Alcohol Dependence News and Research

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UT Austin researchers identify network of genes that drives alcohol dependence

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have identified a network of genes that appear to work together in determining alcohol dependence. The findings, which could lead to future treatments and therapies for alcoholics and possibly help doctors screen for alcoholism, are being published this week in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

2 Dec 2014

Month-long residential program helps young adults stay drug-free

Residential treatment may be an appropriate first-line option for young adults who are dependent on opioid drugs - including prescription painkillers and heroin - and may result in higher levels of abstinence than does the outpatient treatment that is currently the standard of care.

21 Nov 2014

Excessive alcohol intake is not just the realm of alcoholics

Excessive alcohol consumption, which is responsible for 88,000 deaths annually in the US, is commonly assumed to occur in people who are alcohol-dependent. However, of these deaths only 3,700 were due to alcohol dependence. A study published yesterday found that in 9 out 10 cases, adults who drink too much alcohol are not alcoholics or alcohol-dependent.

21 Nov 2014

New QUT research helps promote road safety, reduces fatalities and injuries in China

Changes to China's drink driving laws are catching the community off guard with more than 70 per cent of people unaware of the blood alcohol limits that could see them face criminal charges, according to new Queensland University of Technology research conducted in two Chinese cities.

12 Nov 2014

Effective treatment for sleep disturbance may lower risk of drug and alcohol relapse recovery

Insomnia is a "prevalent and persistent" problem for patients in the early phases of recovery from the disease of addiction—and may lead to an increased risk of relapse, according to a report in the November/December Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

6 Nov 2014

Study identifies new targets for developing novel treatment for alcohol dependence

Bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract fulfill many vital functions and are critical for digestion. Yet, these same bacteria can induce strong inflammatory responses by the immune system if they penetrate the gut and enter the bloodstream.

31 Oct 2014

Teen binge drinking effects may last a lifetime, suggests UMass Amherst study

Binge drinking can have lasting effects on brain pathways that are still developing during adolescence, say neuroscience researcher Heather N. Richardson and her colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Louisiana State University.

29 Oct 2014

Grand Challenges Canada announces 11 seed grants to improve mental health in developing countries

On the day the world is collectively raising awareness on mental health issues, Grand Challenges Canada, funded by the Government of Canada, announced new funding for 11 novel ideas to improve mental health in developing countries, one of the biggest unmet needs of our time. Seed grants of up to $270,000 are awarded to 11 innovators from Canada and low- and middle-income countries, totalling $2.9 million CAD.

10 Oct 2014

Suicide prevention: an interview with Dr Shekhar Saxena, World Health Organization

Suicide is a serious public health problem. More than 800,000 people die from suicide every year – that’s one person every 40 seconds.

5 Oct 2014

Research to determine whether messages about drinking provide clear warnings

Alcohol industry magazine ads reminding consumers to "drink responsibly" or "enjoy in moderation" fail to convey basic public health information, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

4 Sep 2014

Scientists solve mystery of why specific signaling pathway can be linked with alcohol dependence

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have solved the mystery of why a specific signaling pathway can be associated with alcohol dependence.

28 Aug 2014

Social integration, strong family ties can help those who struggle with substance abuse

Social integration, including strong family ties, can protect one's well-being and even reduce the impact high-risk genes have on health.

19 Aug 2014

Study: Aggressive behaviour linked to increased alcohol use among adolescents

Adolescents who behave aggressively are more likely to drink alcohol and in larger quantities than their peers, according to a recent study completed in Finland. Depression and anxiety, on the other hand, were not linked to increased alcohol use.

7 Aug 2014

Naltrexone may be effective in diminishing ICD symptoms in PD patients, study finds

Up to 20 percent of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and their families may confront a common but largely unrecognized challenge: the occurrence of impulse control disorders (ICDs) such as compulsive gambling, sexual behavior, eating, or spending.

31 Jul 2014

Drug paraphernalia triggers reward areas of brain differently in marijuana users

New research from The University of Texas at Dallas demonstrates that drug paraphernalia triggers the reward areas of the brain differently in dependent and non-dependent marijuana users.

16 Jul 2014

Very-late-onset schizophrenia linked to particularly high mortality risk

Patients with very-late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis have an increased risk of death compared with both the general population and patients with schizophrenia diagnosed earlier in life, Finnish study findings indicate.

15 Jul 2014

85% of African American adults expressed interest in genetic testing for AD susceptibility

Alcohol dependence (AD) has a genetic component and testing can determine a person's genetic risk for susceptibility to AD.

15 Jul 2014

Research project on risk taking behaviour in teenagers

By looking at 40 different factors in a 14 year old teens, including brain structure and function, personality, life experiences and genetics, researchers can predict with 70% accuracy who will go on to develop binge drinking within the next two years.

9 Jul 2014

Most traumatic experiences of killing in combat led to decrease in alcohol abuse

It's no secret that combat experiences are highly stressful and can contribute to instances of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among soldiers post-deployment.

11 Jun 2014

New intervention program may benefit chronically homeless, alcohol-dependent individuals

Chronically homeless, alcohol-dependent individuals might benefit from a new intervention that does not require them to stop or even reduce drinking, according to the results of a preliminary study in Seattle.

16 May 2014