Manzardo AM, Penick EC, Knop J, Nickel EJ, Hall S, Jensen P, Miller CC, and Gabrielli WF.  Neonatal vitamin K might reduce vulnerability to alcohol dependence in Danish men.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):586-592, September 2005.

Address correspondence to A.M. Manzardo, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66160, USA. E-mail: amanzardo@kumc.edu.

Summary: This study tested the hypothesis that vitamin K supplementation, administered to facilitate the synthesis of blood-clotting proteins in the perinatal period, a time when the development of reward-related limbic structures is particularly active, might also reduce the development of alcohol dependence later in life. Subjects were approximately full-term male infants, selected from a large Danish birth cohort. Two thirds of the original 330 subjects in this study were high-risk sons of alcoholic fathers; 241 of the total completed the 30-year follow-up. Of subjects reported on for this article (N = 238), 44 received vitamin K supplementation at birth; 161 were considered high risk, and 66 were categorized as having lower birth weight (<6 lbs). A comprehensive series of measures was obtained on each subject before, during, and shortly after birth as well as at 1 year of age. The 30-year outcome variables were Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised, diagnosis of alcohol dependence and a measure of lifetime problem drinking. Vitamin K treatment, inherited risk, and low birth weight each independently predicted alcohol dependence and problem drinking at age 30. Vitamin K treatment was associated with significantly lower rates of alcohol dependence and fewer symptoms of problem drinking. Vitamin K treatment at birth might protect against the development of alcoholism in adults by reducing early postnatal hemorrhage and oxidative brain damage. NIAAA Glossary Terms:   vitamin K, hypothesis testing, brain reward pathway, limbic system, AOD dependence, prevention approach, children of alcoholics,  paternal alcoholism, cohort study, follow-up study, risk analysis, hemorrhage, oxidative stress, brain damage, human study

Viljoen DL, Gossage JP, Brooke L, Adnams CM, Jones KL, Robinson LK, Hoyme HE, Snell C, Khaole NC, Kodituwakku P, Asante KO, Findlay R, Quinton B, Marais AS, Kalberg WO, and May PA.  Fetal alcohol syndrome epidemiology in a South African community: A second study of a very high prevalence area.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):593-604, September 2005.

Address correspondence to Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, National Health Laboratory Services, South Africa.

Summary: The prevalence and characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) were investigated in a second primary school cohort in a community in South Africa. Active case ascertainment, two-tier screening, and Institute of Medicine assessment methodology were employed among 857 first grade pupils, most born in 1993. Characteristics of children with FAS were contrasted with characteristics of a randomly selected control group from the same classrooms. Physical growth and development, dysmorphology, and psychological characteristics of the children and measures of maternal alcohol use and smoking were analyzed. The prevalence of FAS was found to be 65.2-74.2 per 1,000 first grade children, the highest rate reported in any overall community in the world. These rates are 33-148 times greater than U.S. estimates and higher than in a previous cohort study in this same community (40.5-46.4 per 1,000). Detailed documentation of physical features indicates that FAS children in South Africa have characteristics similar to those elsewhere: poor growth and development, facial and limb dysmorphology, and lower intellectual functioning. Frequent, severe episodic drinking of beer and wine is common among mothers and fathers of FAS children. Their lives are characterized by serious familial, social, and economic challenges, compared with controls. Heavy episodic maternal drinking is significantly associated with negative outcomes of children in the area of nonverbal intelligence but even more so in verbal intelligence, behavior, and overall dysmorphology (physical anomalies). Significantly more FAS exists among children of women who were rural residents (odds ratio = 7.36; 95% confidence interval, 3.31-16.52), usually among workers on local farms. Given social and economic similarities and racial admixture, the authors suspect that other communities in the Western Cape have rates that also are quite high. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  fetal alcohol syndrome, prevalence, South Africa, cohort study, developmental disorder, developmental delay, intellectual development, binge AOD use, craniofacial anomaly, congenital morphologic anomaly, risk analysis, risk factors, relative risk, human study

Verdurmen J, Monshouwer K, van Dorsselaer S, ter Bogt T, and Vollebergh W.  Alcohol use and mental health in adolescents: Interactions with age and gender-findings from the Dutch 2001 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):605-609, September 2005.

Address correspondence to J. Verdurmen, Trimbos Institute (the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction), Utrecht, the Netherlands. E-mail: jverdurmen@trimbos.nl.

Summary: The association between alcohol use and mental health in adolescence, specifically the interaction with age and gender, was examined in a cross-sectional study using data derived from the 2001 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey. This survey is a repeated cross-sectional study with a total of 5,730 students aged 12-16 years, carried out as part of the World Health Organization cross-national HBSC Project. A two-stage random sampling procedure was used. Written questionnaires were administered in classroom settings. These contained questions about alcohol and other drug use as well as sociodemographic and behavioral variables. In addition, the Youth Self-Report was used to assess mental health. Weekly alcohol use among adolescents was related to less withdrawn behavior and more delinquent, aggressive behavior. Significant interactions between weekly alcohol use and age were found on both externalizing and internalizing problems, indicating a stronger association between weekly alcohol use and problems among younger adolescents. No interactions with gender were found. In conclusion, the weekly use of alcohol, particularly at a young age, was associated with mental health problems. Regular alcohol use should alert parents and professionals that these adolescents might experience problems in other areas. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  adolescence, underage drinking, underage AOD use, mental health, statistical association, age differences, gender differences, survey, random sample, cross-sectional study, questionnaire, AOD use frequency, juvenile delinquency, aggressive behavior, human study

Ullman SE, Filipas HH, Townsend SM, and Starzynski LL.  Trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder and problem drinking in sexual assault survivors.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):610-619, September 2005.

Address correspondence to S.E. Ullman, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA. E-mail: seullman@uic.edu.

Summary: Although sexual assault history is associated with higher risk of problem drinking in women, little is known about the mechanisms involved. This study examined how trauma histories, alcohol-related cognitive mediators, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relate to past-year problem drinking in adult female sexual assault survivors. Data from self-report questionnaires completed by a large, diverse sample (N = 865) of community-residing women who had been sexually assaulted as adults were analyzed. Structural equation modeling was used to test a theoretical model examining the relationship between trauma exposure, alcohol-related cognitive mediators, PTSD symptoms, and past-year problem drinking. These analyses suggested that trauma exposure, drinking to cope with distress, and tension-reduction expectancies are the most consistent factors associated with problem drinking, whereas PTSD symptoms are not. Drinking to cope and tension-reduction expectancies were both related to greater PTSD symptoms, consistent with self-medication theory. The results suggest that trauma histories, drinking to cope, and tension reduction may be important risk factors distinguishing sexually assaulted women who develop problem drinking from those who do not. Screening women for trauma histories even within samples of victims and assessment of women's ways of coping and beliefs about alcohol's effects may help to identify those at greater risk for problem drinking. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  rape, posttraumatic stress disorder, trauma, problematic AOD use, female, risk factors, statistical modeling, coping, tension reduction theory of AODU, expectancy theory of AODU, self medication, human study

McCabe SE, Hughes TL, Bostwick W, and Boyd CJ.  Assessment of difference in dimensions of sexual orientation: Implications for substance use research in a college-age population.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):620-629, September 2005.

Address correspondence to Substance Abuse Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48105-2194, USA. E-mail: plius@umich.edu.

Summary: The associations between three distinct dimensions of sexual orientation and substance use were examined in a random sample of undergraduate students (N = 9,161) who were administered a Web-based survey in the spring of 2003. The participants were attending a large research university in the midwestern United States and were 56% female, 68% white, 13% Asian, 6% black, 4% Hispanic, and 9% other racial categories. Logistic regression analyses were used to compare several measures of alcohol and other drug use across three dimensions of sexual orientation: sexual identity, sexual attraction, and sexual behavior. All three dimensions of sexual orientation were associated with substance use, including heavy episodic drinking, cigarette smoking, and illicit drug use. Consistent with results of several other recent studies, "nonheterosexual" identity, attraction, or behavior was associated with a more pronounced and consistent risk of substance use in women than in men. These findings suggest substantial variability in substance use across the three dimensions of sexual orientation and reinforce the importance of stratifying by gender and using multiple measures to assess sexual orientation. Implications for future research and for interventions aimed at reducing substance use among college students are discussed. NIAAA Glossary Terms:   sexual orientation, personal identity, sexual behavior, AOD use, undergraduate student, survey, Internet, regression analysis, binge AOD use, cigarette, smoking, illicit drug, homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, human study

Hipwell AE, White HR, Loeber R, Stouthamer-Loeber M, Chung T, and Sembower MA.  Young girls' expectancies about the effects of alcohol, future intentions and patterns of use.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):630-639, September 2005.

Address correspondence to A.E. Hipwell, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. E-mail: hipwellae@upmc.edu.

Summary: Although rates of alcohol use among young female adolescents have been increasing in recent years, little is known about the precursors of use and intentions to use alcohol among preadolescents. This prospective study examined the prevalence and correlates of alcohol use, future intentions, and alcohol-related expectancies in a community sample of preadolescent girls (n = 1,161). Alcohol use behaviors and attitudes were assessed annually over a 3-year period, from ages 8 to 10 years. The girls comprised the two oldest cohorts of the ongoing Pittsburgh Girls Study (N = 2,451). Data were collected via separate parent and child interviews conducted in the participants' homes. The prevalence of alcohol use without parental permission was less than 3% in any given year between ages 8 and 10. Most girls reported sipping only, and there was little continuity of use across assessments. Alcohol-related expectancies were predominantly negative during this period but decreased with age. Positive expectancies, however, increased, particularly among white girls. Early alcohol use was predicted by black race and peer use. Intentions to use alcohol were predicted by low levels of negative expectancies and peer use. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  adolescent, female, underage drinking, preadolescent, prospective study, prevalence, correlation analysis, expectancy theory of AODU, interview, racial differences, predictive factor, negative AOD expectancies, positive AOD expectancies, human study

Greenberg MD, Morral AR, and Jain AK.  Drink-driving and DUI recidivists' attitudes and beliefs: a longitudinal analysis.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):640-647, September 2005.

Address correspondence to Michael D. Greenberg, Drug Policy Research Center, RAND, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. E-mail: michael_greenberg@rand.org.

Summary: The association between people's beliefs about the riskiness, social acceptability, and morality of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and subsequent alcohol-impaired driving was examined in a sample of multiple DUI offenders (N = 182). Baseline interview data included measures of moral and prescriptive beliefs concerning alcohol-impaired driving (internal behavioral controls), perceived risks of criminal punishment, and crashes associated with alcohol-impaired driving (external behavioral controls) and perceived peer-group attitudes toward alcohol-impaired driving (social control). The dependent variable was a measure of self-reported alcohol-impaired driving over the preceding 2 years, collected at 2-year follow-up from baseline. Results from multiple regression modeling showed significant protective effects associated with the beliefs that driving after drinking is immoral and that random police sobriety checks are a good idea (internal control items). Results also showed that a social desirability control measure was predictive of increased risk, at follow-up, for driving after drinking. These findings suggest that internal controls may protect against alcohol-impaired driving behavior, even in a high-risk sample of repeat DUI offenders, and that interventions to curtail DUI might be designed to promote these sorts of behavioral controls. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  impaired driver, drinking and driving, DWI arrest, interview, morality, immorality, justice system, social control, self-control, self report, follow-up study, regression analysis, protective factors, prevention of AOD associated consequences, prevention approach, human study

Proctor DC, Babor TF, and Xuan Z.  Effects of cautionary messages and vulnerability factors on viewers' perceptions of alcohol advertisements.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):648-657, September 2005.

Address correspondence to Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington 06030-6325, USA.

Summary: This study examined how individual difference vulnerability factors affect college students' perceptions of beer commercial actors' age, attractiveness, and drinking, and whether viewers' exposure to a cautionary message would affect their perceptions of the actors' drinking behavior. Three groups of college students were shown the same two alcohol ads. After watching them, each group received a different cautionary message prior to answering questions about the ad's content: (1) a neutral message (viewed by 42% [n = 119] of the sample), (2) a U.S. federal warning (viewed by 31% [n = 89]) and (3) an industry message (viewed by 27% [n = 76]). Three putative vulnerability factors were also examined: age (<21 years or not), gender and family history of alcohol problems (yes or no), as well as the effects of quantity-frequency of alcohol consumption, episodic heavy drinking, severity of alcohol dependence, disinhibition, sensation seeking, and the eight factors of the Alcohol Expectancy Scale. The cautionary messages had no effect on viewers' perceptions of characters' age, attractiveness, and drinking behavior. Although neither commercial depicted the physical act of drinking, the student raters nevertheless perceived the characters to be heavy episodic drinkers. Those reporting more alcohol dependence symptoms perceived increased drinking for the male characters, as did females and viewers with expectancies for social and physical pleasure. It was concluded that perceptions of the drinking in beer commercials are based partly on the character depicted in the ad and partly on the demographic and personal vulnerability factors of the viewer. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  portrayal of AODU in the media, AOD use behavior, AOD product advertising, beer, undergraduate student, counteradvertising, risk factors, age differences, family AODU history, AOD use frequency, AOD use pattern, heavy AOD use, binge AOD use, AOD dependence, familial alcoholism, disease severity, disinhibition, sensation-seeking behavior, expectancy theory of AODU, demographic characteristics, individual differences, human study

Beresford HE, Deitrich R, and Beresford TP.  Cyclosporine-A discourages ethanol intake in C57bl/6j mice: A preliminary study.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):658-662, September 2005.

Address correspondence to Mental Health Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, Colorado 80220-0116, USA.

Summary: The remarkably high rates of abstinence among alcohol-dependent persons who have received a liver transplant have been thought to be solely due to selection or other nonbiological factors. However, the persistence of abstinence in transplant recipients suggested to the authors that it might be a biological effect of immunosuppressive medications. They tested the hypothesis that mice treated with cyclosporine-A and given a choice between water and 10% ethanol would drink less ethanol. After a 3-day ethanol conditioning period, C57bl/6j mice (n = 20) medicated with cyclosporine-A (50 mg/kg) and a control group of unmedicated mice (n = 20) injected with saline were given free access to either water or the ethanol solution. The medicated mice drank significantly less ethanol throughout the 11-day choice protocol. This was significant whether measured by mean ethanol consumption per day (p = 0.003) or by ethanol preference as a percent of total liquid intake per day (p = 0.03). The two groups did not differ significantly in total daily fluid consumption. The results suggest that cyclosporine-A lowers alcohol preference in mice. Mechanism of action, similar effects by other centrally acting immunosuppressants, and translation to humans all remain to be studied. If fruitful, elucidating the actions of cyclosporine and other immunosuppressants that activate central nervous system receptors may illuminate the pathophysiology of alcohol use and addiction. NIAAA Glossary Terms:   organ transplantation, alcoholic liver disorder, AOD dependence, AOD abstinence, immunosuppressive agents, hypothesis testing, causal model, laboratory mice, ethanol, AOD consumption, animal study

Fillmore MT, Marczinski CA, and Bowman AM.  Acute tolerance to alcohol effects on inhibitory and activational mechanisms of behavioral control.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):663-672, September 2005.

Address correspondence to M.T. Fillmore, Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506-0044, USA. E-mail: fillmore@uky.edu.

Summary: This study examined the expression of acute alcohol tolerance to impaired behavioral control in terms of changes in a drinker's ability to activate and inhibit behavioral responses as blood alcohol concentration (BAC) ascended and declined following an ethanol dose. Social drinkers (N = 20) performed a cued go/no-go task that measured behavioral control after receiving a moderate dose (0.65 g/kg) of alcohol and a placebo. The development of acute tolerance was measured by testing behavioral control twice: once during the ascending phase and again at comparable BACs during the descending phase of the blood alcohol curve. Inhibitory and activational aspects of behavioral control both were impaired by alcohol. Acute tolerance developed to the impaired activation but not to the impaired inhibition of behavior. The results highlight the importance of considering behavioral requirements when testing for the development of acute tolerance under a dose of alcohol. By modeling behavioral control as the net effect of countervailing activational and inhibitory influences, the study suggests that fundamental mechanisms of control might not display uniform tolerance development. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  ethanol, AOD tolerance, acute AODE, BAC, AOD use behavior, social drinking, controlled study, human study

Foisy ML, Philippot P, Verbanck P, Pelc I, van der Straten G, and Kornreich C.  Emotional facial expression decoding impairment in persons dependent on multiple substances: Impact of a history of alcohol dependence.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):673-681, September 2005.

Address correspondence to Department of Psychiatry, Free University of Brussels, Brugmann Hospital, Belgium.

Summary: The decoding of emotional facial expressions is impaired in recovering alcoholics and less severely so in opiate-dependent persons without alcohol dependence antecedents. This study examined how these deficits change with long-term abstinence during an institutionalized therapeutic program and whether alcohol-dependent antecedents constitute a factor impairing a potential recovery. Participants (N = 65; 54 men, 11 women) recruited at a long-stay post-detoxification treatment center were assigned to one of four groups, depending on (1) whether or not they met alcohol dependence criteria in the past and (2) whether they were at therapeutic Stage 1 or Stage 2. Stage 1 was defined as being in the first 2 months of the therapeutic program, and Stage 2 was defined as being in the long-term therapeutic community (i.e., from 2 to 10 months in therapy). Participants were shown 16 photographs portraying happiness, anger, disgust, and sadness. They were asked to rate the estimated intensity level of each photograph on eight scales labeled as happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, surprise, shame, and contempt — all presented successively. A complementary scale assessed the self-estimated difficulty in performing the task. Individuals with substance dependence and past alcohol dependence showed a greater deficit than former substance-dependent persons who had never met standard alcohol dependence criteria. However, there was no effect of long-term abstinence on emotion decoding abilities whatever their past dependence. Thus substance dependence is associated with dysfunctions in emotional facial expression decoding processing, with alcohol dependence being linked with more impairments and no improvement after months of abstinence. NIAAA Glossary Terms:   expression of emotion, face, AOD dependence, apperception, AOD abstinence, AODR disorder, AODR behavioral markers, comparative study, human study

Kaskutas LA, Ammon L, Witbrodt J, Graves K, Zemore S, Borkman T, and Weisner S.  Understanding results from randomized trials: Use of program- and client-level data to study medical and nonmedical treatment programs.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):682-687, September 2005.

Address correspondence to L.A. Kaskutas, Alcohol Research Group, Berkeley, California 94709, USA. E-mail: lkaskutas@arg.org.

Summary: To address unanticipated results from randomized trials, researchers often focus on client-level data about services received during treatment. Program-level observations can also be helpful, especially in understanding treatment delivered in groups. This study used both approaches to understand inconsistent results from a trial comparing medical and nonmedical group-format day treatment. Dependent treatment seekers were randomized to a hospital-based medical day-treatment program or to one of two community-based nonmedical day treatment programs. Services received during treatment were learned from clients using the Treatment Services Review (N = 230 subjects; 78 women), and group sessions were observed to measure therapeutic style using an Event Form (N = 48 observations). The trial had found better medical outcomes at the hospital than at either nonmedical program, but most other tests had demonstrated similar outcomes at day hospital and one of the nonmedical sites and worse outcomes (psychiatric, family/social, and employment) at the other nonmedical study site. Analysis of services reported by study participants found a pattern of fewer substance misuse-oriented groups and less serious discussions about medical, psychiatric and family/social problems at the same nonmedical site that had worse outcomes. The way services were delivered at that site further helped to explain the poorer outcomes there: groups tended to be more didactic, classroom-like, and less discussion-oriented. Although services received are helpful in explaining treatment outcome, treatment observation adds explanatory value. Without increasing the cost of service provision, programs that rely heavily on didactic approaches might improve their outcomes simply by encouraging more interactive discussions that engage the clients. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  treatment factors, treatment method, treatment outcome, hospital, community-based treatment, comparative study, human study

McMillan GP, Hanson T, Bedrick EJ, and Lapham SC.  Using the Bivariate Dale Model to jointly estimate predictors of frequency and quantity of alcohol use.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):688-692, September 2005.

Address correspondence to G.P. McMillan, Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102, USA. E-mail: gmcmillan@bhrcs.org.

Summary: This study demonstrates the usefulness of the Bivariate Dale Model (BDM) for estimating the relationship between risk factors and the quantity and frequency of alcohol use, as well as the degree of association between these highly correlated drinking measures. The BDM was used to evaluate childhood sexual abuse, along with age and gender, as risk factors for the quantity and frequency of beer consumption in a sample of driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) offenders (N = 1,964; 1,612 men). The BDM allowed estimation of the relative odds of drinking up to each level of ordinal-scaled quantity and frequency of alcohol use, as well as modeling the degree of association between quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption as a function of covariates. Individuals who experienced childhood sexual abuse had increased risks of higher quantity and frequency of beer consumption. History of childhood sexual abuse had a greater effect on women, causing them to drink higher quantities of beer per drinking occasion. The BDM is a useful method for evaluating predictors of the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption. SAS macrocode for fitting the BDM model is provided. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  risk factors, AOD use pattern, AOD intake per occasion, AOD consumption, AOD use frequency, bivariate analysis, sexual abuse, abused as child, age differences, gender differences, beer, DWI arrest, relative risk, statistical modeling, predictive factor, comparative study, human study

LaBrie J, Pedersen E, and Earleywine M.  A group-administered Timeline Followback assessment of alcohol use.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):693-697, September 2005.

Address correspondence to J. LaBrie, Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California 90045, USA. E-mail: jlabrie@lmu.edu.

Summary: Retrospective self-reports of quantity and frequency of drinking were compared with the timeline followback (TLFB) method administered to groups or to individuals to determine the equivalence of these methods. College students (N = 211) who reported drinking at least two times a week participated; 118 completed the TLFB in a group setting and 93 completed it individually. Drinking variables assessed were drinking days, average drinks, and total drinks during a 30-day period. Pearson correlation coefficients revealed significant correlations between single-item quantity and frequency measures and the TLFB on all three variables for the two administration styles. Furthermore, the group TLFB yielded similar correlations to self-reports as the individual TLFB on drinking days and average drinks. However, the correlation between total drinks on the TLFB and the individual item report of drinking days was higher for individual administration than in the group administration. The results suggest that the group TLFB accurately determines students' quantity of drinking, but not their drinking frequency. The group-administered TLFB also has the potential to parallel individual interviews and serve as an efficient means of collecting information, but further studies with modified research designs are necessary to validate this alternate method of TLFB administration. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  self report, timeline followback, AOD use pattern, AOD use frequency, AOD intake per occasion, AOD consumption, comparative study, undergraduate student, correlation analysis, human study

Martens MP, Ferrier AG, Sheehy MJ, Corbett K, Anderson DA, and Simmons A.  Development of the Protective Behavioral Strategies Survey.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(5):698-705, September 2005.

Address correspondence to M.P. Martens, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, ED220, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York 12222, USA. E-mail: mmartens@uamail.albany.edu.

Summary: A promising approach for combating heavy alcohol use among college students is identifying protective behavioral strategies that may reduce consumption and its resulting negative consequences among students who do choose to drink alcohol. The purpose of this study was to develop and conduct initial psychometric analyses on a new scale, the Protective Behavioral Strategies Survey. Data were collected on undergraduate volunteers (N = 437) at a large public university in the northeastern United States. An exploratory factor analysis yielded three theoretically meaningful factors that were labeled Limiting/Stopping Drinking, Manner of Drinking, and Serious Harm Reduction. The three factors were, as a group, significantly associated with both alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems, but the strongest unique relationship existed between Manner of Drinking and the outcome variables. Protective behavioral strategies seem to be a measurable construct related to alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems, and thus may be a useful component of intervention and prevention programs with college students. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  undergraduate student, heavy AOD use, AOD consumption, prevention of AODR problems, AOD use behavior, prevention strategy, survey, behavioral change, psychometric properties, factor analysis, protective factors, prevention program, intervention (persuasion to treatment), school-based intervention, school-based prevention, human study

Miles DR, Silberg JL, Pickens RW, and Eaves LJ.  Familial influences on alcohol use in adolescent female twins: testing for genetic and environmental interactions.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):445-451, July 2005.

Address correspondence to D.R. Miles, Department of Human Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, P.O. Box 980003, 800 East Leigh St., Biotech One, Suite 100, Richmond, Virginia, 23298-0003, USA. E-mail: dmiles@hsc.vcu.edu.

Summary: The aim was to determine whether measures of family adaptability and cohesion may moderate the genetic influence on risk for alcohol use among female adolescent twins. Log-linear models were applied to examine such interactions using data from the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development, a longitudinal study with extensive home interviews of adolescent (8-17 year old) female twins (386 monozygotic [MZ] pairs, 185 dizygotic [DZ] pairs) and their parents. Twin concordance for alcohol use varied by average twin/parent reports of parental closeness. Differences between MZ-DZ correlations for alcohol use in families with low parental closeness, for example, were 0.97 and 0.67 (p < 0.001), respectively, compared with 0.79 and 0.73 (p = 0.24) for high parental closeness families. In addition, differences in twin concordance regardless of zygosity were found with greater twin similarities for alcohol use in families with strict parents compared with families with lenient parents, which suggests that the twin association interacts with common environmental influences on alcohol use. The findings indicate that genetic effects on adolescent alcohol use interact with measured family environment and that the heritability of alcohol use may vary according to quality of the parental relationship. If confirmed, prevention programs may benefit from this knowledge, tailoring their intervention to quality of parental relationship. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  twin study, adolescent, female, risk factors, underage drinking, family relations, parent-child relations, parental control, parental tolerance of adolescent AOD use, parental attitude, correlation analysis, comparative study, hereditary vs environmental factors, human study

Schuckit MA, Smith TL, Beltran I, Waylen A, Horwood J, and Davis JM; The ALSPAC Study Team.  Performance of a self-report measure of the level of response to alcohol in 12- to 13-year-old adolescents.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):452-458, July 2005.

Address correspondence to M.A. Schuckit, Department of Psychiatry (116A), University of California, San Diego, and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, California 92161-2002, USA. E-mail: mschuckit@ucsd.edu.

Summary: Low level of response (LR) to alcohol characterizes groups at high risk for alcoholism and predicts future heavier drinking and alcohol-related problems. This study examined LR in 12- to 13-year-old adolescents (N = 1,106) participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Information about alcohol and other substance use and problems was obtained using a structured interview, and LR from the Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol (SRE) questionnaire. Drinking was reported by 80 boys and girls (7.3% of all subjects). Boys comprised 62.5% of the sample; the mean (SD) age of subjects was 12.9 (0.16) years. Among the 80 drinkers, alcohol had been consumed on an average of 5.4 occasions over the prior 6 months, the average maximum drinks ever imbibed was about 3.3, and 23.8% had any of 26 possible alcohol-related problems. In this group, 36.3% had smoked cigarettes and 12.5% had used marijuana. The First 5 SRE score among drinkers correlated with the maximum number of drinks consumed at one time at 0.61 (p < 0.001), the number of alcohol problems at 0.25 (p < 0.01), and the frequency of drinking at 0.29 (p < 0.01). When considered along with smoking and marijuana histories, sex, and weight, the SRE score contributed significantly to the prediction of maximum drinks per occasion (beta = 0.60, p < .001) and drinking frequency (beta = 0.24, p < 0.05), with a trend (beta = 0.17, p = 0.08) for alcohol problems. The results support the conclusion that a low LR to alcohol correlates well with the maximum number of drinks consumed even early in the drinking career among individuals for whom acquired tolerance or other factors were unlikely to have explained the relationship. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  underage drinker, level of response (to AOD), predictive factor, heavy AOD use, AODR disorder, interview, questionnaire, self report, AOD use frequency, AOD use pattern, smoking, cigarette, marijuana in any form, correlation analysis, predictive factor, human study

Simons JS, Gaher RM, Oliver MN, Bush JA, and Palmer MA.  An experience sampling study of associations between affect and alcohol use and problems among college students.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):459-469, July 2005.

Address correspondence to J.S. Simons, Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069, USA. E-mail: jsimons@usd.edu.

Summary: Experienced sampling methodology was used to examine the relationship between affective functioning and alcohol consumption and problems in college students (N = 56; 54% women), who provided baseline data on measures of impulsivity and distress tolerance and provided experience sampling data for 2 weeks on measures of negative affect, positive affect, and alcohol consumption and problems. The sample ranged in age from 21 to 23 years (mean [SD] = 21.50 [0.57]); 98% were white, and 2% were Asian. As predicted, higher levels of both positive and negative affect during the day were associated with higher consumption that night. In contrast, negative, but not positive, affect was associated with alcohol-related problems after controlling for alcohol consumption. Impulsivity was associated with higher consumption and problems and moderated the relationships between negative affect and problems and also between alcohol consumption and problems. Low distress tolerance was associated with a decreased association between positive affect and alcohol consumption. Through the use of experience sampling methodology this study replicated and extended previous research on affective models of alcohol use and problems. Associations were demonstrated between affective variables and alcohol consumption and problems measured through near real-time assessment. The results suggest a functional association between alcohol consumption and problems and both within-person changes in affect and between-person differences in impulsivity and distress tolerance. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  AOD consumption, problematic AOD use, alcoholic beverage, undergraduate student, mood and affect disturbance, impulsive behavior, statistical association, individual differences, variable, characteristic, factor, human study

Perkins HW, Haines MP, and Rice R.  Misperceiving the college drinking norm and related problems: a nationwide study of exposure to prevention information, perceived norms and student alcohol misuse.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):470-478, July 2005.

Address correspondence to H.W. Perkins, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York 14456, USA. E-mail: perkins@hws.edu.

Summary: The aims were to examine the prevalence of misperceptions of college student drinking norms across campuses nationwide, the importance of perceived norms in predicting high-risk drinking, the association of exposure to alcohol education information with students' perceptions of campus drinking norms, and the differences in high-risk drinking rates between schools where exposure to alcohol information is associated with more accurately perceived norms and schools where exposure to information is unrelated to perceptions or is associated with greater misperceptions. An aggregate database of the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) survey was analyzed using multivariate analyses. The NCHA was administered to 76,145 students from 130 colleges and universities nationwide from spring 2000 through spring 2003. A consistently large percentage of students nationwide overestimated the quantity of alcohol consumed by their peers. Students' perception of their campus drinking norm was the strongest predictor of the amount of alcohol personally consumed, compared with the influence of all demographic variables. Lower levels of high-risk drinking and negative consequences were found among students attending the relatively few colleges where exposure to prevention information was associated with less exaggerated perceptions of the drinking norm, compared with students attending other schools. Misperceived drinking norms are a pervasive problem, and reducing these misperceptions is a potentially powerful component of prevention. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  prevalence, perception of norms, hazardous drinking, undergraduate student, risk-taking behavior, comparative study, educational institution, predictive factor, demographic characteristics, institution-based prevention, prevention approach, prevention through education, human study

Laforge RG, Borsari B, and Baer JS.  The utility of collateral informant assessment in college alcohol research: results from a longitudinal prevention trial.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):479-487, July 2005.

Address correspondence to R.G. Laforge, Department of Psychology, CPRC Building, Room 48W, University of Rhode Island, 2 Chafee Road, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, USA. E-mail: rlaforge@uri.edu.

Summary: Collateral informants have been used to assess independently the validity of data self-reported by college students, but it is unclear under what conditions collateral reports might be valid and useful in college research. The authors carried out two studies to examine aspects of these issues using data from college students (N = 1,264) participating in a brief intervention prevention trial at a public university. The first study examined the characteristics and predictors of agreement on reports of alcohol use and problems from 219 student-collateral informant pairs. The second study investigated whether collateral verification resulted in changes in student self-reports (pipeline effects) on two subsequent survey assessments over 1 year using longitudinal data from 1,264 students. Results provided little support for the assumption that nondependent college drinkers underreport drinking behaviors and consequences. Collaterals who reported more occasions of drinking together, higher confidence in the report, and a close relationship with the participant provided reports that were more consistent with participant drinking reports. No evidence was found that pipeline effects of collateral verification improve the accuracy of college student self-reports at future assessments. The results are consistent with much of the published literature showing that use of collateral reports to verify the self-reports of college students (and adults) may result in increased, not decreased, misclassification error. The findings suggest that the time and expense required to collect collateral data in the college setting may be better spent on establishing assessment conditions that will foster accurate self-reporting. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  brief intervention, undergraduate student, prevention of AODR problems, prevention program, validation study, accuracy of variables and methods, self report, human study

Homish GG, and Leonard KE.  Marital quality and congruent drinking.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):488-496, July 2005.

Address correspondence to G.G. Homish, Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, New York 14203-1016, USA. E-mail: ghomish@ria.buffalo.edu.

Summary: The authors examined whether changes in marital quality over the early years of marriage were related to alcohol use patterns among three groups of couples: congruent nondrinkers, congruent drinkers who usually drank with their spouses, and congruent drinkers who usually drank apart from their spouses. Couples (N = 418) were assessed for marital satisfaction and drinking behaviors when newly wed and at their first and second anniversaries. Cross-sectional analyses compared couples at each assessment and multilevel modeling assessed changes in marital satisfaction over time. Husbands and wives who usually drank with their partners reported greater levels of marital satisfaction at each assessment. Marital satisfaction declined over time for both husbands and wives.  Husbands in each group experienced similar declines in marital quality, but the rate of decline was not the same among wives. Although wives in the nondrinking group and wives who usually drank with their husbands had similar initial marital satisfaction, the nondrinkers experienced a greater decline in marital satisfaction than the wives who drank with their husbands. The rate of change for the wives in the nondrinking group was quite similar to wives who more often drank apart from their spouses. The results suggest that alcohol use may be a part of the couple's socializing and may increase interaction, thereby increasing marital satisfaction. NIAAA Glossary Terms:   marital satisfaction, marital relations, spouse or significant other, alcoholic beverage, AOD use behavior, AOD use pattern, family attitude toward AOD, AOD nonuse, cross-sectional study, comparative study, follow-up study, gender differences, interpersonal interaction, human study

Tracy SW, Kelly JF, and Moos RH.  The influence of partner status, relationship quality and relationship stability on outcomes following intensive substance-use disorder treatment.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):497-505, July 2005.

Address correspondence to S.W. Tracy, Center for Health Care Evaluation, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (MPD-152), Stanford University School of Medicine, 795 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA. E-mail: stephen.tracy@med.va.gov.

Summary: Addiction treatment studies examining the influence of patients' partners suggest that partner behaviors affect patients' substance-use outcomes. This prospective, intact-group study examined the influence of having a partner at treatment entry, as well as the influence of the general quality of support and substance-using status of the partner, on treatment outcomes. The influence of relationship stability on treatment outcomes, and baseline partner behaviors that may predict relationship stability, were also examined. Data were analyzed using logistic regression. Participants (N = 3,014) from 15 intensive substance use disorder treatment programs were assessed at treatment entry and 1 year after discharge. Although patients with partners had a more favorable clinical profile, their outcomes were no better than those of single patients. However, patients whose relationships lasted through the first year following treatment had better outcomes than those whose relationships ended. Relationships with more positive partner behaviors and fewer negative partner behaviors at intake were more likely to remain intact through the the first year following discharge. Positive partner behaviors did not enhance patients' outcomes directly, but partner interpersonal stressors and patients' belief that their partner had a substance-use problem had a significant deleterious impact on patients' substance-use outcomes. It was concluded that the quality of patients' relationships with partners should be routinely assessed by clinicians. If deleterious partner behaviors exist, empirically supported interventions such as behavioral couples therapy could be used to reduce these behaviors and ultimately reduce relapse risk. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  addiction, AOD dependence, treatment factors, spouse or significant other, marital status, family support, interpersonal relations, treatment program, treatment outcome, regression analysis, couple counseling, relapse prevention, human study

Hurt RD, Patten CA, Offord KP, Croghan IT, Decker PA, Morris RA, and Hays JT.  Treating nondepressed smokers with alcohol dependence in sustained full remission: Nicotine patch therapy tailored to baseline serum cotinine.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):506-516, July 2005.

Address correspondence to R.D. Hurt, Nicotine Dependence Center, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street South West, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. E-mail: rhurt@mayo.edu.

Summary: This study examined the smoking abstinence rate in smokers (N = 195) in sustained full remission from alcoholism (as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) who were receiving nicotine patch therapy with the dose tailored to the baseline serum cotinine concentration. The primary aim was to determine the 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence rate at the end of 8 weeks of nicotine patch therapy in doses projected to achieve 100% venous replacement. Nicotine patch dose was based on the baseline serum venous cotinine as follows: participants with ≤200 ng/ml, 22 mg/day; those with 201-300 ng/ml, 33-mg/day, and those with >300 ng/ml, 44-mg/day. A second (steady-state) serum cotinine concentration was obtained between weeks 2 and 7 to determine the percentage replacement. The point prevalence smoking abstinence rate at the end of the 8 weeks of nicotine patch treatment was 51% (95% confidence interval [CI], 45%-58%) which is higher than would be expected, and percent replacement >80% was achieved in 49 of 85 (58%) tobacco-abstinent subjects. Higher cigarettes per day (odds ratio [OR] = 1.030, 95% CI, 1.004-1.057, p = 0.023) and a history of depressed mood on the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (OR = 1.940, 95% CI, 1.044-3.605, p = 0.036) were found to be multivariate independent predictors of smoking at week 8. However, percentage replacement did not predict smoking abstinence. In conclusion,  >80% replacement was achieved in most subjects, and there was no evidence of severe nicotine toxicity associated with the tailored dose of nicotine patch therapy. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  smoking, cigarette, AOD dependence, multiple drug use, remission,  AOD abstinence, nicotine, drug therapy, drug metabolism, patient history, emotional and psychiatric depression, multivariate analysis, relative risk, predictive factor, human study

Ilgen M and Moos R.  Deterioration following alcohol-use disorder treatment in Project MATCH.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):517-525, July 2005.

Address correspondence to M. Ilgen, Center for Health Care Evaluation, Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University School of Medicine, 795 Willow Road (MPD 152), Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. E-mail: Mark.Ilgen@med.va.gov.

Summary: The authors examined the prevalence and predictors of deterioration during the 3 months following treatment in Project MATCH (Matching Alcoholism Treatments to Client Heterogeneity), a multisite clinical trial of three different treatments for alcohol-use disorders. The outpatient and aftercare samples of Project MATCH were examined to identify the prevalence of deterioration, as reflected by a decline in percentage of days abstinent between the 3 months prior to baseline and the 3 months immediately following treatment. Analyses of predictors of deterioration were based on baseline sociodemographic and psychological factors, including substance-related and psychiatric symptoms, and treatment-related factors, including treatment type, treatment duration, and therapeutic alliance. Approximately 10% (91/927) of patients in the outpatient sample and 7% (50/738) of patients in the aftercare sample deteriorated in the 3 months following treatment. Primary predictors of deterioration in the outpatient sample were lower baseline severity of alcohol dependence, higher baseline depression, fewer sessions of treatment, and lower ratings of therapeutic alliance. The only factor associated with deterioration in the aftercare sample was fewer sessions of treatment. Despite the general positive response of patients to alcohol-use disorder treatment, researchers and treatment providers need to be aware of the potential for deterioration in a sizable minority of patients. Potential methods for identifying patients at risk for deterioration early in treatment are discussed. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  patient-treatment matching, treatment outcome, AOD dependence, AOD abstinence, AODD relapse, follow-up study, treatment method, treatment factors, demographic characteristics, social indicators, treatment duration, psychopathology, outpatient care, predictive factor, problem severity, professional-client relations, human study

Collins SE, Carey KB, and Smyth J.  Relationships of linguistic and motivation variables with drinking outcomes following two mailed brief interventions.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):526-535, July 2005.

Address correspondence to Susan Collins, Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA. E-mail: susan.collins@med.uni-tuebingen.de.

Summary: Writing samples following the administration of two mailed brief alcohol interventions were subjected to post hoc analysis to identify linguistic and motivation variables. At-risk college drinkers (N = 100) were mailed personalized normative feedback (PNF) or an alcohol education (AE) brochure. Participants responded to open-ended questions describing their reactions to the information they received. The writing samples were then coded for linguistic characteristics using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program and for proportions of self-motivational statements using a modified version of the Motivational Interviewing Skills Code. Group comparisons revealed that the PNF group used a significantly higher percentage of first-person-singular and school-related words, whereas the AE group used a higher percentage of discrepancy, second-person, and body-related words. Furthermore, the PNF group produced more language consistent with motivation to change than the AE group. Hierarchical regressions testing mediation and moderation indicated that linguistic references to school and motivation moderated the group effect on changes in consumption during the heaviest drinking week. Furthermore, although the group predicted reduction in heavy, episodic drinking, its effect was completely mediated by linguistic variables. The findings confirmed that PNF elicits distinct verbal responses that are associated with increased motivation and behavior change. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  brief intervention, undergraduate student, communication feedback, motivation, behavioral change, questionnaire, comparative study, regression analysis, AOD consumption, prevention research, prevention approach, prevention outcome, binge AOD use, predictive factor, human study

Perrine MW and Schroder KE.  How many drinks did you have on September 11, 2001?  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):536-544, July 2005.

Address correspondence to M.W. Perrine, Vermont Alcohol Research Center, PO. Box 8505, Essex, Vermont 05451, USA. E-mail: bperrine@varc.edu.

Summary: The predictability of error in retrospective self-reports of alcohol consumption on September 11, 2001 ("9/11"), when terrorists attacked the United States, was tested in light, medium, and heavy drinkers (N = 80; 52 men and 28 women) in the state of Vermont. The subjects were participating in daily self-reports of alcohol consumption for a total of 2 years, collected through interactive voice response technology (IVR). In addition, retrospective self-reports of alcohol consumption on 9/11, were collected by telephone interview 4-5 days after the attacks. Retrospective error was calculated as the difference between the IVR self-report of drinking behavior on 0/11 and the retrospective self-report collected by telephone interview. Retrospective error was analyzed as a function of gender and baseline drinking behavior during the 365 days preceding 9/11. The intraclass correlation (ICC) between daily IVR and retrospective self-reports of alcohol consumption on 9/11 was 0.80. Women provided, on average, more accurate self-reports (ICC = 0.96) than men (ICC = 0.72) but displayed more underreporting bias in retrospective responses. Amount and individual variability of alcohol consumption during the 1-year baseline explained, on average, 11% of the variance in overreporting (r = 0.33), 9% of the variance in underreporting (r = 0.30), and 25% of the variance in the overall magnitude of error (r = 0.50), with correlations up to 0.62 (r2 = 0.38). The size and direction of error were clearly predictable from the amount and variation in drinking behavior during the 1-year baseline period. The results demonstrate the utility and detail of information that can be derived from daily IVR self-reports in the analysis of retrospective error NIAAA Glossary Terms:  self report, AOD consumption, AOD use behavior, life event, trauma, data collection, interview, memory, correlation analysis, gender differences, retrospective study, recall bias, human study

Schonfeld AM, Mattson SN, and Riley EP.  Moral maturity and delinquency after prenatal alcohol exposure.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):545-554, July 2005.

Address correspondence to A.M. Schonfeld, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA. E-mail: aschonfeld@mednet.ucla.edu.

Summary: Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with cognitive, behavioral, and social deficits, including delinquency. Although delinquent populations and those with intellectual and behavioral deficits exhibit impaired moral judgment and reasoning, this area remains unexplored in alcohol-exposed individuals. Moral maturity and delinquency were evaluated in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure (n = 27, age range 10-18 years) and nonexposed controls (n = 29) matched on age, gender, handedness, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. Moral maturity was evaluated with the Sociomoral Reflection Measure-Short Form, and delinquency with the Conduct Disorder Questionnaire. Additional measures included social desirability and inhibition. The prenatally exposed group performed at a lower level of moral maturity than the controls. Whereas Verbal IQ primarily predicted this difference, a deficit on the moral value judgment having to do with relationships with others was specific to prenatal alcohol exposure. Furthermore, delinquency was higher in the prenatally exposed group, and specific sociomoral values were predictive of delinquent behavior. Finally, half of the children and adolescents with a history of prenatal alcohol exposure but without fetal alcohol syndrome had probable conduct disorder. The results indicate that interventions aimed at reducing delinquency are necessary in persons with prenatal alcohol exposure, and targeting moral judgment for this purpose may be beneficial. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  prenatal alcohol exposure, fetal alcohol syndrome, fetal alcohol effects, postnatally AOD-exposed child, developmental disorder, cognitive ability, behavioral problem, social deviance, juvenile delinquency, morality, immorality, childhood, adolescence, controlled study, conduct disorder, social behavior, inhibition, intelligence level, predictive factor, human study

Uyarel H, Ozdol C, Gencer AM, Okmen E, and Cam N.  Acute alcohol intake and QT dispersion in healthy subjects.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):555-558, July 2005.

Address correspondence to H. Uyarel, Siyami Ersek Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Center, Department of Cardiology, Istanbul, Turkey. E-mail: uyarel@yahoo.com.

Summary: QT dispersion (QTd) is the maximal interlead difference in the QT interval on the surface 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). An increase in QTd is found in patients with various cardiac diseases and reflects cardiac autonomic imbalance. Variability of QT duration among the 12 surface ECG leads expresses electrical instability and greater susceptibility to malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Electrophysiological studies have shown that heavy episodic drinking facilitates the induction of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in some heavy drinkers. However, the association between QTd and acute alcohol intake has not been studied previously in healthy subjects. In this randomized crossover study, 10 healthy male volunteers (average [SD] age 30 [2.1] years, range 25-33 years) received either alcohol (six 12-ounce cans of beer) or placebo (juice). The alcohol group consumed 0.97 [0.12] g of ethanol/kg body weight, and the placebo group consumed the same amount of juice in a 1-hour period. After a 48-hour washout period, the alcohol group drank juice, and the juice group drank alcohol. QTd and corrected QTd (cQTd) were measured in a baseline ECG after the alcohol period (AP) and after the juice period (JP). In comparison with baseline ECG (31.7 [9.4] ms), QTd values were significantly prolonged after AP (42.1 [10.8] ms; p = 0.027), but not after JP (33.8 [7.1] ms; p = N.S.). Also in comparison with baseline ECG (35.7 [11.1] ms), cQTd values were significantly prolonged after the AP (49.8 [12.7] ms; p = .005), but again, not after the JP (36.8 [7.3] ms; p = N.S.). Thus heavy episodic drinking is associated with an increase in QTd and cQTd. NIAAA Glossary Terms:   electrocardiography, electrical life processes, ethanol, binge AOD use, heavy AOD use, AOD intake per occasion, acute AODE, cardiac arrhythmia, heart ventricle, controlled study, randomized controlled trial, human study

Slawecki CJ, Thorsell A, and Ehlers CL.  Antagonism of neuropeptide YY1 receptors does not inhibit ethanol's effects on cortical EEG and ERPs in Wistar rats.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):559-566, July 2005.

Address correspondence to C.J. Slawecki, The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Neuropharmacology, CFN-14, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. E-mail: cslawecki@scripps.edu.

Summary: Ethanol and neuropeptide Y (NPY) can have additive neurobehavioral effects. This study examined whether the NPY Y1 receptor antagonist BIBP3226, administered alone or in combination with a moderate dose of ethanol, interacts with ethanol's neurobehavioral effects. Male Wistar rats were implanted with cortical recording electrodes and a lateral ventricular cannula. The effects of 1 nmol BIBP3226, 0.75 g/kg ethanol, and the combined drugs (BIBP3226 + EtOH) on neurophysiological activity and locomotion were then assessed. Ethanol significantly increased 1-2 Hz parietal cortical power and this effect was partially antagonized by BIBP3226. Peak frequencies in the parietal cortical 6-8 Hz and 8-16 Hz bands were also altered by ethanol, but these effects were not reversed by BIBP3226. BIBP3226 or ethanol, when administered alone, did not alter motor activity or cortical event-related potentials (ERPs), but administration of BIBP3226 + EtOH reduced motor activity, reduced parietal cortical N1 ERP amplitude and increased frontal cortical N1 ERP latency. The most prominent effect of antagonizing central NPY Y1 receptors was a facilitation of the effects of ethanol. In particular, the effects of combined administration of BIBP3226 and ethanol are indicative of enhanced sedation and possibly cognitive impairment. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  ethanol, neuropeptide Y, neuropeptide receptors, antagonists, electroencephalography, brain wave, neuroelectric phenomenon, laboratory rat, locomotion, cerebral cortex, event-related potential, sedative-hypnotics, cognitive ability, animal study

McCarthy DM, Pedersen SL, and Leuty ME.  Negative consequences and cognitions about drinking and driving.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):567-570, July 2005.

Address correspondence to D.M. McCarthy, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, 210 McAlester Hall, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA. E-mail: mccarthydm@missouri.edu.

Summary: Drinking and driving is a highly persistent behavior, even after negative consequences such as arrest. This study tested the association between consequences of drinking and driving and cognitions related to drinking and driving by examining whether the experience of negative consequences was associated with perceptions of risk associated with drinking and driving. The participants were college students (N = 938; 57% female; 85% white) who completed questionnaires to assess alcohol use, drinking and driving behaviors, drinking and driving cognitions, and lifetime drinking and driving consequences.  Results indicated that participants who had experienced consequences of drinking and driving (either as a driver or rider) reported more current drinking and driving and greater alcohol consumption. Most cognition measures differentiated those reporting lifetime consequences from the rest of the sample, with the consequence groups reporting more risky cognitions. However, experiencing a personal consequence of drinking and driving was associated with perceiving negative consequences of drinking and driving to be more likely. The results provide evidence that most cognitive risk factors for drinking and driving remain high even after a negative consequence is experienced. This may contribute to the persistence of drinking and driving in prior offenders. The finding that the perception of negative consequences may be influenced by experiencing consequences may have implications for intervention and treatment efforts. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  drinking and driving, AOD effects and consequences, questionnaire, AOD use, impaired driver, AOD consumption, risk-taking behavior, human study

Gruenewald PJ, Searles J, Helzer J, and Badger GJ.  Exploring drinking dynamics using interactive voice response technology.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):571-576, July 2005.

Address correspondence to P.J. Gruenewald, Prevention Research Center; Pacific Institutefor Research and Evaluation, 1995 University Avenue, Ste. 450, Berkeley, California 94704, USA. E-mail: paul@prev.org.

Summary: The authors developed a model of daily drinking that relates probabilities of drinking on any day to amounts consumed 1 day and 1 week earlier. It was assumed that positive and negative experiences with alcohol shape drinking levels and probabilities of subsequent drinking. The model predicts that nonmonotonic functions will relate drinking levels to subsequent drinking probabilities. Maxima of these functions represent optimal drinking levels that provide greatest positive returns from any drinking occasion for each drinker. Interactive Voice Response technology was used to obtain annual time series of daily drinking levels from 33 drinkers sampled from public establishments in the state of Vermont. Two predictions from the model were tested: (1) Temporal dependencies exist between the onset of drinking events over time; and (2) these dependencies are nonmonotonically related to prior drinking levels. Dynamics were separately assessed for each drinker using bootstrapped logistic regression models. Time series data from 5 of 30 respondents (17%) who provided data suitable for analysis exhibited no temporal dynamics. Data from 25 (83%) respondents exhibited either daily or weekly dynamics. Data from 18 (60%) respondents exhibited the expected nonmonotonic relationship between drinking levels and subsequent drinking events. Daily probabilities of drinking were conditional upon and nonmonotonically related to prior drinking levels among a majority of respondents. These results support models of daily drinking in which positive and negative experiences with alcohol shape daily drinking patterns. NIAAA Glossary Terms:  statistical modeling, AOD use pattern, AOD use frequency, AOD consumption, AOD intake per occasion, time series analysis, predictive factor, regression analysis, human study

Wilhelm J, Bleich S, Kornhuber J, and Hillemacher T.  Limited use of CK-MB as a screening parameter for acute coronary syndrome in patients with alcohol dependency.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(4):577-578, July 2005.

Letter to the editor. (No abstract available.)

Windle M, Mun EY, and Windle RC.  Adolescent-to-young adulthood heavy drinking trajectories and their prospective predictors.  Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(3):313-322, May 2005.

Address correspondence to M. Windle, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Center for the Advancement of Youth Health, 912 Building, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1200, USA. windle@uab.edu.

Summary: Longitudinal trajectories of heavy drinking were investigated in males and females from adolescence to young adulthood (age 16 to age 25). Semiparametric group-based mixture modeling was used to derive trajectories of heavy drinking separately for participants (N = 760; 430 females and 330 males) who have been participating in a long-term prospective study of risk factors for the development of heavy drinking and alcohol disorders. Four trajectory groups were identified for males and five for females; the trajectories indicated both continuity and change in heavy drinking across time for the identified groups. Major common predictors for the high and very high heavy drinking trajectory groups supported the influences of values and beliefs (such as religious commitment), stressful life events, and substance use. Additional predictors for males included lower academic functioning and task orientation, and for females, more frequent sexual behavior and general deviance. The results suggest that the frequency of heavy drinking behavior will further increase for some teens into their young adult years. Implications of the findings are discussed.