American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse最新文献

Background: Postnatal alcohol exposure impairs the development of the central nervous system, including the visual system. The behavioral consequences of such exposure on visual function remain poorly understood.Objectives: In this study, we investigated the effects of postnatal ethanol exposure on visuospatial learning and memory in C57BL/6 mice.Methods: Ethanol (3.0 g/kg) was administered via intubation on postnatal days 3-20. Controls received intubation only or no intervention. Pups were assigned to alcohol-treated (A, n = 11), intubation control (IC, n = 11), or non-intubated control (C, n = 9) groups. At three months, mice underwent the Novel Object Recognition (NOR) test and a visual water task. The NOR test measured recognition memory and exploratory behavior. The visual water task assessed visual acuity using sinusoidal gratings presented on monitors. Mice were trained over 17 days to associate a grating with a hidden platform, and visual acuity thresholds were determined based on performance at varying spatial frequencies.Results: Alcohol-exposed mice showed significant deficits in recognition memory and visual acuity. No group differences in body weight were observed. However, alcohol-treated mice displayed reduced exploration of novel objects (p = .0085, R² = 0.29) and lower visual acuity thresholds at higher spatial frequencies (p = .048, R² = 0.24).Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that early postnatal alcohol exposure can lead to lasting impairments in visual-cognitive functions. Given their similarity to deficits seen in children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), our results suggest the importance of early behavioral and visual assessments in children with suspected prenatal or early postnatal alcohol exposure.

Background: Although religious and cultural factors have been related to substance use in various populations, research is needed regarding associations for Arab Americans.Objectives: We examined how ethnic identity and religiosity relate to the odds and frequency of alcohol and cannabis use in Arab American college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as differences by biological sex and Muslim upbringingMethods:Arab American college students (N = 173; M_age = 20.1, range 17-23; 60.7% female; 44.5% Christian upbringing, 43.9% Muslim upbringing) were recruited through electronic flyers and a psychology subject pool in California. Participants reported their ethnic identity affirmation (i.e. feeling positively about being Arab American) and search (i.e. learning about Arab culture), religiosity, and past-year alcohol and cannabis useResults: Greater ethnic identity affirmation was related to less frequent alcohol (OR = .68, p = .046) and cannabis use over the past year (OR = .58, p = .030), whereas greater ethnic identity search was related to lower odds of alcohol (OR = 0.66, p = .025) and cannabis use (OR = 0.68, p = .025). Greater ethnic identity search was also related to less frequent alcohol use among individuals from Muslim upbringings (OR = .37, p = .004). Greater religiosity was related to less frequent alcohol (OR = .61, p = .015) and cannabis use (OR = .44, p = .005). It was also related to lower odds of using alcohol and cannabis, with significantly stronger associations among individuals from Muslim upbringings (OR = .39, p = .040; OR = .40, p = .048)Conclusion: Ethnic identity and religiosity buffered substance use risk. Culturally tailored interventions and supporting cultural experiences may reduce Arab American students' substance use.

Background: Exposure to racial and ethnic discrimination (RED) is positively associated with alcohol-related outcomes among Hispanics; however, links between RED and alcohol use are poorly understood, particularly when considering RED in social media.Objectives: Study aimed to (1) examine the direct and indirect associations between RED on social media and alcohol use severity (i.e., AUDIT total score) via coping drinking motives (a form of negative reinforcement in which an individual uses alcohol to alleviate/regulate negative emotions) among Hispanic emerging adult college students, and (2) examine if psychological resilience moderates the direct and indirect associations of social media discrimination on alcohol use severity.Methods: A convenience sample of 423 (women = 300, men = 123) Hispanic college students from Texas and Florida completed a cross-sectional online survey. Data were analyzed by conducting a conditional process analysis.Results: Social media discrimination did not have a direct association with alcohol use severity (β = .05, 95% CI=[-.03, .13], p > .05), but it did have a statistically significant indirect association with alcohol use severity via coping drinking motives (β = .08, 95% CI = [.03, .13], p < .05). Further, psychological resilience functioned as a moderator that weakened the indirect association between social media discrimination and alcohol use severity (β = -.14, 95% CI=[-.23, -.05], p < .001).Conclusions: Our conditional process analysis may help guide etiological studies on RED and alcohol use. The data suggest that psychological resilience and coping drinking motives may be relevant constructs for interventions that aim to mitigate the association between RED and alcohol use.

Background: The large-scale identification of people at risk of transitioning from relatively lower-risk to higher-risk alcohol use (e.g. problem drinking) remains a public health challenge despite advances in the identification of risk and protective factors.Objective: This observational study used machine learning to identify Reddit (social media platform) posting activity associated with transitioning from lower- to higher-risk forms of alcohol use.Methods: We employed bottom-up and top-down approaches to identify lower- and higher-risk alcohol-related subreddits. Using a non-parametric negative control procedure, we estimated each of 10,006 Reddit communities' risk of progression from lower- to higher-risk alcohol-related communities and applied a random forest model to predict progression among individual Reddit members. Eligible Reddit members had posted on Reddit for two or more years before their first post in a lower-risk alcohol-related community and for three or more years after that (N = 4,160).Results: Our methodology identified 42 alcohol-related communities, four of which were suggestive of problem drinking. Five communities were significantly associated with progression. Random forests model's risk scores for individual members correlated with their progression to higher-risk communities at 0.30; the model predicted progression of individual Reddit members with a 0.92 area under the curve.Conclusions: Posting in communities dedicated to other substance use, depression, and occupation in the food service industry was associated with posting activity suggestive of problem drinking 3 years later. Posting activity on Reddit may be used for early detection of people at higher risk of transitioning from lower- to higher-risk forms of alcohol use.

Background: Ethanol consumption during pregnancy induces enduring detrimental effects in the offspring, manifesting as a spectrum of symptoms collectively termed as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Presently, there is a scarcity of treatments for FASD.Objectives: To analyze current literature, emphasizing evidence derived from preclinical models, that could potentially inform therapeutic interventions for FASD.Methods: A narrative review was conducted focusing on four prospective treatments: nutritional supplements, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds and environmental enrichment. The review also highlights innovative therapeutic strategies applied during early (e.g. folate administration, postnatal days 4-9) or late (e.g. NOX2 inhibitors given after weaning) postnatal stages that resulted in significant improvements in behavioral responses during adolescence (a critical period marked by the emergence of mental health issues in humans).Results: Our findings underscore the value of treatments centered around nutritional supplementation or environmental enrichment, aimed at mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation, implying shared mechanisms in FASD pathogenesis. Moreover, the review spotlights emerging evidence pertaining to the involvement of novel molecular components with potential pharmacological targets (such as NOX2, MCP1/CCR2, PPARJ, and PDE1).Conclusions: Preclinical studies have identified oxidative imbalance and neuroinflammation as relevant pathological mechanisms induced by prenatal ethanol exposure. The relevance of these mechanisms, which exhibit positive feedback loop mechanisms, appear to peak during early development and decreases in adulthood. These findings provide a framework for the future development of therapeutic avenues in the development of specific clinical treatments for FASD.

Background: Cortical differences in thickness, folding, and complexity may reflect synaptic pruning and myelination alterations. Individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) may demonstrate differences in these cortical metrics due to neurodevelopmental aberrations or early opioid exposure.Objectives: We compared the cortical metrics between individuals with OUD and controls. The influence of age and duration of opioid exposure were considered indirect evidence for preexisting or opioid-exposure-based structural aberrations.Methods: Sixty-nine treatment-naïve men with OUD (52 heroin, 17 non-heroin) and 25 age and education-matched non-drug-using male controls were recruited from a treatment center and community, respectively. 3-Tesla Siemens Magnetom Verio scanner and Computational Anatomy Toolbox 12 were used for image acquisition and processing. Cortical parcellation was performed using Destrieux atlas. Surface-based morphometry (SBM) metrics were cortical thickness, sulcal depth, fractal dimension, and gyrification index.Results: Only two cortical areas survived corrections for multiple comparisons: persons with OUD had greater sulcal depth in the right lateral orbital sulcus (p = .0003, Glass's delta = 0.98) and lower gyrification index in the left frontal middle gyrus (p = .0005, Glass's delta = 0.67) than controls. The group-by-age interaction effect on the cortical thickness was non-significant. Lower age of initiation of opioid use was associated with larger cortical thickness in the inferior frontal (r = -0.36, p = .002) and anterior cingulate (r = -0.35, p = .003) regions. Duration of OUD negatively correlated with cortical thickness in frontal and occipital areas (r > -.30, p = .004-.007).Conclusion: Cortical abnormalities may stem from altered synaptic pruning and myelination, possibly due to neurodevelopmental aberrations or early opioid exposure.

Background: Prior meta-analyses have evaluated digital interventions for alcohol exclusively and alcohol/tobacco combined. These meta-analyses showed positive outcomes pertaining to alcohol and alcohol/tobacco combined. Yet questions remain pertaining to the effect of digital cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on reducing alcohol and drug use.Objectives: The purpose of the meta-analysis was to determine the mean effect size, relative to control groups, of digital CBT, for posttest reductions in drug and/or alcohol use.Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses criteria was used to guide this review and meta-analysis. Electronic databases (APA PsycArticles, Academic Search Complete, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL Complete, ERIC, MEDLINE, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Social Sciences Full Text, Social Work Abstracts, SocINDEX), clinicaltrials.gov, reference lists were searched. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (ID#: CRD42023471492). The CBT interventions included cognitive restructuring.Results: All but one of the effect sizes favored digital CBT (from -0.02 to -1.45). After the removal an outlier, a small, significant, random effects model Hedges' g summary effect of -0.23 (95% confidence interval: -0.32, -0.14, p < .0001) showed a reduction in substance use at the posttest, favoring digital CBT relative to the control group. A variety of control conditions were used; however, the effects sizes had minimal heterogeneity (k = 17, I² = 5.34, Q = 16.9, p = .39). The funnel plot and Egger regression test intercept (0.01, p = .99) lacked publication bias.Conclusion: The meta-analytic findings suggest digital CBT is an efficacious treatment for reducing alcohol and drug use overall.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, caregiving responsibilities may have been associated with increased substance use.Objectives: To characterize substance use to cope with stress and willingness to seek help among (i) parents, (ii) unpaid caregivers of adults, and (iii) parent-caregivers.Methods: Data were analyzed for 10,444 non-probabilistic internet-based survey respondents of the COVID-19 Outbreak Public Evaluation (COPE) initiative (5227 females, 5217 males). Questions included new or increased substance use, substance use in the past 30 days to cope, insomnia, mental health, and willingness to seek help.Results: Nearly 20% of parents and unpaid caregivers of adults each reported new or increased use of substances to cope with stress or emotions; 65.4% of parent-caregivers endorsed this response. Compared to non-caregivers, all caregiver groups had higher odds of new or increased use of substances, with parent-caregivers showing the largest effect size (aOR: 7.19 (5.87-8.83), p < .001). Parent-caregivers had four times the adjusted odds of using drugs other than cannabis (aOR: 4.01 (3.15-5.09), p < .001) compared to non-caregivers.Conclusions: Caregivers may initiate or increase substance use as a coping strategy when under stress. The higher odds of substance use underscores the importance of efforts to screen for sleep disturbances and adverse mental health symptoms, particularly among parent-caregivers. Clinicians may consider asking patients about family situations more broadly to help identify people who may be experiencing stress related to caregiving and, if indicated, offer treatment to potentially alleviate some of the risks.

Background: Cannabis refusal self-efficacy (CRSE), as the people´s belief about their capacity to resist cannabis, has been probed to predict cannabis use and related behaviors. The CRSE Questionnaire (CRSEQ) has 14 items grouped into Emotional Relief Self-Efficacy (6 items), Opportunistic Self-Efficacy (5 items), and Social Facilitation (3 items), forming a CRSE higher-order factor.Objective: To validate the CRSEQ for its use in the Chilean population.Method: The CRSEQ was administered to 1,275 individuals aged 12 to 77 (835 females). Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to evaluate 14-item and 19-item models. Estimates of internal consistency, temporal stability, and convergent validity with cannabis use behaviors and reward sensitivity were obtained. Additionally, three multigroup invariance tests were conducted.Results: Both models exhibited good fit indices. The 14-item model showed χ² (74) = 245.662, p < .001, CFI = .974, RMSEA = .047, indicating slightly better fit compared to the 19-item model, which showed χ² (149) = 559.596, p < .001, CFI = .958, RMSEA = .051. Both models showed strong internal consistency (α = .80 to .96 for the 14-item model, α = .80 to .96 for the 19-item model), moderate to high temporal stability (ICCs 14-item model/ 19-item model: ERSE = .77/.78, OSE = .88/.89, SF = .82/.82), and significant convergent validity (correlations with cannabis use behaviors: .22 to .58).Conclusion: The better fit of the 14-item model makes it suitable for most applications. Convergent validity and multigroup invariance analyses confirmed the questionnaire's equivalence across sex, age groups, and cannabis use problem status. This allows for meaningful comparisons of cannabis refusal self-efficacy between different demographic groups, facilitating its applicability in diverse settings such as educational institutions and substance use treatment centers.

Background: Methamphetamine is a psychoactive substance that competes with the dopamine transporter, disrupting its flow and storage. This can trigger oxidative stress, finally resulting in neural cell death. Due to the increasing prevalence of methamphetamine use, extensive research has been devoted to finding treatments that ameliorate its detrimental effects. Naringenin, a dietary flavonoid found in citrus fruits, has shown several neuroprotective and pharmacological properties.Objectives: This study was aimed to assess the protective effects of naringenin against methamphetamine-induced dopaminergic cell death.Methods: Before exposure to methamphetamine, human neuroblastomaSH-SY5Y cells were either pretreated or not treated (controls) with naringenin. Cell viability, level of oxidative stress markers, and expression of some genes involved in apoptosis and autophagy processes were then assessed using MTT, ROS, and MMP assays, and qRT-PCR and Western blotting techniques.Results: Naringenin pretreatment significantly enhanced cell viability following methamphetamine exposure (p < .01). It significantly decreased ROS levels (p < .001), preserved mitochondrial membrane potential, and moderated upregulation of apoptotic (CytC, Casp3, and Bax) and autophagic genes (Beclin-1, and LC-3) and down-regulation of Bcl-2 as an anti-apoptotic gene. Similar naringenin-mediated patterns were observed for cytochrome C and caspase 3 proteins.Conclusion: Naringenin administration can be considered for treating the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine.