Optimizing measures of drinking to predict alcohol-related consequences.

A Multilevel Analysis of Social Environmental Factors Related to Substance Use, Tobacco Use, and Binge Drinking Behaviors Among Older Adults.

High rates of alcohol-related problems have been reported among US service members (SMs). Screening questions on drinking and related behaviors can help identify individuals at-risk for alcohol-related problems. However, brief alcohol screeners, such as the alcohol use disorders identification test-consumption (AUDIT-C) and the 4-item rapid alcohol problems screening (RAPS-4), have not been adequately and concurrently validated among active-duty SMs. From October to December 2021, 19,465 active-duty soldiers (including activated reserve soldiers) completed anonymous command-directed e-surveys (response rate= 31%); two random samples were drawn and sex-stratified. The AUDIT-C, RAPS-4, depression (PHQ2), anxiety (GAD2), and suicidal thoughts (2-item CSSRS) were analyzed to assess convergent validity and clinical utility of the AUDIT-C versus RAPS-4. Findings indicate fair-to-moderate (φ = 0.310-0.399) convergence between screeners among males and weak-to-fair (φ = 0.227-0.391) convergence among female soldiers. Among male soldiers, the best level of agreement between screeners, albeit fair in concordance, was AUDIT-C ≥ 6 (weighted kappa = 0.381-0.399). Among female soldiers, AUDIT-C ≥ 4 or 5 demonstrated the best concordance with RAPS-4 (weighted kappa = 0.384-0.380, respectively). Importantly, however, less than one-third of soldiers screened positive by both AUDIT-C and RAPS-4; over two-thirds had discordant screening results. Although both screeners were independently and positively associated with risk for suicidal thoughts, depression, and/or anxiety, the RAPS-4 demonstrated stronger association with suicidal thoughts than AUDIT-C. The AUDIT-C and RAPS-4 each capture unique but interrelated aspects of drinking behaviors. The RAPS-4 appears advantageous by including clinically oriented questions that have shown to strongly correlate with AUD risk, and in this study demonstrated strong correlations with risk for other mental health conditions. In contrast, the AUDIT-C is only limited to consumption-focused items. While the AUDIT-C is currently mandated primary alcohol screener in military settings, the stronger correlation of RAPS-4 with related behavioral health outcomes warrants further research and consideration as a preferable primary screener among SMs.

Childhood adversity is an important determinant of undergraduates' drinking and smoking behaviours; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Self-schemas are one possible pathway that may help explain this relationship. The vulnerability of self-schemas and behaviours resulting from childhood adversity may vary according to the level of childhood poly-adversity. This study examined the differential effects of low and high childhood poly-adversity on drinking- and smoking-related self-schemas and behaviours among undergraduates over time. Whether self-schemas mediate the relationship between childhood poly-adversity and behaviours was also examined. A prospective study was conducted among 275 first- and second-year Taiwanese undergraduates who reported any adverse childhood experiences in Wave I. An anonymous digital survey was administered at five-time points (6months apart). Results showed that undergraduates with high poly-adversity had higher drinker and smoker self-schema scores and more drinking and smoking behaviours than those with no or low childhood poly-adversity. Childhood poly-adversity had significant indirect effects on drinking and smoking behaviours through drinker and smoker self-schemas. Findings suggest that low and high childhood poly-adversity have differential effects on self-schemas and behaviours. Self-schemas may be an underlying mechanism linking childhood poly-adversity to undergraduate drinking and smoking behaviours. Early identification of childhood poly-adversity experiences and interventions to promote positive self-conception may mitigate undergraduate drinking and smoking behaviours.

Adolescent drinking behaviors and mental health issues are growing public health concerns closely linked to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). This 12-month longitudinal study examined whether resilience and self-concept properties mediate the associations of childhood poly-adversity with adolescent drinking behaviors and mental health issues. Participants included 289 adolescent-parent/guardian dyads from public junior high schools in southern Taiwan. Adolescents completed self-report measures at three time points to assess ACEs, resilience, self-concept properties, and behavioral and mental health challenges. Parents/guardians provided self-reported family resilience data at the same intervals. Adolescents with high childhood poly-adversity reported more frequent alcohol use, greater mental health symptoms, and lower self-concept clarity compared to those with no or low childhood poly-adversity. Family resilience and self-concept properties significantly mediated the effects of childhood poly-adversity on drinking behaviors and mental health issues, whereas individual resilience showed limited influence. These findings highlight the protective role of family resilience and self-concept in mitigating the long-term adverse effects of childhood poly-adversity. Moreover, the results suggest that self-concept properties may be a more proximal mechanism influencing adolescent adjustment. Interventions aimed at strengthening family resilience and promoting positive self-concept may serve as effective strategies to prevent drinking behaviors and mental health issues among adolescents with childhood poly-adversity.

ABSTRACT Water consumption may vary depending on climate, dry matter intake (DMI) as well as genetic group and physiological state of the cows. Little is published for other genetic groups besides Holstein. Understanding the need for water intake (WI) as well as drinking behaviour in critical periods could help producers develop adjusted management practices. This study aimed to investigate the drinking and water consumption behaviour of Holstein, Gyr and Girolando-F1 (½ Holstein ½ Gir) cows during the transition period. Thirty-six cows were distributed into three groups (n = 12 each) according to their genetic group. WI and water drinking behaviour were monitored from 10 days before parturition until 21 days of lactation using electronic drinkers. During pre-calving, a positive correlation was observed between WI and DMI only for Holstein (r = 0.31; p < 0.05) and Girolando-F1 (r = 0.34; p < 0.05) cows. Holstein cows ingested the highest amount of water daily and per 100 kg of body weight (BW) (30.9 kg and 4.5 kg). Holstein cows had higher WI per BW0.75 than Gyr cows (0.23 kg vs. 0.12 kg). Furthermore, Holstein cows remained longer and spent more active time at the drinker (85.4 min; 81.2 min) than Gyr (13.5 min; 12.1 min) and Girolando-F1 cows (36.8 min; 34.4 min; p < 0.05), respectively. Holstein and Girolando-F1 cows had a higher daily number of active visits to the drinker than Gyr cows (4.2, 4.2, and 2.8 times, respectively). In the post-calving period, WI was positively correlated with DMI in all genetic groups, but it was correlated with milk yield (MY) only in Holstein (r = 0.21; p < 0.05) and Girolando-F1 (r = 0.42; p < 0.05) cows. The WI per MY and per BW0.75 was lower for Girolando-F1 cows in relation to the Holstein and Gyr cows on the first day post-calving and highest for Gyr cows on the seventh day post-calving. WI per kg of BW0.75 was higher for Holstein cows than for Gyr cows during the first 21 days of lactation, while WI per kg BW0.75 of Holstein cows was higher than that of Girolando-F1 cows on days 3 and 4 and from days 7 to 21. The genetic groups differed in WI and drinking behaviour and were mainly modulated by DMI and THI in the pre-calving period and by MY and DMI in the post-calving period.

Humor is a key component of social relationships and has been linked to both positive health outcomes and detrimental effects, depending on the style of humor employed. However, its associations with alcohol-related behaviors remain largely underexplored. The present study investigated the relationships between humor styles, gender, age, and alcohol use. A total of 392 adults (123 males and 269 females), aged between 18 and 74 years (M = 36.64; SD = 13.11), completed the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ). This data was used to assess humor styles and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to evaluate alcohol consumption patterns. Results indicated that male sex and younger age were significantly associated with higher alcohol use. Moreover, Self-Defeating humor emerged as a significant positive predictor of alcohol-related behavior. These findings suggest that certain maladaptive humor styles, particularly Self-Defeating humor, may play a role in reinforcing problematic drinking behaviors, possibly by serving as a dysfunctional coping mechanism in social contexts.

BDNF plays a crucial role in shaping the structure and function of neurons. In rodents, BDNF signaling in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is part of an endogenous pathway that protects against the development of phenotypes associated with alcohol use. Dysregulation of BDNF levels in the cortex or dysfunction of BDNF/TrkB signaling in the DLS of rodents results in the escalation of alcohol drinking and compulsive alcohol intake. The major source of BDNF in the striatum is the prefrontal cortex. We identified a small ensemble of BDNF-positive neurons in the mouse ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex (vlOFC), a region implicated in alcohol use disorder (AUD), that extend axonal projections to the DLS, which is associated with alcohol drinking behaviors. We speculated that BDNF in vlOFC-to-DLS circuit may play a role in limiting alcohol drinking and that heavy alcohol intake disrupts this protective pathway. We found that BDNF expression is reduced in the vlOFC of male but not female mice after long-term cycles of binge alcohol drinking and withdrawal. We further discovered that overexpression of BDNF in vlOFC-to-DLS but not in vlOFC-to-dorsomedial striatum (DMS) or M2 motor cortex-to-DLS circuit reduces alcohol but not sucrose intake and preference. We further showed that BDNF in vlOFC-to DLS reduces alcohol self-administration, alcohol seeking, and relapse. Finally, we found that systemic administration of BDNF receptor TrkB agonist, LM22A-4, dampens habitual alcohol seeking. Together, our data suggest that BDNF in a small ensemble of vlOFC-to-DLS neurons may gate alcohol drinking behaviors by attenuating habitual alcohol seeking.

Drinking behavior is not only homeostatically regulated but also rapidly adjusted before any changes in blood osmolality occur, known as anticipatory thirst satiation. Homeostatic and anticipatory signals converge in the subfornical organ (SFO); however, the neural pathways conveying peripheral information to the SFO before changes in blood composition are incompletely understood. Here we reveal an inhibitory pathway from the medial septum (MS) to the SFO that is involved in the control of anticipatory drinking behavior in mice. MS γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons encode water-satiation signals by integrating cues from the oral cavity and tracking gastrointestinal signals. These neurons receive inputs from the parabrachial nucleus and relay to SFOCaMKII neurons, forming a bottom-up pathway with activity that prevents overhydration. Disruption of this circuit leads to excessive water intake and hyponatremia. Our findings reveal a septal pathway that integrates multiple layers of presystemic signals to fine-tune drinking behavior.

ABSTRACTAlcohol misuse remains a leading cause of preventable death worldwide, prompting research into novel pharmacotherapies for alcohol use disorder (AUD). This study investigated the therapeutic potential of full agonism or positive allosteric modulation of the serotonin 2C receptor (5‐HT2CR) in addressing alcohol binge drinking and seeking behaviours in mice. Using a drinking‐in‐the‐dark paradigm and a context‐induced reinstatement model following punishment‐imposed abstinence, we assessed the acute effects of 5‐HT2CR ligands lorcaserin, CYD‐1‐79, VA012 and CTW0415 on alcohol intake and seeking behaviours in mice. Results showed that while lorcaserin effectively reduced both alcohol consumption and seeking behaviours, the 5‐HT2CR positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) did not significantly alter these behaviours over the range of doses examined. These findings suggest that 5‐HT2CR PAMs, at the tested doses, may lack intrinsic efficacy in modulating alcohol use. However, our lorcaserin data demonstrate that targeting 5‐HT2CR remains a valid approach to reduce behaviours associated with AUD.

Access to healthcare among managed alcohol program participants: A mixed methods study.

Neural mechanisms underlying approach and avoidance tendencies in alcohol use among males: An electrophysiological investigation.

Assessing orbitofrontal cortex volume as a predictor of subjective response to alcohol during early adolescence.

Pain and alcohol consumption among people living with HIV: examining the moderating roles of depression and social support.

Background Although those under 21 years of age cannot legally purchase cannabis products, recent data has suggested that adolescents use cannabis in a variety of ways. However, little is known on if different modes of cannabis administration are associated with other risky substance use behaviors. This study assessed different modes of cannabis administration on binge drinking outcomes among adolescents in the United States. Methods Data were analyzed from the Monitoring the Future 12th grade student surveys from the years 2018–2021 (n = 6859). Modes of cannabis administration (smoking, vaping, dabbing, eating, drinking, and other), multi-modal cannabis use (the use of 2 or more cannabis products), and any past two-week binge drinking occurrence were included in these analyses. Multiple regression models tested associations between 6 distinct modalities of cannabis use and multi-modal cannabis use with any past-two-week binge drinking occurrence. All models controlled for sex, race, age, socioeconomic status (mothers’ education level), and geographic location. Results Among survey participants, 30.8% had used cannabis within the past 12 months. Smoking (87%) was the most reported mode of administration, followed by edible consumption (49%), and vaping (45%). Smoking (AOR: 1.9, 95% CI:1.2–3.1), vaping (AOR: 1.5, 95% CI:1.1–2.1), dabbing (AOR: 1.5, 95% CI:1.0–2.1), and other (AOR: 2.4, 95% CI:1.3–4.5) modes of cannabis were significantly associated with any past two-week binge drinking occurrence. Similarly, multi-modal cannabis use was associated with any past two-week binge drinking occurrence (AOR: 1.4, 95% CI:1.2–1.6). Conclusion Different modes of cannabis administration may increase risky drinking behaviors among adolescents, reinforcing the need to understand cannabis use patterns among this population.

Drinking behavior, especially binge drinking, has a debilitating impact on systemic health. In this study, we report that in the absence of any changes in hepatic lactate dehydrogenase activity, the cardiac glycogen level fluctuates following short-term binge drinking. The change in cardiac glycogen levels follows a sex specific pattern. Our work is first to demonstrate that early metabolic changes in the heart, specifically glycogen levels, can be an ideal readout for forthcoming hepatic and systemic complications following binge drinking at an earlier stage. Also, females demonstrate a robust change in cardiac glycogen levels in comparison to their binge drinking male counterparts following short-term exposure, hinting at an early cardiometabolic risk in females. This study prompts us to look at early metabolic changes in the heart as a marker for binge drinking-mediated injury.

BackgroundAlcohol use contributes to over 3 million deaths annually. In Tanzania, there are no evidence-based culturally adapted interventions to address harmful alcohol use behaviors. Our hypothesis was that “Punguza Pombe Kwa Afya Yako” (PPKAY, Reduce Alcohol for your Health), a culturally adapted brief intervention with text-based boosters, is superior to usual care in reducing binge drinking at 3 months post discharge.Methods and findingsThis manuscript reports. Stage 1 of our adaptive clinical trial which seeks to determine the effectiveness of the PPKAY+ booster to usual care; a subsequent stage will compare the PPKAY only to personalized and standard boosters. Adults who sought care for an acute injury at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre Emergency Department, self-disclosed alcohol use prior to the injury, scored ≥8 on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and/or test positive by alcohol breathalyzer were offered enrollment. Participants were randomly assigned to PPKAY+ boosters (personalized or standard) or usual care at 1:1:1 allocation. Primary analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. The PPKAY is a 15-min nurse delivered brief intervention using motivational interviewing techniques combined with a standardized or personalized text based reminder sent weekly to participants after hospital discharge and until 1 year post enrollment compared to a usual care arm. Follow-up was performed by blinded outcome assessors. Our pooled intervention arms PPKAY+ boosters were compared to usual care to determine the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing the number of binge drinking days, the trial’s primary outcome, in the previous 4 weeks at 3 months after discharge. A total of 1,484 patients were screened for eligibility between October 12th 2020, and on April 14th 2023. 448 patients met inclusion criteria and consented to participate. 148 were randomized to usual care, and 300 to the pooled intervention arm. Reasons for attrition included loss to follow-up (n = 69), withdrawal (n = 6), and deaths (n = 4), with no differences between arms. Most participants were male (94%), from the Chagga tribe (59%) and had an average age of 36.4 years (SD 12.6) at baseline. At the 3-month follow-up, the intervention arm showed a notable reduction in mean predicted binge drinking days by 1.2 days (95% CI: [−2.3, −0.3]; p = 0.002) compared to the usual care group in a difference-in-differences analysis. Importantly, the self-reported nature of our primary outcome introduces the potential for social desirability bias, particularly in the absence of participant blinding, and should be considered a limitation when interpreting the findings.ConclusionThe reduction in binge drinking behavior at 3-month follow-up compared to usual care suggests our culturally adapted intervention is an effective alcohol intervention for patients acutely injured in Tanzania. According to the adaptive study design, the next phases of the trial will continue to compare the intervention arm with a paired down version without the text messages boosters.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov NCT04535011

Alcohol hangovers can occur after a single episode of drinking and begin as blood alcohol concentration returns to zero. While hangovers are widely known for their physical symptoms, they also include psychological symptoms such as a depressed mood. These psychological impacts, particularly negative affect (e.g., anxiety, stress), remain less well understood, yet may contribute to maladaptive drinking behaviours and reinforce the cycle of excessive alcohol consumption. This systematic review, pre-registered and reported in alignment with Preferred Reporting Items for SystematicReviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Synthesis without Meta-analysisguidelines, aimed to comprehensively examine the association between alcohol hangovers and negative affect. Searches were performed in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycNET, Scopus and CINAHL from inception to January 2025. Two independent reviewers screened articles, assessed the risk of bias and extracted data. Twenty-two studies (n = 6152; mean age 26.9 years, 57% female) demonstrated a significant association between hangovers and increased negative affect, including anxiety, stress and depression. Maladaptive emotional regulation, avoidant coping styles, repetitive negative thinking and greater baseline anxiety exacerbated these negative experiences, while social support and mental resilience offered potential protective factors. The findings highlight the clinical importance of addressing psychological factors in alcohol-related harm. The tendency to return to binge drinking despite negative hangover experiences suggests that psychological factors may perpetuate unhealthy alcohol consumption. This review supports a strong link between alcohol hangovers and heightened negative affect. Effective interventions must address both the reduction of negative affect and the underlying drivers of binge drinking to promote healthier alcohol consumption patterns.

This brief report examines associations of age, sexual identity, prior sexual victimization, hazardous drinking behavior, and male sexual partners with the odds of prospective sexual assault among sexual minority women. This study utilized data from 467 sexual minority women enrolled in Waves 3 (2010-2012) and 4 (2016-2017) of the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women survey. We conducted logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with the risk of sexual assault over time. Logistic regression analyses showed that younger age (18-30), prior victimization, hazardous drinking, bisexual sexual identity, and number of male partners in the previous 5 years at Wave 3 were prospectively associated with sexual assault at Wave 4. These findings indicate that younger age, prior sexual victimization, hazardous drinking, and male sexual partnerships increase the subsequent odds of sexual assault among sexual minority women. The findings suggest opportunities for targeted interventions to prevent sexual violence in high-risk groups, as well as areas for future research.

Background:Studies in humans and animal models have documented relationships between initial sensitivity to alcohol and alcohol drinking behavior.Prior expression profiling studies of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice and rhesus macaques within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) have shown variation in myelin gene expression may be linked with alcohol sensitivity and consumption.Methods:Combining gene expression studies from human and mouse PFC, we identified a cross-species gene network enriched for myelin-associated genes. Since myelin expression is correlated to alcohol sensitivity and alcohol drinking behavior, we hypothesized basal levels of PFC myelin gene expression may be a genomic determinant for these behavioral responses. Using an animal model of CNS demyelination, and localized knock down of N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (Ndrg1), we measured effects of cortical myelin reduction on initial alcohol sensitivity and drinking behavior.Results:Reducing myelin-related gene expression significantly altered sensitivity to alcohol and decreased alcohol consumption. Mouse genetic-based studies identified Ndrg1 as a putative quantitative trait gene for sedative-hypnotic responses to alcohol. Site-specific injections of shNdrg1 lentivirus into PFC led to a significant decrease in NDRG1 expression, causing increased alcohol behavioral sensitivity and reduced preference for high concentrations of alcohol.Conclusion:Myelin is an important biological component underlying CNS disorders. Our studies demonstrate the role of a novel candidate gene (Ndrg1), and myelin-associated gene expression, as an important factor modulating initial sensitivity to alcohol and alcohol consumption. Differences in the expression of myelin-related genes, including Ndrg1, may serve as future therapeutic targets for the treatment of alcohol use disorders.