Abstinence Time Research Articles

Monitoring alcoholism treatment: The appropriateness of choice between γGT or MCV evaluation after a short time of abstinence

Gamma glutamyl transferase (γGT) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were evaluated in 58 alcoholics entering alcoholism treatment. The same patients were reassessed after one month of abstinence. Group results revealed a significant reduction of γGT from 80.2 to 43.1 IU/l while no alteration was detected for MCV (from 97.1 to 96.7 μ 3). However, individual analysis showed that the average MCV results obtained from the 2nd evaluation masked important within-individual differences. Thus, although a considerable percentage of alcoholics with initial high values showed an improvement, 44% of those with initial normal results had abnormally high reevaluation values. Limitations of serial MCV measurement during alcoholism treatment follow-up are discussed in light of these data.

Effect of duration of abstinence on maturity of human spermatozoa nucleus.

Human sperm are a heterogeneous population, particularly with respect to their morphology, motility, and degree of nuclear maturity. The characteristics of human sperm and the degree of nuclear condensation with variable sexual abstinence times (long, 7 days; short, 12 h) have been studied. Long abstinence led to an increase in the number of sperm and a decrease in their motility, but their morphology remained unchanged. The DNA-protein complex demonstrated by ethidium bromide uptake was unchanged, but there was a significant increase in nuclear stability upon treatment with SDS. The duration of abstinence hardly affected the degree of nuclear condensation or stability of human sperm. The heterogeneity observed is essentially of testicular origin.

Variability in the human-hamster in vitro assay for fertility evaluation

Sources of variability in the zona-free hamster egg penetration assay were evaluated. Internal consistency in the assay was examined in replicate experiments using sperm from 23 donors. The average difference in the percentage of fertilization between the replicates was 3.9%. Optimal preincubation conditions and insemination time were examined and shown to be 0.5 to 1.0 X 10(7) sperm/ml and 2 to 3 hours. Abstinence time was found to be a variable, and a critical abstinence of more than 12 hours was required. Prolonged exposure to seminal plasma (i.e., more than 30 minutes) produced a reduction in the fertilization test results. If the variables studied here are consistently controlled, then changes in the assay results greater than the experimental error should reflect true changes in the semen sample.

Studies on duration of a late recovery period after chronic abuse of ethanol. A cross-sectional study of biochemical and psychiatric indicators.

A cross-sectional study on patients with different abstinence time was performed to describe long-time biochemical and psychiatric changes due to withdrawal from heavy alcohol abuse. Physical, neurological, psychiatric and biochemical parameters were measured in 70 patients with a withdrawal period ranging from 2-90 days. The various parameters changed over time in different manners. Fatigability, reduced sleep, reduced sexual interest, apparent sadness, hostility and global ratings of abstinence improved significantly with the duration of the recovery period. Symptoms related to brain hyperexcitability such as fatigability, inner tension, insomnia and pains persisted for approximately 5 weeks. Of the biochemical parameters, the transaminases were normal in patients with more than 10 days of abstinence, while the levels of gamma-glutamyltransferase and HDL-cholesterol remained high for longer periods. The essential fatty acid status, measured by the fatty acid composition of serum lecithin, appeared to be normal only in patients with long recovery time. MAO in platelets was significantly lower than in the controls. The highest values were seen in the early recovery phase, which may indicate a temporary increase. Since polyunsaturated fatty acids are important constituents of synaptic membranes and since platelet MAO may reflect brain MAO, we consider these co-existing findings important in the interpretation of the psychiatric symptoms. The study demonstrated the existence of a subacute withdrawal syndrome lasting for 4-6 weeks.

Decreasing postpartum sexual abstinence time

Postpartum sexual abstinence time can be safely shortened for most patients when episiotomy repair is done meticulously with fine PGA suture on small needles. The time preferred by patients for resumption of intercourse seems to be between the second and third postpartum week. We have seen no ill effects from this, and we feel that sexual intercourse at these early dates does not influence the healing of the episiotomy in any way.

Liver lipid content in alcoholics.

Abstract. Liver biopsy specimens from 51 alcoholics obtained with a 0.7 mm needle have been analysed for lipid content and these values have been compared with the evaluation of visible fat in smears from the same biopsy specimens. Large variations in liver lipid concentrations have been found, ranging from one group, 24% of total, with fat within normal limits to a few individuals with a 100‐fold increase in liver lipid concentration. Partly this variation is explained by varying abstinence time before biopsy. A classification of liver lipid levels into three morphological categories is suggested and will give an adequate measure of this parameter. Serum transaminases and bilirubin were the only laboratory data found to co‐vary with liver fat.

Comparison of blood clearance of ethanol and tolbutamide and the activity of hepatic ethanol-oxidizing and drug-metabolizing enzymes in chronic alcoholic subjects

After 1 year of heavy drinking, six alcoholic men were hospitalized for 10 weeks of abstinence and studied serially. The removal rate of alcohol and tolbutamide from the blood, the in vivo activity of two liver microsomal enzymes, and alcohol dehydrogenase were determined three times in each subject. When compared, the rates of alcohol and tolbutamide removal were higher on admission than 10 weeks later. Liver alcohol dehydrogenase increased with time, whereas the activity of the two microsomal liver enzymes decreased with time. Thus the drinking alcoholic has both increased drug metabolism and increased drug-metabolizing enzymes and both decrease with time of abstinence. No correlation was found between the removal rate of alcohol in the whole body and alcohol dehydrogenase levels in the liver.

Prostatectomy

<h3>Abstract</h3> Spatial attention can be magnetically attracted by behaviorally salient stimuli. This phenomenon occasionally conflicts with behavioral goals, leading to maladaptive consequences, as in the case of behavioral addictions, in which attentional capture has been often described and linked with clinically meaningful variables, such as craving level or dependence intensity. Here, we sought to probe the markers of attentional priority in smokers through eye-tracking measures, by leveraging the established link between eye movements and spatial attention. We were interested, in particular, in potential markers related to pupil dilation, because pupil size reflects a range of autonomic, affective, and cognitive/attentional reactions to behaviorally significant stimuli and is a robust marker of appetitive and aversive learning. We found that, indeed, the pattern of pupil dilation and constriction to nicotine-related visual stimuli could reliably predict, in crossvalidated logistic regression, the smoking status of female and male smokers better than more traditional proxy measures based on response times or eye position. Pupil dilation was more sensitive at lower nicotine dependence levels, supporting previous claims that the incentive strength of conditioned stimuli gradually decreases and leaves space for a more automated, habit-driven processing mode. Additionally, it was more sensitive with increased abstinence time, suggesting that it may reflect craving levels. We conclude that pupillometry can provide a robust marker for attentional priority computation and provide useful indications regarding motivational states and the individual attitudes toward conditioned stimuli.