Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Jan 2016
Review Meta AnalysisWorldwide Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Literature Review Including Meta-Analysis.
Although fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) affect communities worldwide, little is known about its prevalence. The objective of this study was to provide an overview of the global FASD prevalence. ⋯ The worldwide pooled prevalence estimates are higher than assumed so far, but this was largely explained by geography and descent. Furthermore, prevalence studies varied considerably in terms of used methodology and methodological quality. The pooled estimates must therefore be interpreted with caution and for future research it is highly recommended to report methodology in a more comprehensive way. Finally, clear guidelines on assessing FASD prevalence are urgently needed, and a first step toward these guidelines is presented.
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Jan 2016
Accelerated HF-rTMS Protocol has a Rate-Dependent Effect on dACC Activation in Alcohol-Dependent Patients: An Open-Label Feasibility Study.
The application of accelerated high-frequency (HF) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could be a potential treatment option for alcohol-dependent patients and may result in a faster clinical response. In this open-label HF-rTMS feasibility study, we wanted to replicate previous findings of baseline brain activation as a predictor of relapse, and to evaluate how this intervention influences the relapse neurocircuit of "treatment-seeking" alcohol-dependent patients, by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) cue-exposure paradigms. Because relapsing patients have a diminished resilience of the emotion regulation/cognitive control system, before HF-rTMS treatment, we expected lower neuronal activation of especially the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) during the presentation of alcohol-related cues in these patients. The relapse neurocircuit should be modified after accelerated HF-rTMS treatment, only in those patients who did not relapse. ⋯ Our data indicate that higher baseline dACC activation may serve as a protective mechanism regarding relapse. For the first time, it is demonstrated that accelerated HF-rTMS treatment influences dACC activation in a rate-dependent manner: the lower the baseline dACC activation, the more dACC activity was increased after HF-rTMS treatment.