Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Aug 2014
Intoxication- and withdrawal-dependent expression of central and peripheral cytokines following initial ethanol exposure.
Evidence has emerged demonstrating that ethanol (EtOH) influences cytokine expression within the central nervous system, although most studies have examined long-term exposure. Thus, the cytokine response to an acute EtOH challenge was investigated, in order to characterize profiles of cytokine changes following acute exposure. ⋯ Together, these studies provide a foundation for understanding fluctuations in central and peripheral cytokines following acute EtOH as potential contributors to the constellation of neural and behavioral alterations observed during EtOH intoxication and withdrawal.
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Aug 2014
A longitudinal study of insomnia and other sleep complaints in adolescents with and without alcohol use disorders.
Sleep disturbances are both common and well-characterized in adults with alcohol use disorders (AUDs), but have received little study in adolescents with AUDs. Furthermore, a handful of studies suggest that sleep complaints are a risk factor for AUDs. However, no published studies have yet examined the longitudinal course of sleep complaints in adolescents with AUDs; in particular, it remains unclear how persistent AUD-associated sleep complaints are in this age group, and what types of sleep complaints are most relevant to alcohol-use symptoms. We investigated these questions in a 5-year longitudinal study of adolescents with and without AUDs at baseline. ⋯ These results complement previous findings in other samples, indicating that insomnia and other sleep problems are a chronic predicament for adolescents with AUDs. The findings also suggest that sleep disturbances may place adolescents without AUDs at an elevated risk of developing alcohol problems.
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Aug 2014
A moderating role for gender in racial/ethnic disparities in alcohol services utilization: results from the 2000 to 2010 national alcohol surveys.
Few nationally representative studies have examined racial/ethnic disparities in alcohol services utilization. Further, little is known about whether racial/ethnic disparities generalize across genders, and what factors account for these disparities. Thus, we aimed to describe the combined impact of race/ethnicity and gender on alcohol services utilization, and to explore the roles for social influence factors in explaining racial/ethnic and gender disparities. ⋯ Findings for substantial Latino-White and Black-White disparities, especially among women, highlight the need for continuing research on explanatory factors and the development of appropriate interventions. Meanwhile, our evidence for persistent gender disparities and for social influence factors as drivers of these disparities tentatively suggests a need for intensified outreach to female heavy drinkers.