater Glasgow. However, rural areas in the Highlands also featured in the 'top 25', that is the 25 areas with the highest rates for men and women; Inverness West and Eilean Siar for example
"In the vast majority of areas, 136 out of 144, the gap between men's and women's alcohol-related death rate was as expected; areas with high rates for men tended to have high rates for women. Similarly, areas with low rates of alcohol-related death for men tend to have low rates for women. There was no clear pattern to the eight unusual areas in which the gap between men's and women's alcohol-related death rate was either smaller or larger than expected,"
said Dr Mitchell.
Source
Jan Clark
Marketing Communications Officer
Nexxus
10 The Square
University Avenue
Glasgow
G12 8QQ
nexxusscotland
The findings, published online today (Monday 23 February), reveal that men's death rate from alcohol is 38 deaths per 100,000, while women's rate is 16 per 100,000. On average, the study found that 999 Scottish men and 448 women die from alcohol-related causes each year.
The study comes as the Scottish Government prepares to publish its new strategic approach to tacking alcohol misuse, which was put out to consultation last year. Scotland has one of the highest rates of mortality due to cirrhosis of the liver in Western Europe.
The university report, which consolidates existing data showing that alcohol-related fatalities in both genders have doubled over the past 10 years, also found that death rates within Scotland vary considerably. Most alcohol-related deaths occur in the Greater Glasgow area, though the authors identified areas with high rates in all regions of the country. However, researchers say the findings go against the prevailing public perception that alcohol abuse is more prevalent among young women.
The report was carried out by Dr Richard Mitchell, of the University of Glasgow's Public Health department and Dr Carol Emslie, of the University of Glasgow and MRC's Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, and can be found at biomedcentral/bmcpublichealth.
Dr Carol Emslie, of the University of Glasgow and MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, said the aim of the study was to establish a clearer picture of the gender and geographical divide in alcohol-related deaths in Scotland. She explained,
"We wanted to find out whether environment influenced the rate of alcohol-related deaths in both men and women across Scotland. In doing this, we looked at three main questions - which areas have the highest rates of alcohol-related death in Scotland; are these areas the same for men and women and are there areas in Scotland where the gap between men and women's alcohol-related death rates is unusually large or small."
Dr Richard Mitchell added: "The study shows remarkable differences from place to place in alcohol-related deaths. Scotland is facing a huge public health problem which will require strong and radical action by the Scottish government. It is interesting that the areas in which alcohol-related deaths are a particular problem are largely the same for men and women. The results suggest to us that both men and women are vulnerable to the social, economic and cultural pressures which can make people drink too much."
In carrying out their research Dr Mitchell and Dr Emslie divided Scotland into 144 areas based on the last population census. "These areas were about half a parliamentary constituency in size with a typical population 35,000 people,"
explained Dr Mitchell.
It is the first time such a detailed scale has been used in a study of this kind. The researchers obtained records of alcohol-related deaths between 2000 and 2005 for each of these areas from the General Register Office for Scotland. "We used the National Statistics definition of 'alcohol-related deaths' which includes chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. We calculated rates of alcohol-related death separately for men and women. Our method took account of any differences in the population size of each of our 144 areas and the rates can be compared from area to area. We also looked for areas in which women's alcohol-related mortality rates were unusually small or unusually large, compared to the men's rate for that area," continued Dr Mitchell.
Most of the areas with very high alcohol-related death rates are found in Greater Glasgow. However, rural areas in the Highlands also featured in the 'top 25', that is the 25 areas with the highest rates for men and women; Inverness West and Eilean Siar for example
"In the vast majority of areas, 136 out of 144, the gap between men's and women's alcohol-related death rate was as expected; areas with high rates for men tended to have high rates for women. Similarly, areas with low rates of alcohol-related death for men tend to have low rates for women. There was no clear pattern to the eight unusual areas in which the gap between men's and women's alcohol-related death rate was either smaller or larger than expected,"
said Dr Mitchell.
Source
Jan Clark
Marketing Communications Officer
Nexxus
10 The Square
University Avenue
Glasgow
G12 8QQ
nexxusscotland
вторник, 19 апреля 2011 г.
Health Advocacy Group Pushes Liquor Tax In Md.; Mass. Computer Files With Personal Health Care Information Are Lost; Calif. Battles Whooping Cough
Most Popular Articles For Alcohol
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Alcohol Is Most Harmful Drug, Followed By Heroin And Crack
01 Nov 2010
Alcohol is the most damaging drug to the drinker and others overall, heroin and crack are the second and third most harmful, Professor David Nutt and colleagues wrote in the medical journal The Lancet today...
Giving Up Smoking Linked To Greater Happiness And Elevated Mood
05 Dec 2010
Energy Drinks: Is It Time To Tighten Regulation?
02 Nov 2010
USA's Drunkest Cities Are Milwaukee, Fargo And San Francisco
31 Dec 2010
Lock Up The Liquor; Parents Giving Children Alcohol
19 Feb 2011
_uacct = "UA-849615-1";
urchinTracker();
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Alcohol Is Most Harmful Drug, Followed By Heroin And Crack
01 Nov 2010
Alcohol is the most damaging drug to the drinker and others overall, heroin and crack are the second and third most harmful, Professor David Nutt and colleagues wrote in the medical journal The Lancet today...
Giving Up Smoking Linked To Greater Happiness And Elevated Mood
05 Dec 2010
Energy Drinks: Is It Time To Tighten Regulation?
02 Nov 2010
USA's Drunkest Cities Are Milwaukee, Fargo And San Francisco
31 Dec 2010
Lock Up The Liquor; Parents Giving Children Alcohol
19 Feb 2011
_uacct = "UA-849615-1";
urchinTracker();
понедельник, 18 апреля 2011 г.
Adolescent, Adult Rats Respond Differently to Nicotine and Nicotine Related Environments
One critical aspect of drug addiction is the effect of conditioned cues on drug-seeking behavior. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have reported that adolescent and adult rats exhibit different behaviors in response to nicotine and nicotine-related environments, suggesting there are molecular differences in adolescent and adult rat brains.
The researchers examined how injections of nicotine stimulated movement in rats. Over 10 days, the scientists injected nicotine or saline into 16 adolescent and 16 young adult male rats. Immediately following the injections, they placed the rats in plastic chambers and observed their movements for 90 minutes.
The stimulant properties of nicotine caused rats in both groups to walk or run more, but the drug had a greater overall effect on adults. It also significantly increased rearing (standing on hind legs), a sign of curiosity and exploring,
in adults. But the scientists' key finding was that adolescent rats, when re-exposed to the plastic chamber following a saline injection, failed to show any enhanced motor activity in the absence of nicotine. The adult rats, on the other hand, did exhibit drug-induced cue conditioning as evidenced by increased movement in the drug-paired environment following a saline injection. The scientists speculate that the drug-associated conditioning seen in adult rats is associated with specific brain regions and circuitry that may not be mature in adolescent rats.
WHAT IT MEANS: These findings are an important step toward understanding the biological effects of nicotine on the adolescent brain, and suggest that plasticity-the ability of the brain to form new connections between nerve cells, a process that occurs predominantly during youth-may be partly responsible for differences between adolescents and adults regarding drug-seeking behaviors. This study implies that the development of brain systems involved in drug abuse may begin in adolescence.
Lead author Terri Schochet and her colleagues published this NIDA-supported study in the online version of the April 2004 issue of Psychopharmacology.
This article comes from this PDF file
National Institute of Drug Abuse Addiction Research News
For more information contact:
Reporters, call Michelle Person at 301-443-6245.
Congressional staffers, call Mary Mayhew at 301-443-6071.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics are available in English and Spanish. These fact sheets and further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at drugabuse.
The researchers examined how injections of nicotine stimulated movement in rats. Over 10 days, the scientists injected nicotine or saline into 16 adolescent and 16 young adult male rats. Immediately following the injections, they placed the rats in plastic chambers and observed their movements for 90 minutes.
The stimulant properties of nicotine caused rats in both groups to walk or run more, but the drug had a greater overall effect on adults. It also significantly increased rearing (standing on hind legs), a sign of curiosity and exploring,
in adults. But the scientists' key finding was that adolescent rats, when re-exposed to the plastic chamber following a saline injection, failed to show any enhanced motor activity in the absence of nicotine. The adult rats, on the other hand, did exhibit drug-induced cue conditioning as evidenced by increased movement in the drug-paired environment following a saline injection. The scientists speculate that the drug-associated conditioning seen in adult rats is associated with specific brain regions and circuitry that may not be mature in adolescent rats.
WHAT IT MEANS: These findings are an important step toward understanding the biological effects of nicotine on the adolescent brain, and suggest that plasticity-the ability of the brain to form new connections between nerve cells, a process that occurs predominantly during youth-may be partly responsible for differences between adolescents and adults regarding drug-seeking behaviors. This study implies that the development of brain systems involved in drug abuse may begin in adolescence.
Lead author Terri Schochet and her colleagues published this NIDA-supported study in the online version of the April 2004 issue of Psychopharmacology.
This article comes from this PDF file
National Institute of Drug Abuse Addiction Research News
For more information contact:
Reporters, call Michelle Person at 301-443-6245.
Congressional staffers, call Mary Mayhew at 301-443-6071.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics are available in English and Spanish. These fact sheets and further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at drugabuse.
воскресенье, 17 апреля 2011 г.
Encore Therapeutics Inc. Demonstrates Proof Of Concept For A Long-Acting Buprenorphine Depot For Pain And Drug Abuse Therapy (ETI-311)
Encore Therapeutics Inc. (ETI) today reported that ETI-311, the company's novel long-acting depot for buprenorphine, produced clinically relevant plasma levels of the drug over 3-7 days when administered by intradermal injection in dog studies. These results add to the growing number of applications for ETI's drug delivery platform technology to deliver drugs both locally and systemically in a high-load and continuous manner. The ETI platform has now demonstrated enhanced utility and product life cycle of numerous existing drugs by improving clinical utility and extending intellectual property rights.
ETI-311 is a proprietary non-liposomal phospholipid gel (PG) formulation that incorporates the mixed opiate agonist, buprenorphine, in a single-phase, ready-to-use intradermal depot formulation. The gel is capable of delivering the drug to the systemic circulation in a peak-less profile for 3-7 days with low burst potential. The gel incorporates injectable grade phospholipids and other components with prior use histories in FDA-approved drug products. ETI-311 represents a novel means of providing sustained analgesia for a variety of pain management indications in an abuse resistant manner. ETI-311 also may also be useful for opiate withdrawal treatment.
"This study demonstrates that the ETI-311 achieved stable and clinically relevant blood levels of buprenorphine, and further validates our growing portfolio of PG-based product candidates that can provide shortened development cycle proprietary products," stated ETI Chairman and CEO Dr. Paul J. Marangos. Dr. Andrew X. Chen, Chief Scientific Officer at ETI, also noted, "The PG technology has the potential to provide extended duration of action for a wide variety of injectable drugs that can provide numerous improved and proprietary products."
About ETI
ETI was founded by Drs. Paul J. Marangos and Andrew X. Chen to extend and enhance the clinical utility and patent life of existing drugs through novel formulation strategies. The Company is seeking development and marketing partnerships with other companies to bring these products to market. More information is at encoretherapeutics.
Encore Therapeutics Inc.
ETI-311 is a proprietary non-liposomal phospholipid gel (PG) formulation that incorporates the mixed opiate agonist, buprenorphine, in a single-phase, ready-to-use intradermal depot formulation. The gel is capable of delivering the drug to the systemic circulation in a peak-less profile for 3-7 days with low burst potential. The gel incorporates injectable grade phospholipids and other components with prior use histories in FDA-approved drug products. ETI-311 represents a novel means of providing sustained analgesia for a variety of pain management indications in an abuse resistant manner. ETI-311 also may also be useful for opiate withdrawal treatment.
"This study demonstrates that the ETI-311 achieved stable and clinically relevant blood levels of buprenorphine, and further validates our growing portfolio of PG-based product candidates that can provide shortened development cycle proprietary products," stated ETI Chairman and CEO Dr. Paul J. Marangos. Dr. Andrew X. Chen, Chief Scientific Officer at ETI, also noted, "The PG technology has the potential to provide extended duration of action for a wide variety of injectable drugs that can provide numerous improved and proprietary products."
About ETI
ETI was founded by Drs. Paul J. Marangos and Andrew X. Chen to extend and enhance the clinical utility and patent life of existing drugs through novel formulation strategies. The Company is seeking development and marketing partnerships with other companies to bring these products to market. More information is at encoretherapeutics.
Encore Therapeutics Inc.
четверг, 14 апреля 2011 г.
Antidepressants Help Men Decrease Alcohol Consumption, But Not Women
CIHR-funded study explored the relationship between use of antidepressants and level of alcohol consumption, examining whether using antidepressants affected the link between depression and level of alcohol consumption. The research conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) concluded that women suffering from depression consumed more alcohol than women who did not experience depression, regardless of antidepressant use. This finding differs significantly from rates found in male counterparts. While men suffering from depression generally consume more alcohol than non-depressed men, those who use antidepressants consume alcohol at about the same level as non-depressed men.
Dr. Kathryn Graham, Senior Scientist with CAMH and Agnes Massak, Ph.D student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Western Ontario, published the study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) on February 27, 2007.
"Our results agree with previous clinical research that suggests that the use of antidepressants is associated with lower alcohol consumption among men suffering from depression," said Dr. Graham. "But this does not appear to be true for women."
Overall, participants in the survey experiencing depression (both men and women) drank more alcohol than did non-depressed respondents. However, men taking antidepressants consumed significantly less alcohol than depressed men who did not use antidepressants. Non-depressed men consumed 436 drinks per year, compared to 579 drinks for depressed men not using antidepressants, and 414 drinks for depressed men who used antidepressants.
Unfortunately for women, the alcohol use remained higher whether those experiencing depression took antidepressants or not. The numbers are telling: 179 drinks per year for non-depressed women, 235 drinks for depressed women not using antidepressants, and 264 drinks for depressed women who used antidepressants.
"The fact that the relationship between the use of antidepressants and the level of alcohol consumption is different for men and women points to the importance of taking gender influences and sex differences into consideration in the treatment and prevention of many health conditions," said Dr. Miriam Stewart, Scientific Director for CIHR Institute of Gender and Health. "This type of research reporting significant sex differences helps identify important clues for tailoring interventions."
The scientists behind this study say further research is needed to assess whether this finding is due to drug effects or some other factor.
"We do not know whether antidepressants have different pharmacological effects on men and women, whether depression differs by gender, or whether the differences in the process of being treated for depression account for this discrepancy," mentioned Dr. Graham. "For example, physicians prescribing antidepressants may be more likely to caution men than women about their drinking."
For the study, 14,063 Canadian residents aged 18-76 years were surveyed. The survey included measures of quantity, frequency of drinking, depression and antidepressants use, over the period of a year.
The researchers used data from the GENACIS Canada survey, part of an international collaboration to investigate the influence of cultural variation on gender differences in alcohol use and related problems. CIHR provided over 1.3 million to GENACIS Canada (GENder Alcohol and Culture: an International Study). Over 35 countries and more than 100 leading alcohol and gender researchers are involved in the multinational study.
Every year, 12% of Canadians between the ages of 15 and 64 years suffer from some form of a mental disorder or substance dependence.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to catalyze its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 10,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada. cihr-irsc.gc.ca.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is one of the largest addiction and mental health organizations in North America and Canada's leading mental health and addiction teaching hospital. CAMH is a Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre, and is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. CAMH combines clinical care, research, policy, education and health promotion to improve the lives of people impacted by mental health and addiction issues. camh.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
160 Elgin St., 9th Fl.
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
Canada
cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/193.html
Dr. Kathryn Graham, Senior Scientist with CAMH and Agnes Massak, Ph.D student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Western Ontario, published the study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) on February 27, 2007.
"Our results agree with previous clinical research that suggests that the use of antidepressants is associated with lower alcohol consumption among men suffering from depression," said Dr. Graham. "But this does not appear to be true for women."
Overall, participants in the survey experiencing depression (both men and women) drank more alcohol than did non-depressed respondents. However, men taking antidepressants consumed significantly less alcohol than depressed men who did not use antidepressants. Non-depressed men consumed 436 drinks per year, compared to 579 drinks for depressed men not using antidepressants, and 414 drinks for depressed men who used antidepressants.
Unfortunately for women, the alcohol use remained higher whether those experiencing depression took antidepressants or not. The numbers are telling: 179 drinks per year for non-depressed women, 235 drinks for depressed women not using antidepressants, and 264 drinks for depressed women who used antidepressants.
"The fact that the relationship between the use of antidepressants and the level of alcohol consumption is different for men and women points to the importance of taking gender influences and sex differences into consideration in the treatment and prevention of many health conditions," said Dr. Miriam Stewart, Scientific Director for CIHR Institute of Gender and Health. "This type of research reporting significant sex differences helps identify important clues for tailoring interventions."
The scientists behind this study say further research is needed to assess whether this finding is due to drug effects or some other factor.
"We do not know whether antidepressants have different pharmacological effects on men and women, whether depression differs by gender, or whether the differences in the process of being treated for depression account for this discrepancy," mentioned Dr. Graham. "For example, physicians prescribing antidepressants may be more likely to caution men than women about their drinking."
For the study, 14,063 Canadian residents aged 18-76 years were surveyed. The survey included measures of quantity, frequency of drinking, depression and antidepressants use, over the period of a year.
The researchers used data from the GENACIS Canada survey, part of an international collaboration to investigate the influence of cultural variation on gender differences in alcohol use and related problems. CIHR provided over 1.3 million to GENACIS Canada (GENder Alcohol and Culture: an International Study). Over 35 countries and more than 100 leading alcohol and gender researchers are involved in the multinational study.
Every year, 12% of Canadians between the ages of 15 and 64 years suffer from some form of a mental disorder or substance dependence.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to catalyze its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 10,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada. cihr-irsc.gc.ca.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is one of the largest addiction and mental health organizations in North America and Canada's leading mental health and addiction teaching hospital. CAMH is a Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre, and is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. CAMH combines clinical care, research, policy, education and health promotion to improve the lives of people impacted by mental health and addiction issues. camh.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
160 Elgin St., 9th Fl.
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
Canada
cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/193.html
Studying Self Control
Drug abuse, crime and obesity are but a few of the problems our nation faces, but they all have one thing in common -- people's failure to control their behavior in the face of temptation. While the ability to control and restrain our impulses is one of the defining features of the human animal, its failure is one of the central problems of human society. So, why do we so often lack this crucial ability"
As human beings, we have limited resources to control ourselves, and all acts of control draw from this same source. Therefore, when using this resource in one domain, for example, keeping to a diet, we are more likely to run out of this resource in a different domain, like studying hard. Once these resources are exhausted, our ability to control ourselves is diminished. In this depleted state, the dieter is more likely to eat chocolate, the student to watch TV, and the politician to accept a bribe.
In a recent study, Michael Inzlicht of the University of Toronto Scarborough and colleague Jennifer N. Gutsell offer an account of what is happening in the brain when our vices get the better of us.
Inzlicht and Gutsell asked participants to suppress their emotions while watching an upsetting movie. The idea was to deplete their resources for self-control. The participants reported their ability to suppress their feelings on a scale from one to nine. Then, they completed a Stroop task, which involves naming the color of printed words (i.e. saying red when reading the word "green" in red font), yet another task that requires a significant amount of self-control.
The researchers found that those who suppressed their emotions performed worse on the Stroop task, indicating that they had used up their resources for self-control while holding back their tears during the film.
An EEG, performed during the Stroop task, confirmed these results. Normally, when a person deviates from their goals (in this case, wanting to read the word, not the color of the font), increased brain activity occurs in a part of the frontal lobe called the anterior cingulate cortex, which alerts the person that they are off-track. The researchers found weaker activity occurring in this brain region during the Stroop task in those who had suppressed their feelings. In other words, after engaging in one act of self-control this brain system seems to fail during the next act.
These results, which appear in the November issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, have significant implications for future interventions aiming to help people change their behavior. Most notably, it suggests that if people, even temporarily, do not realize that they have lost control, they will be unable to stop or change their behavior on their own.
Psychological Science is ranked among the top 10 general psychology journals for impact by the Institute for Scientific Information.
Source: Catherine West
Association for Psychological Science
As human beings, we have limited resources to control ourselves, and all acts of control draw from this same source. Therefore, when using this resource in one domain, for example, keeping to a diet, we are more likely to run out of this resource in a different domain, like studying hard. Once these resources are exhausted, our ability to control ourselves is diminished. In this depleted state, the dieter is more likely to eat chocolate, the student to watch TV, and the politician to accept a bribe.
In a recent study, Michael Inzlicht of the University of Toronto Scarborough and colleague Jennifer N. Gutsell offer an account of what is happening in the brain when our vices get the better of us.
Inzlicht and Gutsell asked participants to suppress their emotions while watching an upsetting movie. The idea was to deplete their resources for self-control. The participants reported their ability to suppress their feelings on a scale from one to nine. Then, they completed a Stroop task, which involves naming the color of printed words (i.e. saying red when reading the word "green" in red font), yet another task that requires a significant amount of self-control.
The researchers found that those who suppressed their emotions performed worse on the Stroop task, indicating that they had used up their resources for self-control while holding back their tears during the film.
An EEG, performed during the Stroop task, confirmed these results. Normally, when a person deviates from their goals (in this case, wanting to read the word, not the color of the font), increased brain activity occurs in a part of the frontal lobe called the anterior cingulate cortex, which alerts the person that they are off-track. The researchers found weaker activity occurring in this brain region during the Stroop task in those who had suppressed their feelings. In other words, after engaging in one act of self-control this brain system seems to fail during the next act.
These results, which appear in the November issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, have significant implications for future interventions aiming to help people change their behavior. Most notably, it suggests that if people, even temporarily, do not realize that they have lost control, they will be unable to stop or change their behavior on their own.
Psychological Science is ranked among the top 10 general psychology journals for impact by the Institute for Scientific Information.
Source: Catherine West
Association for Psychological Science
Violent Crime 'Race Gap' Narrows, But Persists In U.S.
The U.S. 'race gap' in the commission of violent crime has narrowed substantially, yet persists - with murder arrest rates for African Americans still out-distancing those for whites - concludes a new 80-city study by the University of Maryland, Florida State University and the University of Oregon.
While the gap had been cut by more than half in the 1970s, it grew again in the '80s with the advent of crack cocaine. The researchers find the gap most pronounced in communities with higher rates of divorce, unemployment and illegal drug use.
The study appears in the current issue of the American Sociological Review (February 2010).
"It's somewhat discouraging to see how resilient these racial differences in violent crime rates have been," says the report's corresponding author Gary LaFree, a University of Maryland criminologist who specializes in crime and political violence trends.
In the 1960s, the gap had grown "exceptionally high," he says. For example, the 1968 National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders found low income, black Chicago neighborhoods had 35 times more serious crime than upper income, white areas of the city.
The Commission warned that racial disparities and racial isolation fostered this gap.
"A lot happened in 40 years that helped diminish racial distinctions in America, including this gap in violent crimes, yet it seems safe to conclude the gap won't disappear any time soon," LaFree adds.
FINDINGS: RACIAL GAP TRENDS
Based on FBI Uniform Crime Report arrest data from 1960 to 2000 in 80 of the largest U.S. cities (listed below), the researchers found:
1960-1979: The gap between black and white homicide arrests dropped 55 percent, on average.
1980-1999: The gap re-widened - on average more than 20 percent - with the explosive growth of the crack cocaine epidemic in major U.S. cities.
By the end of the century, nearly 30 percent of the largest U.S. cities had black homicide arrests rates that were more than 10 times higher than white rates.
From city to city, the trends varied, sometimes significantly.
General trend: findings are consistent with arguments that "larger cities are more tolerant with regard to racial issues."
Sun Belt Cities: "Convergence in Sun Belt cities is probably due, in part, to Latino immigration," LaFree says, adding that it's difficult to test this. "Latino immigrants have much lower homicide rates than native born Americans."
Some of the largest U.S. cities, such as New York City, were excluded because they did not report federal arrest data for several years.
FINDINGS: EXPLAINING THE GAP
The researchers tested the factors that the 1968 National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders asserted were fostering the race gap, including differences in family structure, economic and educational inequality, residential segregation and illicit drug use.
Relying on U.S. Census and FBI arrest data, the researchers concluded:
The strongest factors explaining the racial gap in murder arrests were divorce, unemployment and level of drug-use in the community.
Racial integration was not strongly associated with a reduction in the racial gap.
"Frankly, we were surprised that the gap failed to narrow the most in cities that have become more racially integrated," LaFree says. "Maybe this is just a result of the difficulty measuring integration, which is complex."
Still Separate and Unequal? A City-Level Analysis of the Black-White Gap in Homicide Arrests since 1960
By Gary LaFree (University of Maryland), Eric P. Baumer (Florida State University), Robert O'Brien (University of Oregon)
Source:
Neil Tickner
University of Maryland
While the gap had been cut by more than half in the 1970s, it grew again in the '80s with the advent of crack cocaine. The researchers find the gap most pronounced in communities with higher rates of divorce, unemployment and illegal drug use.
The study appears in the current issue of the American Sociological Review (February 2010).
"It's somewhat discouraging to see how resilient these racial differences in violent crime rates have been," says the report's corresponding author Gary LaFree, a University of Maryland criminologist who specializes in crime and political violence trends.
In the 1960s, the gap had grown "exceptionally high," he says. For example, the 1968 National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders found low income, black Chicago neighborhoods had 35 times more serious crime than upper income, white areas of the city.
The Commission warned that racial disparities and racial isolation fostered this gap.
"A lot happened in 40 years that helped diminish racial distinctions in America, including this gap in violent crimes, yet it seems safe to conclude the gap won't disappear any time soon," LaFree adds.
FINDINGS: RACIAL GAP TRENDS
Based on FBI Uniform Crime Report arrest data from 1960 to 2000 in 80 of the largest U.S. cities (listed below), the researchers found:
1960-1979: The gap between black and white homicide arrests dropped 55 percent, on average.
1980-1999: The gap re-widened - on average more than 20 percent - with the explosive growth of the crack cocaine epidemic in major U.S. cities.
By the end of the century, nearly 30 percent of the largest U.S. cities had black homicide arrests rates that were more than 10 times higher than white rates.
From city to city, the trends varied, sometimes significantly.
General trend: findings are consistent with arguments that "larger cities are more tolerant with regard to racial issues."
Sun Belt Cities: "Convergence in Sun Belt cities is probably due, in part, to Latino immigration," LaFree says, adding that it's difficult to test this. "Latino immigrants have much lower homicide rates than native born Americans."
Some of the largest U.S. cities, such as New York City, were excluded because they did not report federal arrest data for several years.
FINDINGS: EXPLAINING THE GAP
The researchers tested the factors that the 1968 National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders asserted were fostering the race gap, including differences in family structure, economic and educational inequality, residential segregation and illicit drug use.
Relying on U.S. Census and FBI arrest data, the researchers concluded:
The strongest factors explaining the racial gap in murder arrests were divorce, unemployment and level of drug-use in the community.
Racial integration was not strongly associated with a reduction in the racial gap.
"Frankly, we were surprised that the gap failed to narrow the most in cities that have become more racially integrated," LaFree says. "Maybe this is just a result of the difficulty measuring integration, which is complex."
Still Separate and Unequal? A City-Level Analysis of the Black-White Gap in Homicide Arrests since 1960
By Gary LaFree (University of Maryland), Eric P. Baumer (Florida State University), Robert O'Brien (University of Oregon)
Source:
Neil Tickner
University of Maryland
Urges Of Pathological Gamblers Curbed By Drug Commonly Used For Alcoholism
A drug commonly used to treat alcohol addiction has a similar effect on pathological gamblers - it curbs the urge to gamble and participate in gambling-related behavior, according to a new research at the University of Minnesota.
Seventy-seven people participated in the double-blind, placebo controlled study. Fifty-eight men and women took 50, 100, or 150 milligrams of naltrexone every day for 18 weeks. Forty percent of the 49 participants who took the drug and completed the study, quit gambling for at least one month. Their urge to gamble also significantly dropped in intensity and frequency. The other 19 participants took a placebo. But, only 10.5 percent of those who took the placebo were able to abstain from gambling. Study participants were aged 18 to 75 and reported gambling for 6 to 32 hours each week.
Dosage did not have an impact on the results, naltrexone was generally well tolerated, and men and women reported similar results.
"This is good news for people who have a gambling problem," said Jon Grant, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., a University of Minnesota associate professor of psychiatry and principal investigator of the study. "This is the first time people have a proven medication that can help them get their behavior under control."
The research is published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Compulsive gamblers are unable to control their behavior, and the habit often becomes a detriment in their lives, Grant said. He estimates between 1 to 3 percent of the population has a gambling problem.
While the drug is not a cure for gambling, Grant said it offers hope to many who are suffering from addiction. He also said the drug would most likely work best in combination with individual therapy.
"Medication can be helpful, but people with gambling addiction often have multiple other issues that should be addressed through therapy," he said.
Naltrexone is sold under the brand names Revia and Depade. An extended-release formulation is sold under the name Vivitrol.
The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Grant has served as a consultant to Pfizer and has received grant/research support from GlaxoSmith Kline and Forest.
Source: Nick Hanson
University of Minnesota
View drug information on Naltrexone Hydrochloride Tablets.
Seventy-seven people participated in the double-blind, placebo controlled study. Fifty-eight men and women took 50, 100, or 150 milligrams of naltrexone every day for 18 weeks. Forty percent of the 49 participants who took the drug and completed the study, quit gambling for at least one month. Their urge to gamble also significantly dropped in intensity and frequency. The other 19 participants took a placebo. But, only 10.5 percent of those who took the placebo were able to abstain from gambling. Study participants were aged 18 to 75 and reported gambling for 6 to 32 hours each week.
Dosage did not have an impact on the results, naltrexone was generally well tolerated, and men and women reported similar results.
"This is good news for people who have a gambling problem," said Jon Grant, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., a University of Minnesota associate professor of psychiatry and principal investigator of the study. "This is the first time people have a proven medication that can help them get their behavior under control."
The research is published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Compulsive gamblers are unable to control their behavior, and the habit often becomes a detriment in their lives, Grant said. He estimates between 1 to 3 percent of the population has a gambling problem.
While the drug is not a cure for gambling, Grant said it offers hope to many who are suffering from addiction. He also said the drug would most likely work best in combination with individual therapy.
"Medication can be helpful, but people with gambling addiction often have multiple other issues that should be addressed through therapy," he said.
Naltrexone is sold under the brand names Revia and Depade. An extended-release formulation is sold under the name Vivitrol.
The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Grant has served as a consultant to Pfizer and has received grant/research support from GlaxoSmith Kline and Forest.
Source: Nick Hanson
University of Minnesota
View drug information on Naltrexone Hydrochloride Tablets.
Substance dependence and the brain
Substance dependence treatable, says neuroscience expert report
Psychosocial, environmental, biological and genetic factors all play significant roles in dependence, says new report published by WHO
GENEVA/BRASILIA -- The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and Dependence, an authoritative report summarizing the latest scientific knowledge on the role of the brain in substance dependence.
The report* is the first of its kind produced by WHO, and cites an explosion of advances in neuroscience to conclude that substance dependence is as much a disorder of the brain as any other neurological or psychiatric disorder.
Substance dependence is multifactorial, determined by biological and genetic factors, in which heritable traits can play a strong part, as well as psychosocial, cultural and environmental factors, says the report. It has been known for a long time that the brain contains dozens of different types of receptors and chemical messengers or neurotransmitters.
The report summarizes new knowledge on how psychoactive substances are able to mimic the effects of the naturally occurring or endogenous neurotransmitters, and interfere with normal brain functioning by altering the storage, release and removal of neurotransmitters.
The report discusses new developments in neuroscience research with respect to craving, compulsive use, tolerance and the concept of dependence.
The report shows that psychoactive substances have different ways of acting on the brain, though they share similarities in the way they affect important regions of the brain involved in motivation and emotions.
The report discusses how genes interact with environmental factors to sustain psychoactive substance-using behaviours. This knowledge is the basis of novel diagnostic tools and behavioural and pharmacological treatments.
The report urges increasing awareness of the complex nature of these problems and the biological processes underlying drug dependence. It also supports effective policies, prevention and treatment approaches and the development of interventions that do not stigmatize patients, are community based and cost-effective.
'The health and social problems associated with use of and dependence on tobacco, alcohol and illicit substances require greater attention by the public health community and appropriate policy responses are needed to address these problems in different societies,' says WHO Director-General Dr LEE Jong-wook. 'Many gaps remain to be filled, but this important report shows that we already know a great deal about the nature of these problems.'
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) data estimates about 205 million people make use of one type of illicit substance or another.
The most common is cannabis, followed by amphetamines, cocaine and the opioids. Illicit substance use is more prevalent among males than females, much more so than cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Substance use is also more prevalent among young people than in older age groups.
UNODC data shows that 2.5% of the total global population and 3.5% of people 15 years and above had used cannabis at least once in one year between 1998 and 2001.
'Substance dependence is a chronic and often relapsing disorder, often co-occurring with other physical and mental conditions,' said Dr Catherine Le Gal?s-Camus, WHO's Assistant-Director General, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health.
'While we still do not know to what extent it is curable - given the long-term alterations in brain functioning that result from substance abuse - we do know that recovery from dependence is possible through a number of effective interventions.'
The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) from the use of all psychoactive substances, including alcohol and tobacco, is substantial: 8.9% in terms of DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years).
However, GBD findings re-emphasize that the main global health burden is due to licit rather than illicit substances. Among the 10 leading risk factors in terms of avoidable disease burden cited in The World Health Report 2002, tobacco was fourth and alcohol fifth for 2000, and remains high on the list in the 2010 and 2020 projections.
Tobacco and alcohol contributed 4.1% and 4.0%, respectively, to the burden of ill health in 2000, while illicit substances contributed 0.8%. The burdens attributable to tobacco and alcohol are particularly acute among males in the developed countries (mainly Europe and North America). Measures to reduce the harm from tobacco, alcohol and other psychoactive substances are thus an important part of the public health response, says WHO.
'The explosive growth in knowledge in neuroscience in recent decades has contributed new insights into why many people use psychoactive substances even though it causes them harm,' says Dr Benedetto Saraceno, Director of WHO's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. 'The need for this report comes from these advances, which have shown that psychoactive substances, regardless of their legal status, share similar mechanisms of action in the brain, can be harmful to health and can lead to dependence. The public health impact is enormous and requires a comprehensive approach to policy and programme development.'
*The Neuroscience of psychoactive substance use and dependence report is a product of three years work involving the contributions of many experts from around the world. The project began in 2000 with a consultation in New Orleans, USA, during the Congress on Neuroscience.
A meeting convened by WHO was attended by representatives of international societies and selected experts in the field. Twenty-five reviews were commissioned, completed and submitted and these formed the basis of the final report. Meetings were held in Geneva and Mexico to discuss the outline of the report and the background papers.
External experts:
Australia
Dr Wayne Hall, Professional Research Fellow, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia. Tel.: +66 7 3346 9176 (o), +66 421-059-009 (m), Fax +66 7 3365 7241, e-mail: w.hallimb.uq.au
Professor Richard Mattick. Executive Director, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Tel: +66 2-9385-0333 (o), +66 419-409-010 (m), e-mail: r.mattickunsw.au
Brazil
Professor E.A. Carlini, CEBRID, Depto de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de S?o Paulo, Centro Brasileiro de Informa?oes Sobre Drogas Psicotropicas, S?o Paulo, Brazil, Tel: +11 5539 0155; Fax: +11 5084 2793 e-mail: cebridpsicobio.epm.br
Dr Flavio Pechansky, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Director, Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil, Tel: +55-51 3330-5813, Fax: +55-51 3332-4240, e-mail: cpad.celgterra.br
Canada
Dr Franco Vaccarino. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada, Tel: +1 416 979-4675, Fax: +1 416 979-4695, e-mail: franco_vaccarinocamh
China
Professor Wei HAO, Professor of Psychiatry, Director of WHO Collaborating Center for Drug Abuse and Health, Co-director of Mental Health Institute, Central South University (Hunan Medical University), Changsha, China, Tel: +86-731-5550294, Fax: +86-731-5360160, e-mail: weihao57china , or bmwhomhipublic.cs.hn.cn
Russia
Dr Edwin Zvartau, Professor of Pharmacology and Research Director, Pavlov Medical University. Russia. Tel: +7-812-238-7023 (o); +8-921-6532938 (m); Fax: +7-812-346-3414, e-mail: zvartauspmu.rssi.ru
South Africa
Dr Charles D.H. Parry, Alcohol & Drug Research Group, Medical Research Council of South Africa, Tygerberg (Cape Town), South Africa. Tel: +27 21 9380419 (o), +2782 4595964 (m) , Fax: +27 21 9380342, e-mail: cparrymrc.ac.za
Spain
Dr Rafael Maldonado, Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Health and Life Sciences School, University of Pompeu Fapra, Barcelona, Spain, Tel. +34 93 542 2845, Fax +34 93 542 2802, e-mail: rafael.maldonadocexs.upf.es
Sweden
Dr Robin Room, Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46 86 747 047; Fax: +46 86 747 686, e-mail: robin.roomsorad.su.se
Switzerland
Professor Ambros Uchtenhagen, Institut f?r Suchtforschung-Addiction Research Institute, Zurich, Switzerland. Tel: +41 1 273 4024 / +41 1 81166; Fax: +41 1 273 4064, e-mail: uchtenhaisf.unizh.ch
UK
Dr Michael Farrell, London, Tel: +44 171 740 5701 or +44 207 701 8454, Fax: +44 171 701 8454 or +44 171 740 5729, e-mail: m.farrelliop.kcl.ac
USA
Dr Athina Markou. Department of Neuropharmacology, CVN-7, The Scripps Research Institute, University of California, USA. Tel: 858 784 7244, Fax: 858 784 7405, e-mail: amarkouscripps
For more information contact:
Dr Catherine Le Gales-Camus - Assistant-Director General
Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, WHO
Dr Isidore Obot
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Mr David Porter - Media Officer
WHO
Dr Maristela G. Monteiro - Regional Advisor
Alcohol and Substance Abuse/Pan American Health Organization
Washington, USA
Psychosocial, environmental, biological and genetic factors all play significant roles in dependence, says new report published by WHO
GENEVA/BRASILIA -- The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and Dependence, an authoritative report summarizing the latest scientific knowledge on the role of the brain in substance dependence.
The report* is the first of its kind produced by WHO, and cites an explosion of advances in neuroscience to conclude that substance dependence is as much a disorder of the brain as any other neurological or psychiatric disorder.
Substance dependence is multifactorial, determined by biological and genetic factors, in which heritable traits can play a strong part, as well as psychosocial, cultural and environmental factors, says the report. It has been known for a long time that the brain contains dozens of different types of receptors and chemical messengers or neurotransmitters.
The report summarizes new knowledge on how psychoactive substances are able to mimic the effects of the naturally occurring or endogenous neurotransmitters, and interfere with normal brain functioning by altering the storage, release and removal of neurotransmitters.
The report discusses new developments in neuroscience research with respect to craving, compulsive use, tolerance and the concept of dependence.
The report shows that psychoactive substances have different ways of acting on the brain, though they share similarities in the way they affect important regions of the brain involved in motivation and emotions.
The report discusses how genes interact with environmental factors to sustain psychoactive substance-using behaviours. This knowledge is the basis of novel diagnostic tools and behavioural and pharmacological treatments.
The report urges increasing awareness of the complex nature of these problems and the biological processes underlying drug dependence. It also supports effective policies, prevention and treatment approaches and the development of interventions that do not stigmatize patients, are community based and cost-effective.
'The health and social problems associated with use of and dependence on tobacco, alcohol and illicit substances require greater attention by the public health community and appropriate policy responses are needed to address these problems in different societies,' says WHO Director-General Dr LEE Jong-wook. 'Many gaps remain to be filled, but this important report shows that we already know a great deal about the nature of these problems.'
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) data estimates about 205 million people make use of one type of illicit substance or another.
The most common is cannabis, followed by amphetamines, cocaine and the opioids. Illicit substance use is more prevalent among males than females, much more so than cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Substance use is also more prevalent among young people than in older age groups.
UNODC data shows that 2.5% of the total global population and 3.5% of people 15 years and above had used cannabis at least once in one year between 1998 and 2001.
'Substance dependence is a chronic and often relapsing disorder, often co-occurring with other physical and mental conditions,' said Dr Catherine Le Gal?s-Camus, WHO's Assistant-Director General, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health.
'While we still do not know to what extent it is curable - given the long-term alterations in brain functioning that result from substance abuse - we do know that recovery from dependence is possible through a number of effective interventions.'
The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) from the use of all psychoactive substances, including alcohol and tobacco, is substantial: 8.9% in terms of DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years).
However, GBD findings re-emphasize that the main global health burden is due to licit rather than illicit substances. Among the 10 leading risk factors in terms of avoidable disease burden cited in The World Health Report 2002, tobacco was fourth and alcohol fifth for 2000, and remains high on the list in the 2010 and 2020 projections.
Tobacco and alcohol contributed 4.1% and 4.0%, respectively, to the burden of ill health in 2000, while illicit substances contributed 0.8%. The burdens attributable to tobacco and alcohol are particularly acute among males in the developed countries (mainly Europe and North America). Measures to reduce the harm from tobacco, alcohol and other psychoactive substances are thus an important part of the public health response, says WHO.
'The explosive growth in knowledge in neuroscience in recent decades has contributed new insights into why many people use psychoactive substances even though it causes them harm,' says Dr Benedetto Saraceno, Director of WHO's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. 'The need for this report comes from these advances, which have shown that psychoactive substances, regardless of their legal status, share similar mechanisms of action in the brain, can be harmful to health and can lead to dependence. The public health impact is enormous and requires a comprehensive approach to policy and programme development.'
*The Neuroscience of psychoactive substance use and dependence report is a product of three years work involving the contributions of many experts from around the world. The project began in 2000 with a consultation in New Orleans, USA, during the Congress on Neuroscience.
A meeting convened by WHO was attended by representatives of international societies and selected experts in the field. Twenty-five reviews were commissioned, completed and submitted and these formed the basis of the final report. Meetings were held in Geneva and Mexico to discuss the outline of the report and the background papers.
External experts:
Australia
Dr Wayne Hall, Professional Research Fellow, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia. Tel.: +66 7 3346 9176 (o), +66 421-059-009 (m), Fax +66 7 3365 7241, e-mail: w.hallimb.uq.au
Professor Richard Mattick. Executive Director, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Tel: +66 2-9385-0333 (o), +66 419-409-010 (m), e-mail: r.mattickunsw.au
Brazil
Professor E.A. Carlini, CEBRID, Depto de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de S?o Paulo, Centro Brasileiro de Informa?oes Sobre Drogas Psicotropicas, S?o Paulo, Brazil, Tel: +11 5539 0155; Fax: +11 5084 2793 e-mail: cebridpsicobio.epm.br
Dr Flavio Pechansky, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Director, Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil, Tel: +55-51 3330-5813, Fax: +55-51 3332-4240, e-mail: cpad.celgterra.br
Canada
Dr Franco Vaccarino. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada, Tel: +1 416 979-4675, Fax: +1 416 979-4695, e-mail: franco_vaccarinocamh
China
Professor Wei HAO, Professor of Psychiatry, Director of WHO Collaborating Center for Drug Abuse and Health, Co-director of Mental Health Institute, Central South University (Hunan Medical University), Changsha, China, Tel: +86-731-5550294, Fax: +86-731-5360160, e-mail: weihao57china , or bmwhomhipublic.cs.hn.cn
Russia
Dr Edwin Zvartau, Professor of Pharmacology and Research Director, Pavlov Medical University. Russia. Tel: +7-812-238-7023 (o); +8-921-6532938 (m); Fax: +7-812-346-3414, e-mail: zvartauspmu.rssi.ru
South Africa
Dr Charles D.H. Parry, Alcohol & Drug Research Group, Medical Research Council of South Africa, Tygerberg (Cape Town), South Africa. Tel: +27 21 9380419 (o), +2782 4595964 (m) , Fax: +27 21 9380342, e-mail: cparrymrc.ac.za
Spain
Dr Rafael Maldonado, Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Health and Life Sciences School, University of Pompeu Fapra, Barcelona, Spain, Tel. +34 93 542 2845, Fax +34 93 542 2802, e-mail: rafael.maldonadocexs.upf.es
Sweden
Dr Robin Room, Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46 86 747 047; Fax: +46 86 747 686, e-mail: robin.roomsorad.su.se
Switzerland
Professor Ambros Uchtenhagen, Institut f?r Suchtforschung-Addiction Research Institute, Zurich, Switzerland. Tel: +41 1 273 4024 / +41 1 81166; Fax: +41 1 273 4064, e-mail: uchtenhaisf.unizh.ch
UK
Dr Michael Farrell, London, Tel: +44 171 740 5701 or +44 207 701 8454, Fax: +44 171 701 8454 or +44 171 740 5729, e-mail: m.farrelliop.kcl.ac
USA
Dr Athina Markou. Department of Neuropharmacology, CVN-7, The Scripps Research Institute, University of California, USA. Tel: 858 784 7244, Fax: 858 784 7405, e-mail: amarkouscripps
For more information contact:
Dr Catherine Le Gales-Camus - Assistant-Director General
Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, WHO
Dr Isidore Obot
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Mr David Porter - Media Officer
WHO
Dr Maristela G. Monteiro - Regional Advisor
Alcohol and Substance Abuse/Pan American Health Organization
Washington, USA
No New Injection Sites For Addicts Until Questions Answered Says Minister Clement, Canada
Initial research has raised new questions that must be answered before Canada's new government can make an informed decision about the future of Vancouver's drug injection site or consider requests for any new injection sites says Federal Health Minister Tony Clement.
"Do safe injection sites contribute to lowering drug use and fighting addiction? Right now the only thing the research to date has proven conclusively is drug addicts need more help to get off drugs," Minister Clement says. "Given the need for more facts, I am unable to approve the current request to extend the Vancouver site for another three and a half years."
Minister Clement has deferred the decision on the Vancouver application to December 31st, 2007, during which time additional studies will be conducted into how supervised injection sites affect crime, prevention and treatment. Insite operations will continue during this review.
The Minister also noted he will be working with his federal counterparts at Justice and Public Safety, along with the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse, to accelerate the launch and implementation of a new National Drug Strategy (NDS), which will put greater emphasis on programs that reduce drug and alcohol abuse.
"We believe the best form of harm reduction is to help addicts to break the cycle of dependency," Minister Clement said, "We also need better education and prevention to ensure Canadians don't get addicted to drugs in the first place."
Health Canada will not entertain any applications for the establishment of additional injection sites in other parts of Canada until the NDS is in place, and the Vancouver review is completed.
Health Canada
"Do safe injection sites contribute to lowering drug use and fighting addiction? Right now the only thing the research to date has proven conclusively is drug addicts need more help to get off drugs," Minister Clement says. "Given the need for more facts, I am unable to approve the current request to extend the Vancouver site for another three and a half years."
Minister Clement has deferred the decision on the Vancouver application to December 31st, 2007, during which time additional studies will be conducted into how supervised injection sites affect crime, prevention and treatment. Insite operations will continue during this review.
The Minister also noted he will be working with his federal counterparts at Justice and Public Safety, along with the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse, to accelerate the launch and implementation of a new National Drug Strategy (NDS), which will put greater emphasis on programs that reduce drug and alcohol abuse.
"We believe the best form of harm reduction is to help addicts to break the cycle of dependency," Minister Clement said, "We also need better education and prevention to ensure Canadians don't get addicted to drugs in the first place."
Health Canada will not entertain any applications for the establishment of additional injection sites in other parts of Canada until the NDS is in place, and the Vancouver review is completed.
Health Canada
Counseling Helps Young Women Cut Drinking, Improve Contraception Use
A few nonjudgmental counseling sessions can prompt women to both scale back risky drinking and practice more effective contraception, according to a new study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and conducted at six sites in Texas, Virginia and Florida.
Prenatal alcohol exposure is a leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities in the United States. This CDC study explored a strategy that could reduce a woman??™s risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy.
???A lot of people find this to be an intuitive and sensible approach,??? said lead study author Louise Floyd. ???If a woman drinks frequently or binge drinks even occasionally, this is not the best time for her to get pregnant, for her or the baby. So why not advocate that she postpone pregnancy until her drinking is reduced????
The study appears in the January issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The 830 study participants were not pregnant but were at high risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy because they were binge drinkers (five or more drinks on one occasion) or frequent drinkers (consuming eight or more drinks per week). All of the women were sexually active but were not using reliable measures to prevent pregnancy.
The study tested the effectiveness of motivational interviewing - a kind of supportive yet goal-oriented therapy - to encourage the women to adjust their excessive drinking and ineffective contraception habits.
???What we were able to do was to help the women become aware that they were at risk, and subsequently they made decisions to change their risk behavior,??? said Floyd, chief of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Team at the CDC??™s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.
All of the study participants said they were not planning a pregnancy in the near future. But Floyd says about half of all U.S. pregnancies are unplanned.
???If a woman is drinking at risky levels and doesn??™t know she is pregnant, the fetus has been exposed to ethanol, a teratogen, in that first eight to 12 weeks when all the fetal organ systems are developing,??? Floyd said. A teratogen is any substance that can cause physical or cognitive defects in a fetus.
Half of the study participants received health brochures about the risk of exposing a fetus to alcohol. The other half worked with a trained counselor who offered information and skills to help each woman consider her drinking and contraception habits. During the sessions, the women examined the pros and cons of their behavior. The women were also linked to medical services to obtain birth control, if they were interested.
The research team assessed the women after the motivational interviewing sessions ended. Overall, significantly more women in the intervention group had reduced risky drinking and instituted effective contraception at all three check-in points ??" three, six and nine months.
Today, intensive preconception counseling on alcohol and contraception use is not part of routine care for women of childbearing age ??" even for those with drinking problems. But the study found that a woman??™s odds of reducing her risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy were twofold higher if she received the counseling intervention compared to information only.
In 2005, the surgeon general re-released an advisory urging pregnant women and women considering pregnancy to avoid alcohol to prevent a constellation of developmental problems known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Grace Chang, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, said ???not every child gets fetal alcohol syndrome. There are all these very subtle neuro-behavioral effects that are lifelong, that are preventable and that are all induced by alcohol.???
???There is no safe drinking limit during pregnancy,??? Chang said. And she says motivational counseling is ???a smart solution and a great idea??? to curb the cases of fetal alcohol syndrome. Up to two in every 1,000 babies born in the United States have the condition.
???Women are very smart, and if you actually talk to women about their drinking, they can put it all together and come up with the idea, that ???gee, maybe this isn??™t such a great thing to do,??™??? Chang said.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine: Contact the editorial office at (858) 457-7292.
Floyd L, Sobell M, Velasquez M, et al., of the Project CHOICES Efficacy Study Group. Preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Prev Med 32(1), 2007.
Health Behavior News Service
Center for the Advancement of Health 2000 Florida Ave. NW, Ste 210
Washington, DC 20009
United States
hbns
Prenatal alcohol exposure is a leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities in the United States. This CDC study explored a strategy that could reduce a woman??™s risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy.
???A lot of people find this to be an intuitive and sensible approach,??? said lead study author Louise Floyd. ???If a woman drinks frequently or binge drinks even occasionally, this is not the best time for her to get pregnant, for her or the baby. So why not advocate that she postpone pregnancy until her drinking is reduced????
The study appears in the January issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The 830 study participants were not pregnant but were at high risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy because they were binge drinkers (five or more drinks on one occasion) or frequent drinkers (consuming eight or more drinks per week). All of the women were sexually active but were not using reliable measures to prevent pregnancy.
The study tested the effectiveness of motivational interviewing - a kind of supportive yet goal-oriented therapy - to encourage the women to adjust their excessive drinking and ineffective contraception habits.
???What we were able to do was to help the women become aware that they were at risk, and subsequently they made decisions to change their risk behavior,??? said Floyd, chief of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Team at the CDC??™s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.
All of the study participants said they were not planning a pregnancy in the near future. But Floyd says about half of all U.S. pregnancies are unplanned.
???If a woman is drinking at risky levels and doesn??™t know she is pregnant, the fetus has been exposed to ethanol, a teratogen, in that first eight to 12 weeks when all the fetal organ systems are developing,??? Floyd said. A teratogen is any substance that can cause physical or cognitive defects in a fetus.
Half of the study participants received health brochures about the risk of exposing a fetus to alcohol. The other half worked with a trained counselor who offered information and skills to help each woman consider her drinking and contraception habits. During the sessions, the women examined the pros and cons of their behavior. The women were also linked to medical services to obtain birth control, if they were interested.
The research team assessed the women after the motivational interviewing sessions ended. Overall, significantly more women in the intervention group had reduced risky drinking and instituted effective contraception at all three check-in points ??" three, six and nine months.
Today, intensive preconception counseling on alcohol and contraception use is not part of routine care for women of childbearing age ??" even for those with drinking problems. But the study found that a woman??™s odds of reducing her risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy were twofold higher if she received the counseling intervention compared to information only.
In 2005, the surgeon general re-released an advisory urging pregnant women and women considering pregnancy to avoid alcohol to prevent a constellation of developmental problems known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Grace Chang, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, said ???not every child gets fetal alcohol syndrome. There are all these very subtle neuro-behavioral effects that are lifelong, that are preventable and that are all induced by alcohol.???
???There is no safe drinking limit during pregnancy,??? Chang said. And she says motivational counseling is ???a smart solution and a great idea??? to curb the cases of fetal alcohol syndrome. Up to two in every 1,000 babies born in the United States have the condition.
???Women are very smart, and if you actually talk to women about their drinking, they can put it all together and come up with the idea, that ???gee, maybe this isn??™t such a great thing to do,??™??? Chang said.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine: Contact the editorial office at (858) 457-7292.
Floyd L, Sobell M, Velasquez M, et al., of the Project CHOICES Efficacy Study Group. Preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Prev Med 32(1), 2007.
Health Behavior News Service
Center for the Advancement of Health 2000 Florida Ave. NW, Ste 210
Washington, DC 20009
United States
hbns
Hospitality Industry Called On To Offer Free Non-alcoholic Drinks For Designated Drivers
The AMA (Australian Medical Association) is calling on the hospitality industry to do their bit in reducing drink-driving this season by offering designated drivers free or discounted non-alcoholic drinks.
AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said the hospitality industry was perfectly placed to actively support people who do the right thing by volunteering to be a designated driver.
"These are people who choose to be responsible for getting their friends home safely. The least we can do is offer them free non-alcoholic drinks," she said.
Dr Capolingua said drink-driving is one of the major causes of road accidents or fatalities, and the festive season is often a time of increased risk.
"Any alcohol at all will affect your ability to drive.
"The only way to be certain of staying under the legal, and safe, limit for blood alcohol content is not drink at all if you are planning to drive.
"We rely so much on our designated drivers to behave responsibly at a time when everyone around them may be not quite so well behaved.
"By offering to help them out with the cost of their evening we're encouraging more people to volunteer as the designated driver."
Dr Capolingua said the discounts for designated drivers idea was simple to implement and suggested licensed premises issue wristbands to identify designated drivers to bar staff.
She also emphasised the need for pubs, bars and clubs that offer special conditions for designated drivers to ensure the initiative was properly promoted.
"The next step is letting people know about the rewards," she said.
"Providing a few free soft drinks, or at least at a reduced price, is a great way to care for patrons and thank the driver for caring about their friends."
Australian Medical Association
AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said the hospitality industry was perfectly placed to actively support people who do the right thing by volunteering to be a designated driver.
"These are people who choose to be responsible for getting their friends home safely. The least we can do is offer them free non-alcoholic drinks," she said.
Dr Capolingua said drink-driving is one of the major causes of road accidents or fatalities, and the festive season is often a time of increased risk.
"Any alcohol at all will affect your ability to drive.
"The only way to be certain of staying under the legal, and safe, limit for blood alcohol content is not drink at all if you are planning to drive.
"We rely so much on our designated drivers to behave responsibly at a time when everyone around them may be not quite so well behaved.
"By offering to help them out with the cost of their evening we're encouraging more people to volunteer as the designated driver."
Dr Capolingua said the discounts for designated drivers idea was simple to implement and suggested licensed premises issue wristbands to identify designated drivers to bar staff.
She also emphasised the need for pubs, bars and clubs that offer special conditions for designated drivers to ensure the initiative was properly promoted.
"The next step is letting people know about the rewards," she said.
"Providing a few free soft drinks, or at least at a reduced price, is a great way to care for patrons and thank the driver for caring about their friends."
Australian Medical Association
Hawaii Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Case of Woman Whose Infant Died Due to Crystal Meth Poisoning
The Hawaii Supreme Court on Wednesday heard oral arguments in the case of a woman who was convicted of manslaughter in 2004 after her newborn son died because she had used crystal methamphetamine during pregnancy, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports (Barayuga, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 10/20). Hawaii Circuit Judge Michael Town in August 2004 sentenced Tayshea Aiwohi -- whose infant son Treyson had four times the adult toxicity level of methamphetamine in his system at his death -- to 10 years probation. An Oahu, Hawaii, grand jury in October 2003 indicted Aiwohi, who admitted using crystal meth -- also known as "ice" -- during pregnancy and while breastfeeding her son. Public Defender Todd Eddins, Aiwohi's attorney, in early March 2004 filed three motions for dismissal of the case, arguing that state law "does not encompass the reckless killing of a newborn by his mother for conduct which allegedly occurred prior to his birth." Under Hawaii state law, manslaughter charges can be brought against people only if they recklessly cause the death of another person, and state law requires that a child be born alive in order to be considered a person. Town in June 2004 said that Hawaii state law does not give a woman immunity for "allegedly harming her fetus [if it] is later born alive and dies." Aiwohi's case represented the first time the state held a woman criminally liable for behavior during pregnancy that led to the death of an infant (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/31/04).
Hearing Details
Supreme Court justices questioned whether the state's manslaughter law applies to Aiwohi because the law does not consider a fetus to be a "person," the Honolulu Advertiser reports. Associate Justice Steven Levinson asked Deputy Prosecutor Glenn Kim whether the prosecution's position is that a pregnant woman could be prosecuted for any "harmful act or omission" while pregnant, such as drinking alcohol. Kim said, "Of course, we would have concerns about it," adding, "And as a matter of law, we are saying if the particular case presented itself, we would charge it" (Kobayashi, Honolulu Advertiser, 10/20). "Here, we're talking about injury to a fetus that subsequently killed a live child," Kim said. Eddins argued that the state's manslaughter statute should not be interpreted to convict women on the grounds that their conduct while pregnant can result in harm to their newborn, adding that the Legislature should decide whether such prosecutions should occur. The justices did not disclose a date for when it will render a decision (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 10/20).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Only Six Percent Of Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities Offer Specialized Services For Gays And Lesbians
A new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reveals that only 777 of 13,688 (6 percent) substance abuse treatment facilities surveyed across the nation offer special programs for gay and lesbian clients.
Released in conjunction with Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, the study also shows that the availability of these specialized programs tends to vary according to two main characteristics of facilities - whether they are privately or publicly owned, and their primary focus of treatment.
Privately run treatment facilities, particularly "for-profit" facilities are more likely to offer special Gay and Lesbian programs than federal government run facilities. Privately run for profit treatment programs, for example, are more than two times as likely as federal facilities to offer these programs (7.0 percent versus 2.6 percent). Among state government run facilities 5.5 percent offered specialized services for gays and lesbians, while 5.8 percent of private non-profit run facilities offered these kinds of services.
Similarly, substance abuse treatment facilities whose primary focus is treating a mix of substance use and mental health issues are more likely than other types of treatment facilities to provide special programs for gay and lesbian clients. For example, facilities with a mixed substance use and mental health focus were more than twice as likely to offer programs for gays and lesbians than facilities with a primary focus of general health care (7.1 percent versus 2.3 percent).
"People in substance abuse treatment come from diverse backgrounds and benefit from programs designed to meet their particular needs," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "The treatment community needs to work with all segments of our society to ensure that Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people, as well as, members of other underserved groups are afforded more opportunities for this kind of specialized care."
The study, Substance Abuse Treatment Programs for Gays and Lesbians, was developed as part of the agency's strategic initiative on data, outcomes, and quality - an effort to inform policy makers and service providers on the nature and scope of behavioral health issues. The study is based on the 2008 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services which surveys substance abuse treatment facilities across the U.S.
Source:
SAMHSA
Released in conjunction with Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, the study also shows that the availability of these specialized programs tends to vary according to two main characteristics of facilities - whether they are privately or publicly owned, and their primary focus of treatment.
Privately run treatment facilities, particularly "for-profit" facilities are more likely to offer special Gay and Lesbian programs than federal government run facilities. Privately run for profit treatment programs, for example, are more than two times as likely as federal facilities to offer these programs (7.0 percent versus 2.6 percent). Among state government run facilities 5.5 percent offered specialized services for gays and lesbians, while 5.8 percent of private non-profit run facilities offered these kinds of services.
Similarly, substance abuse treatment facilities whose primary focus is treating a mix of substance use and mental health issues are more likely than other types of treatment facilities to provide special programs for gay and lesbian clients. For example, facilities with a mixed substance use and mental health focus were more than twice as likely to offer programs for gays and lesbians than facilities with a primary focus of general health care (7.1 percent versus 2.3 percent).
"People in substance abuse treatment come from diverse backgrounds and benefit from programs designed to meet their particular needs," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "The treatment community needs to work with all segments of our society to ensure that Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people, as well as, members of other underserved groups are afforded more opportunities for this kind of specialized care."
The study, Substance Abuse Treatment Programs for Gays and Lesbians, was developed as part of the agency's strategic initiative on data, outcomes, and quality - an effort to inform policy makers and service providers on the nature and scope of behavioral health issues. The study is based on the 2008 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services which surveys substance abuse treatment facilities across the U.S.
Source:
SAMHSA
Alcohol Abuse May Lead To Depression Risk, Rather Than Vice Versa
A statistical modeling study suggests that problems with alcohol abuse may lead to an increased risk of depression, as opposed to the reverse model in which individuals with depression self-medicate with alcohol, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
A number of epidemiological studies have shown that alcohol abuse or dependence is associated with major depression, according to background information in the article. However, it has previously been unclear whether one disorder causes the other, or whether a common underlying genetic or environmental risk factor increases risk for both.
Using data gathered from a 25-year study of health and development in New Zealand, David M. Fergusson, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand, examined the associations between alcohol abuse and depression. A sample of 1,055 participants born in 1977 were assessed for both conditions at ages 17 to 18, 20 to 21 and 24 to 25 years and also asked questions about lifestyle and demographic factors.
At ages 17 to 18, 19.4 percent of the participants met criteria for alcohol problems and 18.2 percent for major depression; at ages 20 to 21, 22.4 percent had alcohol disorders and 18.2 percent major depression; and at age 24 to 25, 13.6 percent met alcohol disorder criteria and 13.8 percent had major depression. At all ages, alcohol abuse or dependence was associated with an increased risk of major depression-those who fulfilled criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence were 1.9 times more likely to also fulfill criteria for major depression.
Three models were tested to fit the data-one in which major depression and alcohol abuse disorders had a reciprocal association within time, a second in which alcohol disorders caused major depression and a third in which major depression caused alcohol disorders. "This analysis suggested that the best-fitting model was one in which there was a unidirectional association from alcohol abuse or dependence to major depression but no reverse effect from major depression to alcohol abuse or dependence," the authors write.
"The underlying mechanisms that give rise to such an association are unclear; however, it has been proposed that this link may arise from genetic processes in which the use of alcohol acts to trigger genetic markers that increase the risk of major depression," they continue. "In addition, further research suggests that alcohol's depressant characteristics may lead to periods of depressed affect among those with alcohol abuse or dependence."
The causal links also may include an increased risk of depression due to stressful life circumstances brought by alcohol problems, including social, financial and legal issues. "However, further research is required to elucidate the nature of the possible links between alcohol use and major depression," the authors conclude.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009;66[3]:260-266.
archpsyc.ama-assn/cgi/content/short/66/3/260
Arch Gen Psychiatry
A number of epidemiological studies have shown that alcohol abuse or dependence is associated with major depression, according to background information in the article. However, it has previously been unclear whether one disorder causes the other, or whether a common underlying genetic or environmental risk factor increases risk for both.
Using data gathered from a 25-year study of health and development in New Zealand, David M. Fergusson, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand, examined the associations between alcohol abuse and depression. A sample of 1,055 participants born in 1977 were assessed for both conditions at ages 17 to 18, 20 to 21 and 24 to 25 years and also asked questions about lifestyle and demographic factors.
At ages 17 to 18, 19.4 percent of the participants met criteria for alcohol problems and 18.2 percent for major depression; at ages 20 to 21, 22.4 percent had alcohol disorders and 18.2 percent major depression; and at age 24 to 25, 13.6 percent met alcohol disorder criteria and 13.8 percent had major depression. At all ages, alcohol abuse or dependence was associated with an increased risk of major depression-those who fulfilled criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence were 1.9 times more likely to also fulfill criteria for major depression.
Three models were tested to fit the data-one in which major depression and alcohol abuse disorders had a reciprocal association within time, a second in which alcohol disorders caused major depression and a third in which major depression caused alcohol disorders. "This analysis suggested that the best-fitting model was one in which there was a unidirectional association from alcohol abuse or dependence to major depression but no reverse effect from major depression to alcohol abuse or dependence," the authors write.
"The underlying mechanisms that give rise to such an association are unclear; however, it has been proposed that this link may arise from genetic processes in which the use of alcohol acts to trigger genetic markers that increase the risk of major depression," they continue. "In addition, further research suggests that alcohol's depressant characteristics may lead to periods of depressed affect among those with alcohol abuse or dependence."
The causal links also may include an increased risk of depression due to stressful life circumstances brought by alcohol problems, including social, financial and legal issues. "However, further research is required to elucidate the nature of the possible links between alcohol use and major depression," the authors conclude.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009;66[3]:260-266.
archpsyc.ama-assn/cgi/content/short/66/3/260
Arch Gen Psychiatry
Ethnicity And The Mitochondrial Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 Gene Can Predict Drinking
Ethnicity and the mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 gene predict drinking among Asian young adults
The two genes that have the strongest associations with alcohol use and alcohol dependence (AD) are mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) and alcohol dehydrogenase IB (ADH1B). Mutations of these genes are considered protective against the risk of developing AD. New research findings show that both Korean ethnicity and ALDH2 genotype may predict drinking behavior among Asian young adults.
Results will be published in the May issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
"This study was part of a larger prospective study of genetic influences on cognitive and behavioral aspects of alcohol use in Asian-American college students," said Christian S. Hendershot, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Washington and corresponding author for the study.
The researchers chose to examine Asian young adults because the mutated ALDH2*2 allele is found exclusively among individuals of northeast Asian heritage, while the ADH1B*2 allele is highly prevalent among northeast Asians, although it is also found in some Caucasians.
"In addition, much of the research on the alcohol metabolizing genes has focused on alcoholic treatment samples, as well as older adult samples," said Hendershot. "This is a limitation because genetic influences on alcohol use appear to vary depending on the recruitment strategy used in the study, and over the course of development. In this study, we examined a range of alcohol-related behaviors that might emerge before the onset of AD. We also examined alcohol sensitivity, which is an established endophenotype for alcohol dependence."
Researchers performed DNA analysis on 182 participants (58 Chinese males, 57 Chinese females; 28 Korean males, 39 Korean females), university undergraduates with a mean age of 20.2 years. Study participants also responded to a web-based survey on alcohol use and related behaviors, with a focus on alcohol sensitivity, heavy episodic and hazardous drinking, and drinking consequences.
"We found consistent additive effects of ethnicity and ALDH2 genotype on a range of drinking behaviours," said Hendershot. More specifically, Korean ethnicity - vs. Chinese - and ALDH2 status - but not ADH1B status - consistently explained significant variance in alcohol consumption among the Asian young adults examined.
"The findings suggest that ADH1B may not influence drinking at this age," he added. "Given that ALDH2*2 has stronger protective effects than ADH1B*2, the effects of ALDH2 might emerge earlier than those of ADH1B. We also found that ALDH2*2 was associated with a lower likelihood of alcohol-related problems, which suggests that ALDH2 status might predict social or interpersonal consequences of alcohol use in addition to actual drinking."
Hendershot noted that prior epidemiological research has shown significant differences in drinking behavior across Asian ethnic groups.
"For instance, rates of alcohol use and alcohol dependence are higher in Korea compared to China," he said. "Because Chinese and Koreans each show a high prevalence of ALDH2*2 and ADH1B*2, the differences in drinking between these groups can be attributed in part to cultural influences. In our study, these ethnic group differences were consistent and significant while controlling for genetic influences. If ethnicity can be a rough proxy for cultural differences, the findings suggest that cultural factors and ALDH2 are both important predictors of drinking in this sample. We need more research to identify specific cultural factors that explain these ethnic group differences."
Notes:
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "Associations of ALDH2 and ADH1B genotypes with alcohol-related phenotypes in Asian young adults," were: Susan E. Collins and Mary E. Larimer of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington; William H. George of the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington; Tamara L. Wall of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, Veterans Affaris San Diego Healthcare System, and Veterans Medical Research Foundation, San Diego; Denis M. McCarthy of the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia; and Tiebing Liang of the Indiana University School of Medicine. The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute.
Source: Christian S. Hendershot, M.S.
University of Washington
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
The two genes that have the strongest associations with alcohol use and alcohol dependence (AD) are mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) and alcohol dehydrogenase IB (ADH1B). Mutations of these genes are considered protective against the risk of developing AD. New research findings show that both Korean ethnicity and ALDH2 genotype may predict drinking behavior among Asian young adults.
Results will be published in the May issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
"This study was part of a larger prospective study of genetic influences on cognitive and behavioral aspects of alcohol use in Asian-American college students," said Christian S. Hendershot, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Washington and corresponding author for the study.
The researchers chose to examine Asian young adults because the mutated ALDH2*2 allele is found exclusively among individuals of northeast Asian heritage, while the ADH1B*2 allele is highly prevalent among northeast Asians, although it is also found in some Caucasians.
"In addition, much of the research on the alcohol metabolizing genes has focused on alcoholic treatment samples, as well as older adult samples," said Hendershot. "This is a limitation because genetic influences on alcohol use appear to vary depending on the recruitment strategy used in the study, and over the course of development. In this study, we examined a range of alcohol-related behaviors that might emerge before the onset of AD. We also examined alcohol sensitivity, which is an established endophenotype for alcohol dependence."
Researchers performed DNA analysis on 182 participants (58 Chinese males, 57 Chinese females; 28 Korean males, 39 Korean females), university undergraduates with a mean age of 20.2 years. Study participants also responded to a web-based survey on alcohol use and related behaviors, with a focus on alcohol sensitivity, heavy episodic and hazardous drinking, and drinking consequences.
"We found consistent additive effects of ethnicity and ALDH2 genotype on a range of drinking behaviours," said Hendershot. More specifically, Korean ethnicity - vs. Chinese - and ALDH2 status - but not ADH1B status - consistently explained significant variance in alcohol consumption among the Asian young adults examined.
"The findings suggest that ADH1B may not influence drinking at this age," he added. "Given that ALDH2*2 has stronger protective effects than ADH1B*2, the effects of ALDH2 might emerge earlier than those of ADH1B. We also found that ALDH2*2 was associated with a lower likelihood of alcohol-related problems, which suggests that ALDH2 status might predict social or interpersonal consequences of alcohol use in addition to actual drinking."
Hendershot noted that prior epidemiological research has shown significant differences in drinking behavior across Asian ethnic groups.
"For instance, rates of alcohol use and alcohol dependence are higher in Korea compared to China," he said. "Because Chinese and Koreans each show a high prevalence of ALDH2*2 and ADH1B*2, the differences in drinking between these groups can be attributed in part to cultural influences. In our study, these ethnic group differences were consistent and significant while controlling for genetic influences. If ethnicity can be a rough proxy for cultural differences, the findings suggest that cultural factors and ALDH2 are both important predictors of drinking in this sample. We need more research to identify specific cultural factors that explain these ethnic group differences."
Notes:
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "Associations of ALDH2 and ADH1B genotypes with alcohol-related phenotypes in Asian young adults," were: Susan E. Collins and Mary E. Larimer of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington; William H. George of the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington; Tamara L. Wall of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, Veterans Affaris San Diego Healthcare System, and Veterans Medical Research Foundation, San Diego; Denis M. McCarthy of the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia; and Tiebing Liang of the Indiana University School of Medicine. The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute.
Source: Christian S. Hendershot, M.S.
University of Washington
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Inquiry Recommendations Miss The Mark On Youth Violence, Australia
The Australian Drug Foundation is astonished to see not one mention of alcohol and
other drugs in all thirteen recommendations from the House of Representatives inquiry into the
impact of violence on young Australians. The report, Avoid the Harm - Stay Calm, is due to be
released today.
"The report states that the links between alcohol and violent behaviour have been well
established, so we can't understand why there's no mention of alcohol and other drugs in any of
the recommendations," said John Rogerson.
The Australian Drug Foundation's submission to this inquiry included recommendations relating
to the price, availability and marketing of alcohol. These strategies, agreed to by international
health experts are based on robust evidence and will reduce alcohol-related harm in our
community and have a significant impact on lowering the number of assaults, sexual violence and
murders.
"The inquiry Committee stated that the issue of alcohol and violence remains a priority for action,
so where are the recommendations on reducing availability of alcohol to Australian kids?" asked
Mr Rogerson.
"The whole community wants action on alcohol-related violence to protect our young people. It
seems the Committee has other priorities," added Mr Rogerson.
Mr Rogerson also noted there are vast amounts of taxpayer dollars invested in anti binge-drinking
media campaigns, which mean little without the support of legislation.
Alcohol remains one of the major causes of preventable death and illness in Australia. It puts
1500 people in hospital every week and kills more than 3000 Australians each year.
Alcohol abuse costs Australian taxpayers $15.3 billion dollars each year from crime and violence,
medical treatment, loss of productivity and death. Governments have a role in protecting the
community from alcohol-related violence and other harms.
Celebrating more than 50 years of service to the community, the Australian Drug Foundation is
Australia's leading body committed to preventing alcohol and other drug problems in communities
around the nation.
The Foundation reaches more than a million Australians through community sporting clubs and
also works with a wide range of Australians in governments, workplaces, health care settings and
schools, offering educational information and campaigning for healthy and strong communities.
Source:
Australian Drug Foundation
other drugs in all thirteen recommendations from the House of Representatives inquiry into the
impact of violence on young Australians. The report, Avoid the Harm - Stay Calm, is due to be
released today.
"The report states that the links between alcohol and violent behaviour have been well
established, so we can't understand why there's no mention of alcohol and other drugs in any of
the recommendations," said John Rogerson.
The Australian Drug Foundation's submission to this inquiry included recommendations relating
to the price, availability and marketing of alcohol. These strategies, agreed to by international
health experts are based on robust evidence and will reduce alcohol-related harm in our
community and have a significant impact on lowering the number of assaults, sexual violence and
murders.
"The inquiry Committee stated that the issue of alcohol and violence remains a priority for action,
so where are the recommendations on reducing availability of alcohol to Australian kids?" asked
Mr Rogerson.
"The whole community wants action on alcohol-related violence to protect our young people. It
seems the Committee has other priorities," added Mr Rogerson.
Mr Rogerson also noted there are vast amounts of taxpayer dollars invested in anti binge-drinking
media campaigns, which mean little without the support of legislation.
Alcohol remains one of the major causes of preventable death and illness in Australia. It puts
1500 people in hospital every week and kills more than 3000 Australians each year.
Alcohol abuse costs Australian taxpayers $15.3 billion dollars each year from crime and violence,
medical treatment, loss of productivity and death. Governments have a role in protecting the
community from alcohol-related violence and other harms.
Celebrating more than 50 years of service to the community, the Australian Drug Foundation is
Australia's leading body committed to preventing alcohol and other drug problems in communities
around the nation.
The Foundation reaches more than a million Australians through community sporting clubs and
also works with a wide range of Australians in governments, workplaces, health care settings and
schools, offering educational information and campaigning for healthy and strong communities.
Source:
Australian Drug Foundation
Pulling An All-Nighter Can Bring On Euphoria And Risky Behavior
A sleepless night can make us cranky and moody. But a lesser known side effect of sleep deprivation is short-term euphoria, which can potentially lead to poor judgment and addictive behavior, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley.
Researchers at UC Berkeley and Harvard Medical School studied the brains of healthy young adults and found that their pleasure circuitry got a big boost after a missed night's sleep. But that same neural pathway that stimulates feelings of euphoria, reward and motivation after a sleepless night may also lead to risky behavior, their study suggests.
"When functioning correctly, the brain finds the sweet spot on the mood spectrum. But the sleep-deprived brain will swing to both extremes, neither of which is optimal for making wise decisions," said Matthew Walker, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at UC Berkeley and lead author of the study.
The findings, published March 22, in the Journal of Neuroscience, underscore the need for people in high-stakes professions and circumstances not to shortchange themselves on sleep, Walker said.
"We need to ensure that people making high-stakes decisions, from medical professionals to airline pilots to new parents, get enough sleep," Walker said. "Based on this evidence, I'd be concerned by an emergency room doctor who's been up for 20 hours straight making rational decisions about my health."
The body alternates between two main phases of sleep during the night: Rapid Eye Movement (REM), when body and brain activity promote dreams, and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM), when the muscles and brain rest. Previous brain studies indicate that these sleep patterns are disrupted in people with mood disorders.
Puzzled as to why so many people with clinical depression feel more positive after a sleepless night - at least temporarily - the researchers used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to study the brains of 27 young adults, half of whom got a good night's rest and the other half of whom pulled an all-nighter.
Participants viewed numerous images, including pleasant scenes (for example, bunnies or ice cream sundaes), and were asked to rate the pictures as either neutral or positive. Across the board, those who had skipped a night's sleep gave more positive ratings for all the images while the well-rested participants gave more moderate scores.
Moreover, brain scans of the participants who pulled all-nighters showed heightened activity in the mesolimbic pathway, a brain circuit driven by dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates positive feelings, motivation, sex drive, addiction, cravings and decision making.
While a bias toward the positive, potentially linked to a short-term boost in dopamine levels, may seem advantageous, it can be detrimental if people are making impulsive decisions because they're feeling overly optimistic, Walker said.
The findings build upon previous research by Walker and his team that shows sleep deprivation shuts down the brain's key planning and decision-making regions - namely the prefrontal cortex - while activating more primal neural functions such as the fight-or-flight reflex in the amygdala region of the brain.
The latest study shows a similar disconnect between the prefrontal cortex and the misolimbic pathway after a night of no sleep: "After a good night's sleep, the frontal lobe regions are strongly connected to the dopamine reward regions, but that's not the case after a night of no sleep," Walker said.
As for a therapy for people who are clinically depressed, sleep deprivation is not a viable solution, according to Walker: "The elastic band of sleep deprivation can only be stretched so far before it breaks," he said.
In addition to Walker, coauthors of the study are Ninad Gujar, a senior research scientist at UC Berkeley's Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory; Seung-Schik Yoo, associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School; and Peter Hu, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Chicago.
Source:
Yasmin Anwar
University of California - Berkeley
Researchers at UC Berkeley and Harvard Medical School studied the brains of healthy young adults and found that their pleasure circuitry got a big boost after a missed night's sleep. But that same neural pathway that stimulates feelings of euphoria, reward and motivation after a sleepless night may also lead to risky behavior, their study suggests.
"When functioning correctly, the brain finds the sweet spot on the mood spectrum. But the sleep-deprived brain will swing to both extremes, neither of which is optimal for making wise decisions," said Matthew Walker, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at UC Berkeley and lead author of the study.
The findings, published March 22, in the Journal of Neuroscience, underscore the need for people in high-stakes professions and circumstances not to shortchange themselves on sleep, Walker said.
"We need to ensure that people making high-stakes decisions, from medical professionals to airline pilots to new parents, get enough sleep," Walker said. "Based on this evidence, I'd be concerned by an emergency room doctor who's been up for 20 hours straight making rational decisions about my health."
The body alternates between two main phases of sleep during the night: Rapid Eye Movement (REM), when body and brain activity promote dreams, and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM), when the muscles and brain rest. Previous brain studies indicate that these sleep patterns are disrupted in people with mood disorders.
Puzzled as to why so many people with clinical depression feel more positive after a sleepless night - at least temporarily - the researchers used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to study the brains of 27 young adults, half of whom got a good night's rest and the other half of whom pulled an all-nighter.
Participants viewed numerous images, including pleasant scenes (for example, bunnies or ice cream sundaes), and were asked to rate the pictures as either neutral or positive. Across the board, those who had skipped a night's sleep gave more positive ratings for all the images while the well-rested participants gave more moderate scores.
Moreover, brain scans of the participants who pulled all-nighters showed heightened activity in the mesolimbic pathway, a brain circuit driven by dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates positive feelings, motivation, sex drive, addiction, cravings and decision making.
While a bias toward the positive, potentially linked to a short-term boost in dopamine levels, may seem advantageous, it can be detrimental if people are making impulsive decisions because they're feeling overly optimistic, Walker said.
The findings build upon previous research by Walker and his team that shows sleep deprivation shuts down the brain's key planning and decision-making regions - namely the prefrontal cortex - while activating more primal neural functions such as the fight-or-flight reflex in the amygdala region of the brain.
The latest study shows a similar disconnect between the prefrontal cortex and the misolimbic pathway after a night of no sleep: "After a good night's sleep, the frontal lobe regions are strongly connected to the dopamine reward regions, but that's not the case after a night of no sleep," Walker said.
As for a therapy for people who are clinically depressed, sleep deprivation is not a viable solution, according to Walker: "The elastic band of sleep deprivation can only be stretched so far before it breaks," he said.
In addition to Walker, coauthors of the study are Ninad Gujar, a senior research scientist at UC Berkeley's Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory; Seung-Schik Yoo, associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School; and Peter Hu, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Chicago.
Source:
Yasmin Anwar
University of California - Berkeley
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