ALCOHOL 2006 <623>Database   Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid MEDLINE(R)Unique Identifier   17134512Status   PubMed-not-MEDLINEAuthors   Moussas G.  Tzemos L.  Pavlopoulos V.  Papadimitriou K.  Menoutis V.  Lykouras L.Authors Full Name   Moussas, Georgios.  Tzemos, Leonidas.  Pavlopoulos, Vassilis.  Papadimitriou, Konstantinos.  Menoutis, Vassilis.  Lykouras, Lefteris.Institution  Secont Psychiatric Department Medical School University of Athens Attikon General Hospital, Athens, Greece. gmps@panafonet.grTitle  Alcohol use and abuse in training conscripts of the Hellenic navy.Source  Annals of General Psychiatry.  5:21, 2006.Journal Name  Annals of General PsychiatryOther ID  Source: NLM. PMC1698475Country of Publication  EnglandAbstract  OBJECTIVES: Alcohol abuse and addiction are big current problems of the developed world having multivariate causality and multiple effects. Alcohol abuse in young people is a matter of central importance due to its wide range long lasting effects, especially so in Greece where the problem has only recently started growing. The Hellenic Navy is interested in the complications of alcohol abuse in training conscripts. Because young conscripts will be placed in demanding positions, but also because in Greece the military service is obligatory and represents an important period for the socialization of young men. METHODS: In the present study, levels of alcohol use and abuse were measured in a sample of 650 male training conscripts of the Hellenic Navy. The tools used are: (a) two questionnaires measuring frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption and psychosocial variables, (b) the CAGE test, which is a questionnaire measuring hidden alcoholism. RESULTS: 38,1% conscripts were characterized problematic drinkers according the adolescents criteria. Additional psychological complications were related to alcohol use. Using the stricter criterion for adults (plus psychological complications) 8.9% were found to be problematic drinkers. The use of CAGE questionnaire which is measuring hidden alcoholism, identified 16% of the total sample as hidden alcoholics. DISCUSSION: The findings regarding unregular levels of alcohol use and abuse are presented as well as their relation to psychosocial complications and to demographic characteristics. The results are discussed in the light of Creek and international bibliography.Publication Type   Journal Article.Date of Publication   2006Year of Publication   2006Volume   5Page   21

ALCOHOL (A) 2006 <872>Database  Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid MEDLINE(R)Unique Identifier  17054780Status  MEDLINEAuthors  Morozova TV.  Anholt RR.  Mackay TF.Authors Full Name  Morozova, Tatiana V.  Anholt, Robert R H.  Mackay, Trudy F C.Institution  WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.Title

  Transcriptional response to alcohol exposure in Drosophila melanogaster.Source  Genome Biology.  7(10):R95, 2006.Journal Name  Genome BiologyOther ID  Source: NLM. PMC1794562Country of Publication  EnglandAbstract  BACKGROUND: Alcoholism presents widespread social and human health problems. Alcohol sensitivity, the development of tolerance to alcohol and susceptibility to addiction vary in the population. Genetic factors that predispose to alcoholism remain largely unknown due to extensive genetic and environmental variation in human populations. Drosophila, however, allows studies on genetically identical individuals in controlled environments. Although addiction to alcohol has not been demonstrated in Drosophila, flies show responses to alcohol exposure that resemble human intoxication, including hyperactivity, loss of postural control, sedation, and exposure-dependent development of tolerance. RESULTS: We assessed whole-genome transcriptional responses following alcohol exposure and demonstrate immediate down-regulation of genes affecting olfaction, rapid upregulation of biotransformation enzymes and, concomitant with development of tolerance, altered transcription of transcriptional regulators, proteases and metabolic enzymes, including biotransformation enzymes and enzymes associated with fatty acid biosynthesis. Functional tests of P-element disrupted alleles corresponding to genes with altered transcription implicated 75% of these in the response to alcohol, two-thirds of which have human orthologues. CONCLUSION: Expression microarray analysis is an efficient method for identifying candidate genes affecting complex behavioral and physiological traits, including alcohol abuse. Drosophila provides a valuable genetic model for comparative genomic analysis, which can inform subsequent studies in human populations. Transcriptional analyses following alcohol exposure in Drosophila implicate biotransformation pathways, transcriptional regulators, proteolysis and enzymes that act as metabolic switches in the regulation of fatty acid metabolism as important targets for future studies of the physiological consequences of human alcohol abuse.Publication Type  Journal Article.  Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural.Date of Publication  2006Year of Publication  2006Issue/Part  10Volume  7Page  R95

ALCOHOL (A) 2006 <876>Database  Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid MEDLINE(R)Unique Identifier  17147806Status  MEDLINEAuthors  Acquaah-Mensah GK.  Misra V.  Biswal S.Authors Full Name  Acquaah-Mensah, George K.  Misra, Vikas.  Biswal, Shyam.Institution  Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy-Worcester, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 19 Foster Street, Worcester, MA 01608-1715, USA. george.acquaah-mensah@mcphs.eduTitle  Ethanol sensitivity: a central role for CREB transcription regulation in the cerebellum.Source  BMC Genomics.  7:308, 2006.Journal Name  BMC GenomicsOther ID  Source: NLM. PMC1698922

Country of Publication  EnglandAbstract  BACKGROUND: Lowered sensitivity to the effects of ethanol increases the risk of developing alcoholism. Inbred mouse strains have been useful for the study of the genetic basis of various drug addiction-related phenotypes. Inbred Long-Sleep (ILS) and Inbred Short-Sleep (ISS) mice differentially express a number of genes thought to be implicated in sensitivity to the effects of ethanol. Concomitantly, there is evidence for a mediating role of cAMP/PKA/CREB signalling in aspects of alcoholism modelled in animals. In this report, the extent to which CREB signalling impacts the differential expression of genes in ILS and ISS mouse cerebella is examined. RESULTS: A training dataset for Machine Learning (ML) and Exploratory Data Analyses (EDA) was generated from promoter region sequences of a set of genes known to be targets of CREB transcription regulation and a set of genes whose transcription regulations are potentially CREB-independent. For each promoter sequence, a vector of size 132, with elements characterizing nucleotide composition features was generated. Genes whose expressions have been previously determined to be increased in ILS or ISS cerebella were identified, and their CREB regulation status predicted using the ML scheme C4.5. The C4.5 learning scheme was used because, of four ML schemes evaluated, it had the lowest predicted error rate. On an independent evaluation set of 21 genes of known CREB regulation status, C4.5 correctly classified 81% of instances with F-measures of 0.87 and 0.67 respectively for the CREB-regulated and CREB-independent classes. Additionally, six out of eight genes previously determined by two independent microarray platforms to be up-regulated in the ILS or ISS cerebellum were predicted by C4.5 to be transcriptionally regulated by CREB. Furthermore, 64% and 52% of a cross-section of other up-regulated cerebellar genes in ILS and ISS mice, respectively, were deemed to be CREB-regulated. CONCLUSION: These observations collectively suggest that ethanol sensitivity, as it relates to the cerebellum, may be associated with CREB transcription activity.Publication Type  Journal Article.  Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural.  Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't.Date of Publication  2006Year of Publication  2006Volume  7Page  308

ALCOHOL 2006 <881>Database  Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid MEDLINE(R)Unique Identifier  17092339Status  MEDLINEAuthors  Jones GY.  Hoffmann NG.Authors Full Name  Jones, Gail Yvonne.  Hoffmann, Norman G.Institution  Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust U.K., 39 Wellington Street, Thame, Oxfordshire, 0X9 3BW, UK. GailYvonneJones@aol.comTitle  Alcohol dependence: international policy implications for prison populations.Source  Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, & Policy.  1:33, 2006.Journal Name  Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, & PolicyOther ID  Source: NLM. PMC1664557Country of Publication  EnglandAbstract  BACKGROUND: In light of the emphasis on drug abuse, this study explored the relative prevalence of substance use disorders among United Kingdom (UK) prison inmates in the context of findings from a general inmate population in the United States (US). The lead author of the report conducted a structured diagnostic interview with 155 new admissions to

one of two prisons in the UK using the CAAPE (Comprehensive Addiction And Psychological Evaluation), a structured diagnostic interview, to ensure consistent assessments. The US sample consisted of 6,881 male inmates in a state prison system evaluated with an automated version of the SUDDS-IV (Substance Use Disorder Diagnostic Schedule-IV) interview. RESULTS: Alcohol dependence emerged as the most prevalent substance use disorder in both UK prisons and in the US sample. Relative frequencies of abuse and dependence for alcohol and other drugs revealed that dependence on a given substance was more prevalent than abuse ad defined by the current diagnostic criteria. CONCLUSION: Despite the emphasis on drugs in correctional populations, alcohol dependence appears to be the most prominent substance use disorder among the incarcerated in both the US and UK and must be considered in developing treatment programs and policy priorities.General Note  Original DateCompleted: 20070711Publication Type  Journal Article.  Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't.Date of Publication  2006Year of Publication  2006Volume  1Page  33

ALCOHOL (A) 2006 <882>Database  Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid MEDLINE(R)Unique Identifier  17117962Status  MEDLINEAuthors  Hemby SE.  O'connor JA.  Acosta G.  Floyd D.  Anderson N.  McCool BA.  Friedman D.  Grant KA.Authors Full Name  Hemby, Scott E.  O'connor, Joann A.  Acosta, Glen.  Floyd, Donald.  Anderson, Nancy.  McCool, Brian A.  Friedman, David.  Grant, Kathleen A.Institution  Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA. shemby@wfubmc.eduTitle  Ethanol-induced regulation of GABA-A subunit mRNAs in prefrontal fields of cynomolgus monkeys.Source  Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.  30(12):1978-85, 2006 Dec.Journal Name  Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental ResearchCountry of Publication  EnglandAbstract  BACKGROUND: Recent evidence indicates that functional impairment of the orbital and medial fields of the prefrontal cortex may underlie the deficits in executive control of behavior that characterize addictive disorders, including alcohol addiction. Moreover, previous studies have indicated that alcohol alters GABA neurotransmission and one substrate of these effects may be through the reconfiguration of the subunits constituting the GABA(A) receptor complex. Given that GABAergic transmission has an integral role in cortical processing, influencing local and interregional communication, understanding alcohol-induced alterations in GABA(A) receptors in prefrontal fields of the primate brain may provide insight into the functional impairment of these brain regions in the alcohol-addicted state and extend our understanding of the molecular consequences of long-term use in these critical brain regions. METHODS AND RESULTS: To address this problem, the effects of chronic ethanol self-administration in male cynomolgus monkeys on GABA(A) receptor subunit mRNA expression was studied in 3 frontal cortical fields: orbitofrontal cortex (OFC; area 13), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; area 24), and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC; area 46). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed significant alterations in GABA(A) subunit mRNA expression in the OFC and DLPFC but not in the ACC. Specifically, expression of the alpha2, alpha4, beta1, beta3, and gamma1 to gamma3 subunit mRNAs was significantly less in the OFC, whereas the expression of beta1, beta2, gamma1, and delta subunit mRNAs was less in the DLPFC of alcohol-treated monkeys. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that

ethanol-induced alterations in GABA(A) function may be due to alterations in GABA(A) subunit mRNA levels and subunit-specific alterations are selective to particular cortical fields.ISSN Print  0145-6008Publication Type  Journal Article.  Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural.Date of Publication  2006 DecYear of Publication  2006Issue/Part  12Volume  30Page  1978-85

ALCOHOL 2006 <900>Database  Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid MEDLINE(R)Unique Identifier  16877949Status  MEDLINEAuthors  Steffens AA.  Moreira LB.  Fuchs SC.  Wiehe M.  Gus M.  Fuchs FD.Authors Full Name  Steffens, Andre Avelino.  Moreira, Leila Beltrami.  Fuchs, Sandra Costa.  Wiehe, Mario.  Gus, Miguel.  Fuchs, Flavio Danni.Institution  Division of Cardiology, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.Title  Incidence of hypertension by alcohol consumption: is it modified by race?Source  Journal of Hypertension.  24(8):1489-92, 2006 Aug.Journal Name  Journal of HypertensionCountry of Publication  EnglandAbstract  OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of race, binge drinking and alcohol addiction on the association between consumption of alcoholic beverages and incidence of hypertension. METHODS: In a population-based cohort study, 1089 adults were interviewed and had blood pressure and anthropometric measurements carried out at home. Their alcohol consumption was ascertained by an amount-frequency questionnaire. Binge drinking was defined as consumption of five or more drinks on one occasion for men or four drinks for women, and abuse of alcohol as consumption of 30 g/day or more in men or 15 g/day or more in women. Incident cases of hypertension were characterized by blood pressure > or = 140/90 mmHg or use of hypertension medication. RESULTS: Among 589 normotensive individuals in the baseline visit, 127 incident cases of hypertension were identified, after a follow-up of 5.6 +/- 1.1 years. Binge drinking and alcohol dependency were not associated with the incidence of hypertension. Adjusted (age, education) risk ratios for the incidence of hypertension (95% confidence interval) were significant only for non-white abusers of ethanol: 11.8 (1.6-86.9). Systolic blood pressure of black abusers increased by 16.1 +/- 3.5 mmHg, in comparison with 4.9 +/- 1.5 mmHg among white abusers (P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Individuals with an African ancestry, who consumed larger amounts of ethanol, are at higher risk of developing hypertension. This risk is not explained by a binge drinking pattern or addiction to alcohol.ISSN Print  0263-6352Publication Type  Journal Article.  Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't.Date of Publication  2006 AugYear of Publication  2006Issue/Part  8Volume  24Page  1489-92

ALCOHOL 2006 <903>Database  Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid MEDLINE(R)Unique Identifier  16854662

Status  MEDLINEAuthors  Ilhan IO.  Demirbas H.  Dogan YB.Authors Full Name  Ilhan, Inci Ozgur.  Demirbas, Hatice.  Dogan, Yildirim B.Institution  Alcohol and Substance Dependence Treatment Unit, Psychiatric Clinic of Ankara University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. iilhan@medicine.ankara.edu.trTitle  Validation study of the Turkish version of the Yale - Brown obsessive compulsive scale for heavy drinking in a group of male patients.Source  Drug & Alcohol Review.  25(4):357-60, 2006 Jul.Journal Name  Drug & Alcohol ReviewCountry of Publication  EnglandAbstract  Psychometric properties of Turkish version of the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for heavy drinking (YBOCS-hd) were examined in alcohol-dependent male patients. Factor structure, internal consistency and discriminant validity of the YBOCS-hd were analysed in a sample of 117 male patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence. To study its convergent validity, the YBOCS-hd was correlated with the Addiction Severity Index in 34 of the patients. A test - retest reliability study was performed on the data from 34 patients. Correlation between the YBOCS-hd total score and the ASI Alcohol Use score was moderate (r = 0.51). One factor explained 50.2% of the variance. The YBOCS-hd was able to discriminate the groups abstinent for less than 1 month and a second group with at least 1 month of abstinence. Test - retest correlation was high (r = 0.81, ICC = 0.81). The Turkish version of the YBOCS-hd proved to be a reliable and valid instrument measuring craving in alcohol-dependent male individuals.ISSN Print  0959-5236Publication Type  Journal Article.  Validation Studies.Date of Publication  2006 JulYear of Publication  2006Issue/Part  4Volume  25Page  357-60

ALCOHOL 2006 <905>Database  Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid MEDLINE(R)Unique Identifier  16856072Status  MEDLINEAuthors  Ferri M.  Amato L.  Davoli M.Authors Full Name  Ferri, M.  Amato, L.  Davoli, M.Institution  Agency of Public Health, Project Unit: EBM and Models of Health Assistance, Via di Santa Costanza 53, Rome, Italy 00198. ferri@asplazio.itTitle  Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programmes for alcohol dependence. [Review] [62 refs]Comments  Comment in: Addiction. 2008 Aug;103(8):1402-3; author reply 1403-4; PMID: 18855832]Source  Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.  3:CD005032, 2006.Journal Name  Cochrane Database of Systematic ReviewsCountry of Publication  EnglandAbstract

  BACKGROUND: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international organization of recovering alcoholics that offers emotional support through self-help groups and a model of abstinence for people recovering from alcohol dependence, using a 12-step approach. Although it is the most common, AA is not the only 12-step intervention available there are other 12-step approaches (labelled Twelve Step Facilitation (TSF)). OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of AA or TSF programmes compared to other psychosocial interventions in reducing alcohol intake, achieving abstinence, maintaining abstinence, improving the quality of life of affected people and their families, and reducing alcohol associated accidents and health problems. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Specialized Register of Trials of the Cochrane Group on Drugs and Alcohol, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE from 1966, EMBASE from 1980, CINAHL from 1982, PsychINFO from 1967. Searches were updated in February 2005. We also inspected lists of references for relevant studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Studies involving adults (<18) of both genders with alcohol dependence attending on a voluntary or coerced basis AA or TSF programmes comparing no treatment, other psychological interventions, 12-step variants. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: One reviewer (MF) assessed studies for inclusion and extracted data using a pre-defined data extraction form. Studies were evaluated for methodological quality and discussed by all reviewers. MAIN RESULTS: Eight trials involving 3417 people were included. AA may help patients to accept treatment and keep patients in treatment more than alternative treatments, though the evidence for this is from one small study that combined AA with other interventions and should not be regarded as conclusive. Other studies reported similar retention rates regardless of treatment group. Three studies compared AA combined with other interventions against other treatments and found few differences in the amount of drinks and percentage of drinking days. Severity of addiction and drinking consequence did not seem to be differentially influenced by TSF versus comparison treatment interventions, and no conclusive differences in treatment drop out rates were reported. Included studies did not allow a conclusive assessment of the effect of TSF in promoting complete abstinence. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: No experimental studies unequivocally demonstrated the effectiveness of AA or TSF approaches for reducing alcohol dependence or problems. One large study focused on the prognostic factors associated with interventions that were assumed to be successful rather than on the effectiveness of interventions themselves, so more efficacy studies are needed. [References: 62]Publication Type  Journal Article.  Review.Date of Publication  2006Year of Publication  2006Volume  3Page  CD005032

ALCOHOL 2006 <910>Database  Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid MEDLINE(R)Unique Identifier  16835034Status  MEDLINEAuthors  Bardazzi G.  Merluzzi JA.  Voller F.  Fontana A.  Abenavoli L.  Leggio L.  Addolorato G.  Alcohol and Complementary Medicine Research Group of the Italian Society for Alcohol Studies.Authors Full Name  Bardazzi, Gabriele.  Merluzzi, Jo-Anne.  Voller, Fabio. Fontana, Aldo.  Abenavoli, Ludovico.  Leggio, Lorenzo.  Addolorato, Giovanni.  Alcohol and Complementary Medicine Research Group of the Italian Society for Alcohol Studies.Institution  Centro Diurno Alcologico, UFM C, Azienda Sanitaria Fiorentina, Villa Basilewsky, Via Lorenzo il Magnifico, 104, 50127 Firenze, Italy. gabriele.bardazzi@asf.toscana.itTitle  Complementary medicine for alcohol dependence in Italian services: a mail questionnaire.Source  Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.  12(3):216-21, 2006 Aug.Journal Name

  Complementary Therapies in Clinical PracticeCountry of Publication  EnglandAbstract  It is well known that Complementary Medicine (CM) is extensively used in western countries for the treatment of many afflictions. CM has been recently promoted in addiction treatment. To evaluate CM use in alcohol dependence we planned a mail questionnaire for Italian alcohol services. We sent out 612 questionnaires. Health services that were unable to respond to the questionnaire within a 20-day limit period were contacted by phone and if we obtained agreement to participate in the study the questionnaire was sent by fax. We obtained 312 (51.82%) completed questionnaires. Only 16.50% of Italian services use CM for alcohol dependence treatment and acupuncture is utilized more frequently than other methods (phytotherapy, homeopathy, etc.). In Italian alcohol services CM is identified as an instrument incorporated into traditional alcohol treatments (self-help groups, drug treatment, etc.) and not an alternative method. In fact, health services that use it as a principal method of treatment were a rare event in our study (1%). CM plays an integrated role with traditional forms of alcohol treatment in Italian alcohol services and this utilization could be useful to reduce drop-outs and improve alcohol treatment compliance.ISSN Print  1744-3881Publication Type  Journal Article.Date of Publication  2006 AugYear of Publication  2006Issue/Part  3Volume  12Page  216-21

ALCOHOL 2006 <920>Database  Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Ovid MEDLINE(R)Unique Identifier  16722570Status  MEDLINEAuthors  Nalpas B.  Matelak F.  Martin S.  Boulze I.  Balmes JL.  Crouzet C.Authors Full Name  Nalpas, Bertrand.  Matelak, Florence.  Martin, Sandrine.  Boulze, Isabelle.  Balmes, Jean-Louis.  Crouzet, Corinne.Institution  Inserm, U370, Faculte de Medecine Necker, 154 rue de Vaugirard, Paris, F-75015, France. bnalpas@bsi.frTitle  Clinical management methods for out-patients with alcohol dependence.Source  Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, & Policy.  1:5, 2006.Journal Name  Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, & PolicyOther ID  Source: NLM. PMC1436000Country of Publication  EnglandAbstract  BACKGROUND: In France outpatient centres for the care of alcoholics are healthcare establishments providing medical, psychological and social support. Although they meet the practical needs of these patients, their degree of use in each of these domains and the respective mobilisation of different skills by the care team are not well understood. Our aim was therefore to determine in detail the management involved as a function of the severity of alcohol dependence. For this purpose, all the procedures involved were compiled in a thesaurus describing its type (psychological, medical, social, reception), its scheduled or unscheduled nature, its method (face-to-face, telephone, letter) and its duration. The severity of dependence was evaluated using the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). RESULTS: 45 patients were included and followed-up during 291 +/- 114 days. The mean initial ASI scores (+/- SD) were: medical (M) = 0.39 +/- 0.3, working-income (ER) = 0.5 +/- 0.3, alcohol (A) =

0.51 +/- 0.2, illicit drugs (D) = 0.07 +/- 0.08, legal (L) = 0.06 +/- 0.13, familial and social environment (FS) = 0.34 +/- 0.26, psychological (P) = 0.39 +/- 0.22. The total number of procedures was 1341 (29.8 per patient) corresponding to 754.4 hours (16.7 per patient). The intensity of management peaked during the first month of treatment, and then declined rapidly; the maximum incidence of abstinence was observed during the 3rd month of management. Interviews with patients, group therapy and staff meetings represented 68.7%, 9.9% and 13.9% of all procedures, respectively. In patients with severe dependence, as compared to moderate, management was twice as intense in the psychological and social domains, but not in the medical domain. The ASI questionnaire was completed a second time by 24 patients, after an average of 3.2 months. The improvement was significant in the M, A, D and P domains only. CONCLUSION: This study provided an overview of the methods employed in managing a sample of patients consulting an alcoholism centre in line with standards for medical, psychological and social establishments. The predominance of the social and psychological domains over the medical domain was clearly established. Relapses were common after the third month of treatment, but a remobilisation of teams made it possible to contain them. These results provide a framework for discussions on the organisation of healthcare systems and highly suggest that staff need to maintain a constant level of care throughout the treatment process.General Note  Original DateCompleted: 20060619Publication Type  Journal Article.  Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't.Date of Publication 2006Year of Publication   2006Volume  1Page  5

ALCOHOL 2006 <379>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006558662Authors  Zack M. Poulos C.X. Woodford T.M.Institution  (Zack, Poulos, Woodford) Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Diazepam dose-dependently increases or decreases implicit priming of alcohol associations in problem drinkers.Source  Alcohol and Alcoholism.  41(6)(pp 604-610), 2006. Date of Publication: Nov 2006.Abstract  Aims: Words denoting negative affect (NEG) have been found to prime alcohol-related words (ALC) on semantic priming tasks, and this effect is tied to severity of addiction. Previous research suggested that high doses of benzodiazepines may dampen NEG-ALC priming. The present study tested this possibility and the role of motivation for alcohol in this process. Methods: A placebo-controlled, double blind, between-within, counterbalanced design was employed. Two groups of male problem drinkers (n = 6/group) received a high (15-mg) or low (5-mg) dose of diazepam versus placebo on two identical test sessions. A lexical decision task assessed priming. Results: Under placebo, significant NEG[right arrow]ALC priming emerged in each group. High-dose diazepam selectively reversed this effect, while low-dose selectively enhanced it. Correlations between NEG[right arrow]ALC priming and desire for alcohol provided further support that semantic priming of ALC concepts reflects a motivational process. The bi-directional effects found here parallel the effects of high-versus low-dose benzodiazepines on alcohol self-administration in animals. Conclusions: High-dose diazepam reduces prime-induced activation of ALC concepts in problem drinkers. Low-dose diazepam facilitates this process, and cross-priming of motivation for alcohol appears to explain this effect. Neurochemical modulation of the alcohol memory network may

contribute to the motivational effects of benzodiazepines in problem drinkers. copyright 2006 Oxford University Press.ISSN  0735-0414Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  Alcohol and AlcoholismVolume  41Issue Part  6Page  604-610Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  Nov 2006

ALCOHOL (A) 2006 <397>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2007221806Authors  Barr C.S. Goldman D.Institution  (Barr) NIH/NIAAA, Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, United States.  (Barr, Goldman) Laboratory of Neurogenetics, United States.  (Barr) Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, PO Box 529, Poolesville, MD 20837, United States.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Non-human primate models of inheritance vulnerability to alcohol use disorders.Source  Addiction Biology.  11(3-4)(pp 374-385), 2006. Date of Publication: Sep 2006.Abstract  Many animal species have been used to model certain aspects of alcohol use and addiction. However, there are complex behavioral and social features of alcohol use disorders that are not easily modeled in animal species. This review considers both the limitations and advantages of using a non-human primate to model alcohol use disorders and discusses how non-human primates can be particularly useful for studying how genetic variants interact with social factors, temperament and alcohol response as motivating factors for alcohol consumption and abstinence. Genetic variants in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) that are functionally equivalent to those increasing addiction vulnerability in humans influence temperament, stress reactivity and alcohol response in addition to voluntary alcohol consumption. Non-human primate models may also have translational value for understanding of how variants within addiction and abuse vulnerability genes influence alcohol-induced neuroadaptation, neuropathology and treatment response.ISSN  1355-6215Publication Type  Journal: ReviewJournal Name  Addiction BiologyVolume  11Issue Part  3-4Page  374-385Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  Sep 2006

ALCOHOL / NEUROIMAGING 2006 <402>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2007221701Authors  Lingford-Hughes A.R. Daglish M.R.C. Stevenson B.J. Feeney A. Pandit S.A. Wilson S.J. Myles J. Grasby P.M. Nutt D.J.Institution  (Lingford-Hughes, Daglish, Stevenson, Feeney, Pandit, Wilson, Myles, Nutt) Psychopharmacology Unit, University of Bristol, United Kingdom.

  (Lingford-Hughes, Daglish, Stevenson, Feeney, Pandit, Grasby) MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College School of Medicine, United Kingdom.  (Stevenson) Community Drug Team, Paget House, 2 West Street, Leicester LE1 6XP, United Kingdom.  (Myles) Addictive Behaviour and Psychological Medicine, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, United Kingdom.  (Lingford-Hughes) Psychopharmacology Unit, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, University of Bristol, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, United Kingdom.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Imaging alcohol cue exposure in alcohol dependence using a PET ¹⁵O-H₂O paradigm: Results from a pilot study.Source  Addiction Biology.  11(1)(pp 107-115), 2006. Date of Publication: Mar 2006.Abstract  Craving is a commonly used term to describe an intense desire for a substance or behaviour; however, its underlying neurobiology is not fully characterized. We have successfully used a cue exposure paradigm with functional neuro-imaging (H₂¹⁵O PET; PET, positron emission tomography) in abstinent opiate addicts. This study showed that salient cue exposure results in activation in the left anterior cingulate/mediofrontal cortex and elicited craving correlated with activity in the left orbitofrontal cortex. We therefore aimed to replicate this study in alcohol dependence to see if a similar pattern of neural activation occurred. We recruited six abstinent alcohol-dependent and six non-dependent subjects who each underwent a 12-run PET scan using H₂¹⁵O to measure changes in regional blood flow during exposure to an alcoholic drink or its visually matched non-alcoholic drink. Physiological data and subjective ratings were also recorded. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM99) was used to analyse the PET images. Compared with control subjects, abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects rated their alcohol craving higher at baseline and throughout the study, but there was no significant change in the scores in response to the cues in either group. SPM analysis across all subjects showed significant activation in the occipital cortex in response to the alcohol cue as compared with the neutral one. Analysis of the same regions that were activated in the opiate study, revealed significant increases in signal activation in the left medial prefrontal area, but only in abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects. In conclusion, in abstinent alcohol dependence we suggest that a simple cue exposure paradigm is not sufficiently powerful in functional imaging studies to determine the underlying neurobiology of subjective craving. Comparisons with the finding in opiate dependence suggest a shared region, the anterior cingulate/left medial prefrontal cortex is involved in the cue response in dependent subjects but not controls. copyright 2006 The Authors.ISSN  1355-6215Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  Addiction BiologyVolume  11Issue Part  1Page  107-115Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  Mar 2006

ALCOHOL 2006 <435>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006627041Authors  Moussas G. Tzemos L. Pavlopoulos V. Papadimitriou K. Menoutis V. Lykouras L.Institution  (Moussas, Lykouras) Secont Psychiatric Department, Medical School University of Athens Attikon General Hospital, Athens, Greece.  (Tzemos, Papadimitriou) Office of Preventive Mental Health, Hellenic Navy, Skaramangas, Greece.  (Pavlopoulos) Department of Psychology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

  (Menoutis) Athens Naval Hospital, Hellenic Navy, Athens, Greece.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Alcohol use and abuse in training conscripts of the Hellenic navy.Source  Annals of General Psychiatry.  5, 2006. Article Number: 21.  Date of Publication: 29 Nov 2006.Abstract  Objectives: Alcohol abuse and addiction are big current problems of the developed world having multivariate causality and multiple effects. Alcohol abuse in young people is a matter of central importance due to its wide range long lasting effects, especially so in Greece where the problem has only recently started growing. The Hellenic Navy is interested in the complications of alcohol abuse in training conscripts. Because young conscripts will be placed in demanding positions, but also because in Greece the military service is obligatory and represents an important period for the socialization of young men. Methods: In the present study, levels of alcohol use and abuse were measured in a sample of 650 male training conscripts of the Hellenic Navy. The tools used are: (a) two questionnaires measuring frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption and psychosocial variables, (b) the CAGE test, which is a questionnaire measuring hidden alcoholism. Results: 38,1% conscripts were characterized problematic drinkers according the adolescents criteria. Additional psychological complications were related to alcohol use. Using the stricter criterion for adults (plus psychological complications) 8.9% were found to be problematic drinkers. The use of CAGE questionnaire which is measuring hidden alcoholism, identified 16% of the total sample as hidden alcoholics. Discussion: The findings regarding unregular levels of alcohol use and abuse are presented as well as their relation to psychosocial complications and to demographic characteristics. The results are discussed in the light of Creek and international bibliography. copyright 2006 Moussas et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  Annals of General PsychiatryVolume  5Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  29 Nov 2006

ALCOHOL (A) 2006 <437>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006623292Authors  Carpenter-Hyland E.P. Chandler L.J.Institution  (Carpenter-Hyland, Chandler) Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Homeostatic plasticity during alcohol exposure promotes enlargement of dendritic spines.Source  European Journal of Neuroscience.  24(12)(pp 3496-3506), 2006. Date of Publication: Dec 2006.Abstract  Modifications of the size, shape and number of dendritic spines is thought to be an important component of activity-dependent changes of neuronal circuits, and may play an important role in the plasticity of drug addiction. The present study examined whether homeostatic increases in synaptic N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in response to chronic ethanol exposure is associated with corresponding morphological changes in dendritic spines. Prolonged exposure of rat hippocampal cultures to either the NMDA receptor antagonist d(-)-2-amino-5-phosphono-pentanoic acid or to ethanol increased punctate staining of F-actin and the

postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95). The increase in dendritic F-actin occurred only with clusters that co-localized with PSD-95 clusters, indicating that these actin structures likely represent dendritic spines. The ethanol-induced increases in PSD-95 and F-actin clusters were activity-dependent and reversible. Finally, inhibition of protein palmitoylation prevented ethanol-induced increases in synaptic NMDA receptor clustering and F-actin without altering the basal clustering of either F-actin or PSD-95. These observations support a model in which chronic ethanol exposure induces homeostatic increases of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors and PSD-95 to the postsynaptic density. This in turn may provide a scaffolding platform for the subsequent recruitment of actin signaling cascades that alter actin cycling and promote spine enlargement. copyright The Authors (2006).ISSN  0953-816XPublication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  European Journal of NeuroscienceVolume  24Issue Part  12Page  3496-3506Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  Dec 2006

ALCOHOL (A) 2006 <438>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006620688Authors  Acquaah-Mensah G.K. Misra V. Biswal S.Institution  (Acquaah-Mensah) Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy-Worcester, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 19 Foster Street, Worcester, MA 01608-1715, United States.  (Misra, Biswal) Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Ethanol sensitivity: A central role for CREB transcription regulation in the cerebellum.Source  BMC Genomics.  7, 2006. Article Number: 308.  Date of Publication: 05 Dec 2006.Abstract  Background: Lowered sensitivity to the effects of ethanol increases the risk of developing alcoholism. Inbred mouse strains have been useful for the study of the genetic basis of various drug addiction-related phenotypes. Inbred Long-Sleep (ILS) and Inbred Short-Sleep (ISS) mice differentially express a number of genes thought to be implicated in sensitivity to the effects of ethanol. Concomitantly, there is evidence for a mediating role of cAMP/PKA/CREB signalling in aspects of alcoholism modelled in animals. In this report, the extent to which CREB signalling impacts the differential expression of genes in ILS and ISS mouse cerebella is examined. Results: A training dataset for Machine Learning (ML) and Exploratory Data Analyses (EDA) was generated from promoter region sequences of a set of genes known to be targets of CREB transcription regulation and a set of genes whose transcription regulations are potentially CREB-independent. For each promoter sequence, a vector of size 132, with elements characterizing nucleotide composition features was generated. Genes whose expressions have been previously determined to be increased in ILS or ISS cerebella were identified, and their CREB regulation status predicted using the ML scheme C4.5. The C4.5 learning scheme was used because, of four ML schemes evaluated, it had the lowest predicted error rate. On an independent evaluation set of 21 genes of known CREB regulation status, C4.5 correctly classified 81% of instances with F-measures of 0.87 and 0.67 respectively for the CREB-regulated and CREB-independent classes. Additionally, six out of eight genes previously determined by two independent microarray platforms to be upregulated in the ILS or ISS cerebellum were predicted by C4.5 to be transcriptionally regulated by CREB. Furthermore, 64% and 52% of a cross-section of other up-regulated cerebellar genes in ILS and ISS mice, respectively, were deemed to be CREB-regulated.

Conclusion: These observations collectively suggest that ethanol sensitivity, as it relates to the cerebellum, may be associated with CREB transcription activity. copyright 2006 Acquaah-Mensah et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  BMC GenomicsVolume  7Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  05 Dec 2006

ALCOHOL 2006 <447>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006606373Authors  Stahre M. Naimi T. Brewer R. Holt J.Institution  (Stahre, Naimi, Brewer, Holt) Emerging Investigations and Analytic Methods Branch, Division of Adult and Community Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, United States.  (Stahre) Division of Adult and Community Health, NCCDPHP, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, Atlanta, GA 30342-3717, United States.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Measuring average alcohol consumption: The impact of including binge drinks in quantity-frequency calculations.Source  Addiction.  101(12)(pp 1711-1718), 2006. Date of Publication: Dec 2006.Abstract  Aims: Average daily alcohol consumption is usually calculated based on self-reports of the quantity (number of drinks consumed per drinking-day) and frequency (number of drinking-days) of alcohol consumption within a given time period. However, this method may underestimate average daily alcohol consumption (and in turn, the prevalence of heavy drinking), because studies demonstrate that respondents do not typically include binge drinking occasions in estimates of their 'usual' or 'average' daily alcohol consumption. Design: We used the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual random-digit telephone survey of US adults aged 18 years or older, to estimate average daily alcohol consumption using standard quantity-frequency questions, and then recalculated this measure by including self-reports of binge drinking. The proportion of respondents who met a standard, sex-specific definition of heavy drinking based on average daily alcohol consumption was then assessed nationally and for each state. Findings: Compared to standard quantity-frequency methods, including binge drinks in calculations of average daily alcohol consumption increased the relative prevalence of heavy drinking among all adults by 19% to 42% (depending on the method used to estimate the number of drinks per binge). Among binge drinkers, the overall prevalence of heavy drinking increased 53% relative to standard quantity-frequency methods. As a result, half of women binge drinkers and half of binge drinkers aged 55 or older met criteria for heavy drinking. Conclusions: Including binge drinks (especially the application of age- and sex-specific estimates of binge drinks) in the calculation of average daily alcohol consumption can improve the accuracy of prevalence estimates for heavy drinking among US adults, and should be considered to increase the usefulness of this measure for alcohol surveillance. copyright 2006 Society for the Study of Addiction.ISSN  0965-2140Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  AddictionVolume  101Issue Part  12Page  1711-1718Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  Dec 2006

ALCOHOL (A) 2006 <472>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006560900Authors  Hemby S.E. O'Connor J.A. Acosta G. Floyd D. Anderson N. McCool B.A. Friedman D. Grant K.A.Institution  (Hemby, O'Connor, Acosta, Floyd, Anderson, McCool, Friedman) Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University, School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States.  (Grant) Oregon Health and Sciences University, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, United States.  (Hemby) Wake Forest University, School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Ethanol-induced regulation of GABA_A subunit mRNAs in prefrontal fields of cynomolgus monkeys.Source  Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.  30(12)(pp 1978-1985), 2006. Date of Publication: Dec 2006.Abstract  Background: Recent evidence indicates that functional impairment of the orbital and medial fields of the prefrontal cortex may underlie the deficits in executive control of behavior that characterize addictive disorders, including alcohol addiction. Moreover, previous studies have indicated that alcohol alters GABA neurotransmission and one substrate of these effects may be through the reconfiguration of the subunits constituting the GABA_A receptor complex. Given that GABAergic transmission has an integral role in cortical processing, influencing local and interregional communication, understanding alcohol-induced alterations in GABA_A receptors in prefrontal fields of the primate brain may provide insight into the functional impairment of these brain regions in the alcohol-addicted state and extend our understanding of the molecular consequences of long-term use in these critical brain regions. Methods and Results: To address this problem, the effects of chronic ethanol self-administration in male cynomolgus monkeys on GABA_A receptor subunit mRNA expression was studied in 3 frontal cortical fields: orbitofrontal cortex (OFC; area 13), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; area 24), and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC; area 46). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed significant alterations in GABA_A subunit mRNA expression in the OFC and DLPFC but not in the ACC. Specifically, expression of the alpha2, alpha4, beta1, beta3, and gamma1 to gamma3 subunit mRNAs was significantly less in the OFC, whereas the expression of beta1, beta2, gamma1, and delta subunit mRNAs was less in the DLPFC of alcohol-treated monkeys. Conclusion: These findings suggest that ethanol-induced alterations in GABA_A function may be due to alterations in GABA_A subunit mRNA levels and subunit-specific alterations are selective to particular cortical fields. Copyright copyright 2006 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.ISSN  0145-6008Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental ResearchVolume  30Issue Part  12Page  1978-1985Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  Dec 2006

ALCOHOL (A) 2006 <475>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006549283Authors  Morozova T.V. Anholt R.H. Mackay T.F.C.Institution

  (Morozova, Anholt, Mackay) WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States.  (Morozova, Anholt) Department of Zoology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States.  (Anholt, Mackay) Department of Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Transcriptional response to alcohol exposure in Drosophila melanogaster.Source  Genome Biology.  7(10), 2006. Article Number: R95.  Date of Publication: 20 Oct 2006.Abstract  Background: Alcoholism presents widespread social and human health problems. Alcohol sensitivity, the development of tolerance to alcohol and susceptibility to addiction vary in the population. Genetic factors that predispose to alcoholism remain largely unknown due to extensive genetic and environmental variation in human populations. Drosophila, however, allows studies on genetically identical individuals in controlled environments. Although addiction to alcohol has not been demonstrated in Drosophila, flies show responses to alcohol exposure that resemble human intoxication, including hyperactivity, loss of postural control, sedation, and exposure-dependent development of tolerance. Results: We assessed whole-genome transcriptional responses following alcohol exposure and demonstrate immediate down-regulation of genes affecting olfaction, rapid upregulation of biotransformation enzymes and, concomitant with development of tolerance, altered transcription of transcriptional regulators, proteases and metabolic enzymes, including biotransformation enzymes and enzymes associated with fatty acid biosynthesis. Functional tests of P-element disrupted alleles corresponding to genes with altered transcription implicated 75% of these in the response to alcohol, two-thirds of which have human orthologues. Conclusion: Expression microarray analysis is an efficient method for identifying candidate genes affecting complex behavioral and physiological traits, including alcohol abuse. Drosophila provides a valuable genetic model for comparative genomic analysis, which can inform subsequent studies in human populations. Transcriptional analyses following alcohol exposure in Drosophila implicate biotransformation pathways, transcriptional regulators, proteolysis and enzymes that act as metabolic switches in the regulation of fatty acid metabolism as important targets for future studies of the physiological consequences of human alcohol abuse. copyright 2006 Morozova et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.ISSN  1474-760XPublication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  Genome BiologyVolume  7Issue Part  10Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  20 Oct 2006

ALCOHOL (A) 2006 <480>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006537195Authors  Pietrzak B. Czarnecka E.Institution  (Pietrzak, Czarnecka) Department of Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lodz, Muszynskiego 1, 90-151 Lodz, Poland.  (Pietrzak) Department of Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Muszynskiego 1, 90-151 Lodz, Poland.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  The effect of combined administration of ethanol and gabapentin on rabbit electroencephalographic activity.Source

  Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology.  99(5)(pp 383-390), 2006. Date of Publication: Nov 2006.Abstract  The central effect of ethanol is mainly connected with the effect on GABAergic, glutamatergic, serotonergic and opioid transmission. The mechanism of gabapentin effect suggests that it may alleviate the rewarding effect of ethanol, which may be used in the treatment of addiction. We decided to examine the interaction of ethanol with gabapentin by a pharmaco-electroencephalographic (EEG) method. The influence of gabapentin on the effect of ethanol on EEG of rabbits (midbrain reticular formation, hippocampus, frontal cortex) was tested. Gabapentin was administered at a single dose (25 and 100 mg/kg orally) or repeatedly twice a day at a total dose of 25 mg/kg for 14 days. Ethanol was injected at a dose of 0.8 g/kg 60 min. after gabapentin treatment. Ethanol caused an increase in the slow frequencies (0.5-4 Hz) in the recording, as well as a marked decrease of the fastest frequencies (13-30 and 30-45 Hz). Gabapentin lead to changes in rabbit EEG recording suggesting an depressant effect on the CNS (increase of slow and decrease of fast frequencies). The effects were less pronounced after repeated doses, which may indicate adaptative changes in the receptors. Gabapentin administered both in a single dose and for 7 days markedly enhanced the effect of ethanol on EEG recordings in rabbits. Repeated doses of gabapentin decrease the sensitivity of the hippocampus to the effect of ethanol. copyright Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology 2006.ISSN  1742-7835Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and ToxicologyVolume  99Issue Part  5Page  383-390Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  Nov 2006

ALCOHOL 2006 <491>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006523755Authors  Dewost A.-V. Michaud P. Arfaoui S. Gache P. Lancrenon S.Institution  (Dewost, Michaud, Arfaoui) Boire Moins c'Est Mieux, Association Nationale de Prevention de l'Alcoolisme, Nanterre, France.  (Arfaoui) BMCM, Nanterre, France.  (Gache) Departement de Sante Communautaire, Hopital Universitaire de Geneve, Geneva, Switzerland.  (Lancrenon) Sylia-Stat, Bourg La Reine, France.  (Dewost) BMCM, 3, avenue du General Gallieni, F-92000 Nanterre, France.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Fast alcohol consumption evaluation: A screening instrument adapted for French general practitioners.Source  Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.  30(11)(pp 1889-1895), 2006. Date of Publication: Nov 2006.Abstract  Background: To meet the needs of French general practitioners (GPs), we created a short (5 questions) interview/screening test for alcohol-related problems that is similar to AUDIT in terms of (1) test values and (2) identification of 3 groups: (a) abstainers and low-risk drinkers; (b) heavy drinkers; and (c) alcohol abusers or showing dependence. Method: Nine questions (from AUDIT, CAGE, TWEAK, Five-shot Questionnaire) were given systematically to their patients (aged 18 or more) by 41 volunteer GPs. Before the consultation, patients confidentially completed the AUDIT questionnaire in the waiting room. After the consultation, an addiction specialist evaluated each patient's alcohol consumption and DSM-IV criteria for

alcohol abuse and dependence and these were used as gold standards. Results: The analysis included 564 patient records and used stepwise logistic regression to select 7 questions, from which a second selection resulted in a 5-item questionnaire. These questions are: AUDIT questions 1 (Frequency) and 2 (Usual quantity), CAGE questions 2 (Annoyed) and 4 (Eye-opener), and TWEAK question 5 (Black-out), with each question scored 0 to 4. High levels of sensitivity and specificity were obtained for each diagnosis (sensitivity 75%-87.8%; specificity 74%-95.8%). Conclusion: FACE is an appropriate screening method for French general practitioners. Copyright copyright 2006 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.ISSN  0145-6008Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental ResearchVolume  30Issue Part  11Page  1889-1895Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  Nov 2006

ALCOHOL 2008 <499>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006512213Authors LaBrie J. Earleywine M. Lamb T. Shelesky K.Institution  (LaBrie, Lamb, Shelesky) Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045, United States.  (Earleywine) University at Albany, State University of New York, Department of Psychology, United States.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Comparing electronic-keypad responses to paper-and-pencil questionnaires in group assessments of alcohol consumption and related attitudes.Source  Addictive Behaviors.  31(12)(pp 2334-2338), 2006. Date of Publication: Dec 2006.Abstract  Electronic versions of questionnaires have the potential to improve research and interventions in the addictions. Administering questionnaires electronically to groups, however, has proven difficult without a multitude of computers, but gathering data electronically from a group could make for easy assessment and quick feedback. Using a sample of 107 college students, we examined the validity of wireless keypad survey responses by comparing them to traditional paper-and-pencil questionnaires. The two formats led to almost identical responses that did not differ significantly from each other (all effect sizes less than g = .15) and high correlations between formats. The wireless, handheld keypad procedure appears to generate data that are as valid as questionnaire responses and permit rapid feedback to groups, as well as easy, human error-free data entry for analysis. copyright 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.ISSN  0306-4603Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  Addictive BehaviorsVolume  31Issue Part  12Page  2334-2338Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  Dec 2006

ALCOHOL 2006 <528>Database  EMBASE

Accession Number  2006474399Authors  Baltagi B.H. Geishecker I.Institution  (Baltagi) Department of Economics and Center for Policy Research, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244-1020, United States.  (Geishecker) Institute for East European Studies, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Rational alcohol addiction: Evidence from the Russian longitudinal monitoring survey.Source  Health Economics.  15(9)(pp 893-914), 2006. Date of Publication: Sep 2006.Abstract  Alcohol consumption in Russia is legendary and has been reported to be the third leading cause of death in the former Soviet Union after heart disease and cancer. Are Russian alcohol consumers rational addicts? This paper uses eight rounds of a nationally representative Russian survey spanning the period 1994-2003 to estimate a rational addiction (RA) model for alcohol consumption. This is done in a panel data setting as well as on a wave-by-wave basis. The profile of the Russian drinker finds a huge difference between males and females and the model is estimated by gender. We do not find support for the RA model in Russia for women. For men, although we find that some implications of the RA model are satisfied, we fail to endorse the model empirically on grounds of implausible negative estimates of the discount rate. Copyright copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.ISSN  1057-9230Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  Health EconomicsVolume  15Issue Part  9Page  893-914Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  Sep 2006

ALCOHOL 2006 <549>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006445363Authors  Rapley T. May C. Frances Kaner E.Institution  (Rapley, May, Frances Kaner) University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Still a difficult business? Negotiating alcohol-related problems in general practice consultations.Source  Social Science and Medicine.  63(9)(pp 2418-2428), 2006. Date of Publication: Nov 2006.Abstract  This paper describes general practitioners' (GPs) experiences of detecting and managing alcohol and alcohol-related problems in consultations. We undertook qualitative research in two phases in the North-East of England. Initially, qualitative interviews with 29 GPs explored their everyday work with patients with alcohol-related issues. We then undertook group interviews-two with GPs and one with a primary care team-where they discussed and challenged findings of the interviews. The GPs reported routinely discussing alcohol with patients with a range of alcohol-related problems. GPs believed that this work is important, but felt that until patients were willing to accept that their alcohol consumption was problematic they could achieve very little. They tentatively introduced alcohol as a potential problem, re-introduced the topic periodically, and then waited until the patient decided to

change their behaviour. They were aware that they could identify and manage more patients. A lack of time and having to work with the multiple problems that patients brought to consultations were the main factors that stopped GPs managing more risky drinkers. Centrally, we compared the results of our study with [Thom, B., & Tellez, C. (1986). A difficult business-Detecting and managing alcohol-problems in general-practice. British Journal of Addiction, 81, 405-418] seminal study that was undertaken 20 years ago. We show how the intellectual, moral, emotional and practical difficulties that GPs currently face are quite similar to those faced by GPs from 20 years ago. As the definition of what could constitute abnormal alcohol consumption has expanded, so the range of consultations that they may have to negotiate these difficulties in has also expanded. copyright 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.ISSN  0277-9536Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  Social Science and MedicineVolume  63Issue Part  9Page  2418-2428Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  Nov 2006

ALCOHOL 2006 <636>Database  EMBASEAccession Number  2006354253Authors  Hildebrandt H. Brokate B. Hoffmann E. Kroger B. Eling P.Institution  (Hildebrandt, Hoffmann, Kroger) Municipal Hospital of Bremen, Department of Neurology, Bremen, Germany.  (Hildebrandt) University of Oldenburg, Clinical and Health Psychology, Oldenburg, Germany.  (Brokate) Municipal Hospital of Bremen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bremen, Germany.  (Eling) University of Nijmegen, Department of Psychology, Nijmegen, Netherlands.  (Hildebrandt) University of Oldenburg, Clinical and Health Psychology, FRG, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany.  Country of Publication  United KingdomTitle  Conditional responding is impaired in chronic alcoholics.Source  Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology.  28(5)(pp 631-645), 2006. Date of Publication: 01 Jun 2006.Abstract  Bechara (2003) describes a model for disturbances in executive functions related to addiction. This model involves deficits in decision-making and in suppressing pre-potent representations or response patterns. We tested this model in 29 individuals with long-term heavy alcohol dependency and compared their performance with that of 20 control subjects. Only individuals without memory impairment, with normal intelligence and normal visual response times were included. We examined word fluency, object alternation, spatial stimulus-response incompatibility, extra-dimensional shift learning and decision-making using the Gambling task. We subtracted the performance in a control condition from that of the executive condition, in order to focus specifically on the executive component of each task. Only the object alternation and incompatibility tasks revealed significant differences between the group of alcoholics and the control group. Moreover, response times in the object alternation task correlated with duration of alcohol dependency. The results do not argue in favor of a specific deficit in decision-making or in shifting between relevant representations. We conclude that long-term alcohol abuse leads to an impairment in conditional responding, provided the response depends on former reactions or the inhibition of pre-potent response patterns. Copyright copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.ISSN  1380-3395Publication Type  Journal: ArticleJournal Name  Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology

Volume  28Issue Part  5Page  631-645Year of Publication  2006Date of Publication  01 Jun 2006