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Subjective Intoxication (subjective + intoxication)
Selected AbstractsREVIEW: Human and laboratory rodent low response to alcohol: is better consilience possible?ADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2010John C. Crabbe ABSTRACT If people are brought into the laboratory and given alcohol, there are pronounced differences among individuals in many responses to the drug. Some participants in alcohol challenge protocols show a cluster of ,low level of responses to alcohol' determined by observing post-drinking-related changes in subjective, motor and physiological effects at a given dose level. Those individuals characterized as having low level of response (LR) to alcohol have been shown to be at increased risk for a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol dependence (AD), and this relationship between low LR and AD appears to be in part genetic. LR to alcohol is an area where achieving greater consilience between the human and the rodent phenotypes would seem to be highly likely. However, despite extensive data from both human and rodent studies, few attempts have been made to evaluate the human and animal data systematically in order to understand which aspects of LR appear to be most directly comparable across species and thus the most promising for further study. We review four general aspects of LR that could be compared between humans and laboratory animals: (1) behavioral measures of subjective intoxication; (2) body sway; (3) endocrine responses; and (4) stimulant, autonomic and electrophysiological responses. None of these aspects of LR provide completely face-valid direct comparisons across species. Nevertheless, one of the most replicated findings in humans is the low subjective response, but, as it may reflect either aversively valenced and/or positively valenced responses to alcohol as usually assessed, it is unclear which rodent responses are analogous. Stimulated heart rate appears to be consistent in animal and human studies, although at-risk subjects appear to be more rather than less sensitive to alcohol using this measure. The hormone and electrophysiological data offer strong possibilities of understanding the neurobiological mechanisms, but the rodent data in particular are rather sparse and unsystematic. Therefore, we suggest that more effort is still needed to collect data using refined measures designed to be more directly comparable in humans and animals. Additionally, the genetically mediated mechanisms underlying this endophenotype need to be characterized further across species. [source] Effects of Variation at the ALDH2 Locus on Alcohol Metabolism, Sensitivity, Consumption, and Dependence in EuropeansALCOHOLISM, Issue 7 2006Peter A. Dickson Background: The low-activity variant of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene found in East Asian populations leads to the alcohol flush reaction and reduces alcohol consumption and risk of alcohol dependence (AD). We have tested whether other polymorphisms in the ALDH2 gene have similar effects in people of European ancestry. Methods: Serial measurements of blood and breath alcohol, subjective intoxication, body sway, skin temperature, blood pressure, and pulse were obtained in 412 twins who took part in an alcohol challenge study. Participants provided data on alcohol reactions, alcohol consumption, and symptoms related to AD at the time of the study and subsequently. Haplotypes based on 5 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used in tests of the effects of variation in the ALDH2 gene on alcohol metabolism and alcohol's effects. Results: The typed SNPs were in strong linkage disequilibrium and 2 complementary haplotypes comprised 83% of those observed. Significant effects of ALDH2 haplotype were observed for breath alcohol concentration, with similar but smaller and nonsignificant effects on blood alcohol. Haplotype-related variation in responses to alcohol, and reported alcohol consumption, was small and not consistently in the direction predicted by the effects on alcohol concentrations. Conclusions: Genetic variation in ALDH2 affects alcohol metabolism in Europeans. However, the data do not support the hypothesis that this leads to effects on alcohol sensitivity, consumption, or risk of dependence. [source] A Polymorphism of the ,-Opioid Receptor Gene (OPRM1) and Sensitivity to the Effects of Alcohol in HumansALCOHOLISM, Issue 12 2004Lara A. Ray Background: Recent research has implicated the endogenous opioid system in the development of alcohol use disorders. The A118G polymorphism of the OPRM1 gene has been shown to confer functional differences to ,-opioid receptors, such that the G variant binds ,-endorphin three times more strongly than the A variant. The goal of this study was to test whether the A118G polymorphism is associated with sensitivity to the effects of alcohol. Methods: Participants who were either homozygous for the A allele (n= 23) or heterozygous (n= 15) received intravenous doses of alcohol designed to reach three target levels of breath alcohol concentration: 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06. The testing procedure consisted of measures of subjective intoxication, stimulation, sedation, and mood states at baseline and at each of the three target breath alcohol concentrations. Results: The results suggested that individuals with the G allele reported higher subjective feelings of intoxication, stimulation, sedation, and happiness across trials as compared with participants with the A allele. Furthermore, participants with the G allele were almost three times more likely to report a positive family history of alcohol use disorders than participants with the A allele. Conclusions: These findings may help to explain previous research suggesting that naltrexone is more effective among individuals with the G allele. A medication that reduces feelings of euphoria after alcohol consumption may be more successful among individuals with a genetic predisposition to greater feelings of euphoria after consuming alcohol. [source] Caffeinated Cocktails: Energy Drink Consumption, High-risk Drinking, and Alcohol-related Consequences among College StudentsACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 5 2008Mary Claire O'Brien MD Abstract Objectives:, The consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) is popular on college campuses in the United States. Limited research suggests that energy drink consumption lessens subjective intoxication in persons who also have consumed alcohol. This study examines the relationship between energy drink use, high-risk drinking behavior, and alcohol-related consequences. Methods:, In Fall 2006, a Web-based survey was conducted in a stratified random sample of 4,271 college students from 10 universities in North Carolina. Results:, A total of 697 students (24% of past 30-day drinkers) reported consuming AmED in the past 30 days. Students who were male, white, intramural athletes, fraternity or sorority members or pledges, and younger were significantly more likely to consume AmED. In multivariable analyses, consumption of AmED was associated with increased heavy episodic drinking (6.4 days vs. 3.4 days on average; p < 0.001) and twice as many episodes of weekly drunkenness (1.4 days/week vs. 0.73 days/week; p < 0.001). Students who reported consuming AmED had significantly higher prevalence of alcohol-related consequences, including being taken advantage of sexually, taking advantage of another sexually, riding with an intoxicated driver, being physically hurt or injured, and requiring medical treatment (p < 0.05). The effect of consuming AmED on driving while intoxicated depended on a student's reported typical alcohol consumption (interaction p = 0.027). Conclusions:, Almost one-quarter of college student current drinkers reported mixing alcohol with energy drinks. These students are at increased risk for alcohol-related consequences, even after adjusting for the amount of alcohol consumed. Further research is necessary to understand this association and to develop targeted interventions to reduce risk. [source] | ||||||||||