This longitudinal investigation examined motives for alcohol use, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related consequences in a Vancouver, British Columbia youth sample (n = 405). Secondary analyses were performed on data that were collected at two time points (1995-1996 and 2003-2004). Sociodemographic variables included age, gender, adoption status, parent education, household moves, and family net worth. Bivariate correlations and structural equation modeling were used to examine associations between social, enhancement, and coping motives, alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences. The social motives included drinking to be sociable and drinking to add to the enjoyment of meals. Enhancement motives included drinking to feel good. Coping motives included: drinking to help you relax, drinking to forget worries, and drinking to feel less shy and inhibited. In the final longitudinal structural equation model combining T1 motives and both T1 and T2 alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences, results showed endorsement at T1 of drinking to forget worries was predictive of the alcohol-related consequences latent factor at T1. Moreover, T1 consequences were predictive of alcohol-related consequences at T2. The data show a positive relationship between T1 endorsement of drinking to feel good and the alcohol consumption latent variables at both T1 and T2, but no relationship between drinking to feel good and the alcohol-related consequences emerged. Additionally, the data yielded a negative relationship between the variable, “drink to be sociable” and the alcohol-related consequences latent factor at T1. Certain self-identified motives for drinking may be risk factors for continued alcohol use and subsequent misuse. Therefore, differentiating between specific motives for alcohol use may be a helpful marker for Child and Youth Care workers and other professionals to initiate conversations about alcohol use and consequences. / Graduate

Background: Alcohol Related Brain Damage (ARBD) is an umbrella term used to describe the range of effects that long-term consumption of alcohol can have on the structure and function of the brain. Despite the increasing prevalence of ARBD, there is a lack of research in this area, and as a result, there are no current guidelines and few services available for the treatment of this condition. There is therefore a need to increase the evidence base in this area, which will assist in the understanding, and ultimately treatment, of ARBD. Aims: This thesis consists of two parts. The first is a systematic review journal article which asks the question: “What is the impact of alcohol-abuse on memory function within the first three weeks of alcohol withdrawal?” The second part is a qualitative research project which aims to develop a grounded theory regarding the patient experience of ARBD, identifying and highlighting themes and concepts that are central to the experience. Methods: For the systematic review, four databases were searched. Studies that were included in the review had to have participants with alcohol-dependence; abstinence of less than or equal to three weeks; and to have undergone some form of neuropsychological assessment of memory function. Data from 15 articles were extracted and assessed for quality. For the qualitative study, participants (n=10) were interviewed regarding their experiences of ARBD and the data was then analysed using grounded theory methodology. Results: The results of the systematic review were somewhat ambiguous with some studies reporting impairments in verbal and visual memory, while other studies found no impairments. Episodic memory deficits were present in all studies reviewed. The results of the qualitative study propose a tentative model which describes “transformation through adaptation”. This model hypothesises that successful negotiation of the journey through ARBD hinges on the adaptations that need to be made in order to progress towards transformation. The model is understood in the framework of a number of phases, “Being diagnosed with ARBD, “Focusing on abstinence”, “Taking ownership of life with ARBD” and “Creating a valuable life”, all of which exist within a framework of being supported by specialist services. Conclusions and implications: The systematic review demonstrated some support for deficits in visual and episodic memory within the first three weeks of abstinence, while it appeared that verbal memory was relatively preserved. The heterogeneity of the studies, coupled with the methodological variability, meant that all conclusions need to be considered as tentative, and be interpreted with caution. The main difficulties with interpretation were to do with the confounding factors often found within this client group. The results reinforce the concept of tailored treatment programmes for individuals due to the large variability of the effect of alcohol (and other factors). The qualitative study proposes a model that shows how adaptation appears to play a key role in the successful negotiation of a diagnosis of ARBD. The study describes a series of categories that can be used as a framework to identify and support the changes that are necessary for recovery and reintegration. The value in this study is that the results are directly attributable to individuals who have been diagnosed, and are now successfully living, with ARBD.

Consuming alcohol may lead to negative consequences, such as aggression, violence or drunkdriving. However, not all adolescents who consume alcohol engage in negative behaviors.The purpose of this study was to examine the role of gender and impulsivity as risk factors forengagement in negative conducts after alcohol intoxication. The sample of this studycomprised 1,002 Swedish adolescent students between 12 and 16 years of age (52% boys). Students filled in self-report questionnaire at two time points (T1 and T2), once a year. Aftercontrolling for previous levels of negative consequences of alcohol consumption, as well asfor drinking habits at T1, the result showed that impulsivity had an impact on adolescent’salcohol-related consequences after intoxication. Also, boys showed a higher tendency toreport negative consequences after alcohol intoxication compared to girls. All in all, thislongitudinal study shed new light on the personality aspects that make adolescents more likelyto engage in negative conducts after alcohol consumption.

Sexual victimization is a significant problem on college and university campuses, and it is important to evaluate risk factors for sexual victimization in order to attempt to reduce women's risk of victimization. This study investigated social interaction anxiety as a risk factor for sexual victimization. It was hypothesized that social interaction anxiety may increase risk of sexual victimization by decreasing sexual assertiveness and increasing alcohol-related problems. College women (n = 690) completed an online survey that assessed social interaction anxiety, sexual assertiveness, alcohol-related problems, and a variety of types of sexual victimization, in addition to other measures. When total effects were examined, social interaction anxiety only significantly predicted victimization by coercion. However, when indirect effects of sexual assertiveness were examined, social interaction anxiety had a significant effect on all types of sexual victimization (i.e., unwanted sexual contact, attempted coercion, coercion, attempted rape, and rape). Alcohol-related problems did not significantly account for the relationship between social interaction anxiety and sexual victimization. It is recommended that interventions designed to reduce women's risk of victimization include interventions designed to address both social interaction anxiety and sexual refusal assertiveness. / Master of Science

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / The relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related violence has been firmly established in a wide array of studies concerning various forms of violence including intimate partner violence, domestic violence as well as sexual assault. One factor which has been highlighted as having a moderating effect on the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related aggression is the specific aggression-related alcohol expectancies concerning the effects of alcohol consumption on aggressive behaviour. In light of the prevalence of alcohol-related violence in South African communities it becomes important to examine the specific factors that moderate the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related aggression and violence. The aim of this study was to examine aggressionrelated alcohol expectancies as a moderating factor in the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related aggression and to examine the possible influence of exposure to community alcohol-related aggression in the formulation of aggression-related alcohol expectancies. The main objectives of this were to examine aggression-related alcohol expectancies as well as exposure to community alcohol-related aggression as domains for intervention to prevent alcohol-related violence. / South Africa

This thesis investigates the association between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm in Eastern Europe. The main aim was to estimate to what extent changes in per capita alcohol consumption have an impact on different forms of alcohol-related mortality, and to put the results in an international comparative perspective. The thesis includes four papers; the first two papers use aggregate time-series analysis to assess how changes in per capita consumption affect rates in suicide mortality and fatal non-intentional injuries in several Eastern European countries, respectively. The third paper applies the same methodological approach to analyse the population-level relationship between alcohol and homicide in Russia and the U.S.. The fourth paper employs survey data to assess how the risk of experiencing alcohol-related problems in relation to volume of consumption in the Baltic countries compares to Sweden and Italy. The results of the first three papers suggests: (i) that changes in per capita consumption are significantly related to changes in mortality rates of suicide, non-intentional injuries and homicide in the countries under study; (ii) that the relationship is stronger for men than for women, and (iii) that the relationship tends to be stronger in the countries with more detrimental drinking patterns, e.g. Russia. The results of the fourth paper suggest that the risk of experiencing alcohol-related problems in relation to level of drinking in the Baltic countries is similar to the corresponding risk in Sweden, but considerably stronger than in Italy. In conclusion, the findings support the significance of a public health approach to alcohol-related problems in Eastern Europe, i.e., policy measures directed towards total alcohol consumption. In addition, strategies aimed at reducing the occurrence of binge drinking seem to have great potential for reducing alcohol-related harm and mortality in Eastern European countries. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p> / Alcohol in Eastern Europe - a Public Health Perspective

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-12-19Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:40:48Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 rubiatti_amm_dr_arafcf.pdf: 388375 bytes, checksum: 4a2941861032d0c3cbd5da5387c75ab2 (MD5) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / O objetivo deste estudo foi estimar a prevalência do alcoolismo e sua associação com os indicadores antropométricos do estado nutricional e com as características sócio-demográficas de moradores do município de Araraquara, SP, maiores de 18 anos de idade. Adotou-se delineamento amostral probabilístico estratificado segundo setor censitário e sexo. Participaram do estudo 1.710 indivíduos. Foram realizadas entrevistas por telefone por um único examinador. Como instrumento de rastreamento utilizou-se o teste de identificação das desordens relacionadas ao uso de álcool (AUDIT). Os dados foram analisados por meio de estatística descritiva. Para estudo das associações de interesse utilizou-se o teste de qui-quadrado (χ2). O nível de significância adotado foi de 5,00%. A amostra foi composta por 50,00% de homens e os participantes eram predominantemente casados (62,98%), nível econômico C (42,05%), nível de escolaridade colegial completo ou superior incompleto (37,89%), com religião (89,59%), trabalhadores (58,95%), que relataram não ser tabagistas (87,43%) e estado nutricional eutrófico (46,67%). Verificou-se elevado número de indivíduos com excesso de peso (51,01%). Dos entrevistados, 21,52% foram classificados como abstêmios, 60,06% como consumidores de bebida alcoólica moderados e 18,42% apresentaram comportamento de beber de risco. Houve associação significativa entre o padrão de consumo de bebida alcoólica e o sexo (χ2=154,105, p=0,001), nível econômico (χ2=7,469, p=0,024), religião (χ2=12,360, p=0,001), trabalho (χ2=28,795, p=0,001), tabagismo (χ2=28,486, p=0,001) e estado nutricional (χ2=9,357, p=0,009). O comportamento de beber em binge foi observado em 11,40% dos participantes. Houve associação significativa entre o comportamento de beber em binge e o sexo (χ2=96,323, p=0,001), nível econômico (χ2=9,297, p=0,010), nível de escolaridade... / This work aimed to study the prevalence of alcoholism associated with anthropometrical indices from the nutritional status as well as its relation to demographic characteristics of inhabitants over 18 years old from Araraquara, SP. The experiment design consisted of selecting samples from probabilistic stratified analysis according to census sectors and gender. A total of 1,710 adults were included in this study. It was performed interviews by telephone, all made by one person. As screening test it was applied the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. In order to verify the associations of interest it was applied the chi-square test (χ2). The significance level implemented was 5.00%. The sample was composed of 50.00% of men and the participants were predominantly married (62.98%), social class C (42.05%), high school level complete or graduation incomplete (37.89%), participant in some religion (89.59%), workers (58.95%), non-smokers (87.43%) and eutrophic nutritional status (46.67%). It was verified high number of overweight individuals (51.01%). From all interviewed, 21.52% were classified as abstainers, 60.06% as moderate drinkers and 18.42% presented risk drinking behavior. There was significant association between drinking alcohol pattern and gender (χ2=154.105, p=0.001), economical level (χ2=7.469, p=0.024), religion (χ2=12.360, p=0.001), occupation (χ2=28.795, p=0.001), smoking habit (χ2=28.486, p=0.001) and nutritional status (χ2=9.357, p=0.009). The binge drinking behavior was observed in 11.40% of the participants. There was significant association between binge drinking behavior and gender (χ2=96.323, p=0.001), economical level (χ2=9.297, p=0.010), school level (χ2=4.502, p=0.034), religion (χ2=11.652, p=0.001), occupation (χ2=24.574, p=0.001), smoking habit (χ2=8.182, p=0.004) and nutritional status... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Alcohol use disorder is a global health issue that affects a significant portion of the population, with affects including both negative mental and physical consequences. Currently, there are few treatment options available to those who suffer from alcohol use disorder, alcohol abuse, or alcohol dependence. Identifying candidate genes or environmental influences would therefore improve the means for possible treatments or identification of those people at risk for alcohol use disorder. Previous studies in humans have demonstrated an inverse association between initial sensitivity and risk for alcohol abuse. This connection allows investigators, and our laboratory, to investigate genetic and environmental factors that may influence initial ethanol sedation. Our laboratory utilizes Drosophila melanogaster (flies) as a model organism to identify these such factors influencing acute behavioral responses to alcohol. Our lab has found evidence for both environmental and genetic factors that influence initial alcohol sensitivity in flies. In one study, flies that are fed increased amounts of dietary yeast are resistant to ethanol. We have found that this ethanol resistance is related to the amount of nutrients that is consumed, which then affects alcohol uptake/metabolism, to influence initial alcohol sensitivity. Importantly, we found that serotonergic neuron function is essential for regulating the consumption of high dietary yeast media for the increased nutrient intake to occur. In two separate projects, we identified a role for myocyte enhancer factor 2 (Mef2) and nitric oxide synthase (Nos) in initial alcohol sensitivity. Mef2 was obtained via a GWAS study identifying genes with an association with initial sensitivity in humans. We found that decreasing or altering Mef2 expression, using mutants or Mef2 RNAi, resulted in flies having decreased sensitivity to alcohol. The gene Nos, came out of a previous genetic interaction screen in the laboratory. Multiple reagents to assess Nos’s role in alcohol behavior were obtained and consistent evidence from three piggyBac transposon insertion flies and, importantly, a Nos null fly, demonstrate that decreased Nos expression results in increased ethanol sensitivity. Other preliminary results suggest that Nos expression during adulthood, as well as the mechanism of S-nitrosation, may be important for ethanol sedation in Drosophila.

Thesis (LLM. (Labour Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2010

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Proteomics is rapidly achieving recognition as a complimentary and perhaps superior approach to examine global changes in protein abundance in complex biological systems and the value of these techniques in neuropsychiatry is beginning to be acknowledged. Characterizing the brain’s regional proteomes provides a foundation for the detection of proteins that may be involved in disease-related processes. Firstly, optimal conditions were achieved for the application of two dimensional-gel electrophoresis (2D-GE)-based proteomics with postmortem human brain tissue. These optimized techniques were then applied to soluble fractions of adjacent grey and white matter of a single cytoarchitecturally defined area (Brodmann area 9; BA9) and of two adjacent regions of frontal white matter (BA9 and CC body) from healthy individuals. These normative proteomic comparisons highlighted the importance of correct tissue sampling, i.e. proper separation of regional white matter, as heterogeneity in the respective proteomes was demonstrated. Furthermore, they stressed the necessity for future molecular brain mapping studies. The main focus of this thesis however, was to examine the proteomes of brain regions specifically vulnerable to alcohol-induced damage underlying cognitive dysfunction. Alcoholic patients commonly experience mild to severe cognitive decline. It is postulated that cognitive dysfunction is caused by an alcohol-induced region selective brain damage, particularly to the prefrontal cortex. The cerebellum is increasingly recognized for its role in various aspects of cognition and alcohol–induced damage to the cerebellar vermis could indirectly affect neurocognitive functions attributed to the frontal lobe. We used a 2D-GE-based proteomics approach to compare protein abundance profiles of BA9 grey and white matter and the cerebellar vermis from human alcoholics (neurologically uncomplicated and alcoholics complicated with liver cirrhosis) and healthy control brains. Among the protein level changes observed are disturbances in the levels of a number of thiamine-dependent enzymes. A derangement in energy metabolism perhaps related to thiamine deficiency seems to be important in all regions analysed, even where there are no clinical or pathological findings of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. Evidence of oxidative changes was also seen in all regions and effects of liver dysfunction in the vermis found. However, overall, these results highlight the complexity of this disease process in that a number of different proteins from different cellular pathways appear to be affected. By identifying changes in protein abundance levels in the prefrontal grey and white matter and the cerebellar vermis, hypotheses may draw upon more mechanistic explanations as to how chronic ethanol consumption causes the structural and functional alterations associated with alcohol-related brain damage. Furthermore, by comparing these results, we may be able to isolate disturbances in molecular pathways specific to the brain damage caused by alcohol, severe liver dysfunction and thiamine deficiency.