Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit Zusammenhängen kognitiver Fähigkeiten und der Befindlichkeit bei Patientinnen mit Hepatitis C aus der sogenannten „Anti-D-Kohorte“. Die Frauen (n=2867) dieser spezifischen Gruppe wurden 1978/79 im Rahmen einer Anti-D-Immunprophylaxe mit dem Hepatitis C (1b) Virus infiziert. Häufig werden von Patienten, welche mit Hepatitis C infiziert sind, Beschwer-den wie Abgeschlagenheit, Ermüdung und Depressivität beklagt. In Studien wurden zudem Einschränkungen in der Kognition, insbesondere der Aufmerk-samkeit und des Gedächtnis festgestellt. Dazu wurden im Rahmen eines größeren Forschungsprojektes (Herzig et al in prep) 58 Hepatitis C Patientinnen und 25 gesunde Kontrollprobandinnen aus-gewählt. In dieser Arbeit werden die Ergebnisse der psychometrischen Testun-gen von Kognition und der Befindlichkeit vorgestellt und diskutiert. In den Komponenten Aufmerksamkeit und kognitive Flexibilität sowie in der Befindlichkeit konnten signifikante Unterschiede zur Kontrollgruppe nachgewiesen werden. Zudem fiel ein tendenzieller Vorteil antiviral therapierter Patientinnen und Patientinnen ohne nachweisbare Viruslast auf, sodass selbst HCV negative Frauen nicht als „gesund“ angesehen werden können und die Empfehlung zur medikamentösen Therapie aller viruspositiven Patientinnen besteht.

Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit Zusammenhängen kognitiver Fähigkeiten und der Befindlichkeit bei Patientinnen mit Hepatitis C aus der sogenannten „Anti-D-Kohorte“. Die Frauen (n=2867) dieser spezifischen Gruppe wurden 1978/79 im Rahmen einer Anti-D-Immunprophylaxe mit dem Hepatitis C (1b) Virus infiziert. Häufig werden von Patienten, welche mit Hepatitis C infiziert sind, Beschwer-den wie Abgeschlagenheit, Ermüdung und Depressivität beklagt. In Studien wurden zudem Einschränkungen in der Kognition, insbesondere der Aufmerk-samkeit und des Gedächtnis festgestellt. Dazu wurden im Rahmen eines größeren Forschungsprojektes (Herzig et al in prep) 58 Hepatitis C Patientinnen und 25 gesunde Kontrollprobandinnen aus-gewählt. In dieser Arbeit werden die Ergebnisse der psychometrischen Testun-gen von Kognition und der Befindlichkeit vorgestellt und diskutiert. In den Komponenten Aufmerksamkeit und kognitive Flexibilität sowie in der Befindlichkeit konnten signifikante Unterschiede zur Kontrollgruppe nachgewiesen werden. Zudem fiel ein tendenzieller Vorteil antiviral therapierter Patientinnen und Patientinnen ohne nachweisbare Viruslast auf, sodass selbst HCV negative Frauen nicht als „gesund“ angesehen werden können und die Empfehlung zur medikamentösen Therapie aller viruspositiven Patientinnen besteht.

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Objectives: To determine incidence and patterns of natural course of cannabis use and disorders as well as cohort effects in a community sample of adolescents and young adults. Method: Cumulative incidence and patterns of cannabis use and disorders were examined in a prospective longitudinal design (mean follow-up period=42 months) in a representative sample (N=2446) aged 14–24 years at the outset of the study. Patterns of cannabis use, abuse and dependence (DSM-IV) were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI). Results: (1) Cumulative lifetime incidence for cannabis use (at second follow-up): 47%; 5.5% for cannabis abuse, 2.2% for dependence. (2) Men used and abused cannabis more often than women. (3) The majority of the older participants (18–24 years at baseline) had reduced their cannabis use at follow-up, while younger participants (14–17 years at baseline) more often had increased their use and developed abuse or dependence. (4) The younger birth cohort (1977–1981) tended to start earlier with substance (ab)use compared to the older birth cohort (1970–1977). (5) Cannabis use was associated with increasing rates of concomitant use of other licit and illicit drugs. Conclusions: Cannabis use is widespread in our sample, but the probability of developing cannabis abuse or dependence is relatively low (8%). The natural course of cannabis use is quite variable: about half of all cannabis users stopped their use spontaneously in their twenties, others report occasional or more frequent use of cannabis.

Asthma, hay fever and atopic dermatitis are complex diseases. Presumably, genetic factors that protected from infectious agents in the past do promote allergic disease in the absence of infectious agents. Linkage and candidate gene studies identified common as well as disease specific genetic determinants of atopic diseases. However, a large number of chromosomal regions and candidate genes were related to asthma and associated traits. International collaborations and meta analyses appear to be mandatory to identify the major genes for asthma and atopy. Also, gene-gene and gene-environment interaction analyses are of great importance to identify genetic risk factors for allergic diseases. Birth cohorts are particularly valuable since exposure to various environmental agents have been documented since early childhood. This work summarizes genetic and epidemiologic studies of the German Multicenter Allergy Study (MAS) that contributed significantly to our understanding of the development of asthma and allergy in childhood. This work summarizes candidate and linkage studies performed in the MAS-cohort and outlines early risk factors for allergic diseases in childhood that were observed in MAS-participants.

Objective: To determine incidence and patterns of natural course of ecstasy/stimulant/hallucinogen (ESH) use and disorders as well as cohort effects in a community sample of adolescents and young adults. Method: Cumulative incidence and patterns of ecstasy use and disorders were examined in a prospective longitudinal design (mean follow-up period=42 months) in a representative sample (N=2446) aged 14–24 years at the outset of the study. Patterns of DSM-IV defined ESH use, abuse and dependence were assessed with the Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI). Results: (1) Cumulative lifetime incidence for use of ESH at second follow-up: 9.1%, 1.0% for abuse, 0.6% for dependence; (2) men used and abused ESH more often than women; (3) the younger birth cohort (1977–81) tended to start earlier with substance (ab)use compared to the older birth cohort (1970–77); (4) use of ESH was associated with increasing rates of concomitant use of other licit and illicit drugs; (5) the majority of the lifetime ESH users without disorder had stopped to use these substances and not consumed them during the 12 months preceding the second follow-up; (6) those who had stopped to take ecstasy and related drugs at follow-up also took other illicit drugs less often than those who continued to consume ESH. Conclusions: Use of designer drugs is widespread in our sample, but the probability of developing use disorders is fairly low (1.6%). The majority of the ESH users stopped their use spontaneously in their twenties (80% of the prior users without disorder, 67% of the prior abusers), but 50% of those that once had fulfilled DSM-IV criteria of dependence continued to use these substances.

Objectives: To determine incidence and patterns of natural course of cannabis use and disorders as well as cohort effects in a community sample of adolescents and young adults. Method: Cumulative incidence and patterns of cannabis use and disorders were examined in a prospective longitudinal design (mean follow-up period=42 months) in a representative sample (N=2446) aged 14–24 years at the outset of the study. Patterns of cannabis use, abuse and dependence (DSM-IV) were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI). Results: (1) Cumulative lifetime incidence for cannabis use (at second follow-up): 47%; 5.5% for cannabis abuse, 2.2% for dependence. (2) Men used and abused cannabis more often than women. (3) The majority of the older participants (18–24 years at baseline) had reduced their cannabis use at follow-up, while younger participants (14–17 years at baseline) more often had increased their use and developed abuse or dependence. (4) The younger birth cohort (1977–1981) tended to start earlier with substance (ab)use compared to the older birth cohort (1970–1977). (5) Cannabis use was associated with increasing rates of concomitant use of other licit and illicit drugs. Conclusions: Cannabis use is widespread in our sample, but the probability of developing cannabis abuse or dependence is relatively low (8%). The natural course of cannabis use is quite variable: about half of all cannabis users stopped their use spontaneously in their twenties, others report occasional or more frequent use of cannabis.

Objective: To determine incidence and patterns of natural course of ecstasy/stimulant/hallucinogen (ESH) use and disorders as well as cohort effects in a community sample of adolescents and young adults. Method: Cumulative incidence and patterns of ecstasy use and disorders were examined in a prospective longitudinal design (mean follow-up period=42 months) in a representative sample (N=2446) aged 14–24 years at the outset of the study. Patterns of DSM-IV defined ESH use, abuse and dependence were assessed with the Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI). Results: (1) Cumulative lifetime incidence for use of ESH at second follow-up: 9.1%, 1.0% for abuse, 0.6% for dependence; (2) men used and abused ESH more often than women; (3) the younger birth cohort (1977–81) tended to start earlier with substance (ab)use compared to the older birth cohort (1970–77); (4) use of ESH was associated with increasing rates of concomitant use of other licit and illicit drugs; (5) the majority of the lifetime ESH users without disorder had stopped to use these substances and not consumed them during the 12 months preceding the second follow-up; (6) those who had stopped to take ecstasy and related drugs at follow-up also took other illicit drugs less often than those who continued to consume ESH. Conclusions: Use of designer drugs is widespread in our sample, but the probability of developing use disorders is fairly low (1.6%). The majority of the ESH users stopped their use spontaneously in their twenties (80% of the prior users without disorder, 67% of the prior abusers), but 50% of those that once had fulfilled DSM-IV criteria of dependence continued to use these substances.