Family History Of Alcohol Abuse Research Articles

Quality of life in Down syndrome in Brazil: a cross-sectional study.

Down syndrome is the most commonly genetic cause of developmental delay and intellectual disability, affecting 1:700 live births. It is associated with heart disease and recurrent infections, among other complications that greatly impair the patient's quality of life. To evaluate the major factors associated with quality of life in a cohort of patients with Down syndrome. We assessed 1,187 patients with Down syndrome, older than 4 years old, with an adaptation of the Personal Outcomes Scale validated for Portuguese language, interviewing patients, parents, and caregivers. A bad quality of life was reported in 56.4% of the sample. The main factors associated with better quality of life were female sex, first medical visit before 4 months old, higher parental education, a professionally active mother, and prenatal care. The main factors associated with worse quality of life were family history of alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorders and comorbidity with autism and epilepsy. Clinical comorbidities such as autism and epilepsy carry a heavy burden among patients with Down syndrome, while factors related to family support, such as employment status and educational background of the parents, enhance quality of life. The factors associated with quality of life among patients with Down syndrome should be adequately evaluated in medical consultation and targeted in public health policies.

Factors Contributing to Risk of Persistence of Positive and Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia during Hospitalization

The aim of the study was to evaluate factors that may contribute to the persistence of positive, negative and other psychopathological symptoms of schizophrenia. All patients were treated in general psychiatric wards between January 2006 and December 2017. The initial study sample comprised of the medical reports of 600 patients. The main, specified inclusion criterion for the study was schizophrenia as a discharge diagnosis. Medical reports of 262 patients were excluded from the study due to no neuroimaging scans being available. The symptoms were categorised into three groups: positive, negative, and other psychopathological symptoms. The statistical analysis comprised modalities such as demographic data, clinical symptoms, as well as neuroimaging scans linking them to a potential impact of sustaining the mentioned groups of symptoms during the period of hospitalization. The analysis revealed that statistically significant risk factors of persistence of the three groups of symptoms are the elderly age, the increasing toll of hospitalizations, suicidal attempts in medical history, a family history of alcohol abuse, the presence of positive, negative and other psychopathological symptoms on admission to the hospital, as well as the absence of cavum septi pellucidi (CSP). The study showed that addiction to psychotropic drugs and a family history of schizophrenia were more frequent in patients with persistent CSP.

A Study to Assess the Prevalence of Depression among Alcoholics, among Patients, Admitted to Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research, Dimapur, Nagaland

Abstract Background: Alcohol abuse is a significant global burden. Many families have been affected, and many are victims of its abuse. The effect ripple down not only in the life of the person abusing alcohol but also to the immediate and extended family members, which can be multiple and detrimental. Depression is one of the effects which can lead to further alcohol abuse. A vicious cycle is observed among the individual abusing alcohol, which in turn affects the other family members of the individual. Depression symptoms are common in alcohol abusing patients of all ages and are much more common than the diagnosable depressive disorder. Aims and Objectives: The current study aims to assess the prevalence of depression among alcoholics, among inpatients and also find the associations between the prevalence of depression and selected socio and clinical demographic variables. Materials and Methods: The method adopted by the study was descriptive study method using the total enumerative sampling technique. The CAGE questionnaire was used to screen out the patients for level of dependence. The tool used is the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-) to assess the prevalence. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the study. Results: The study results revealed that 74.2% of the participants were depressed widely distributed in all the levels with severity assessed by the PHQ9 questionnaire. The study also indicated that a family history of alcohol abuse is significantly associated with the prevalence of depression among alcoholics. The study result strongly indicates that depression is very much prevalent among alcoholics, along with other multiple co morbidities. Conclusion: Patients abusing alcohol needs continuous and regular assessment for early identification and adopts strategies for the management of the same. The management of depressive symptoms through the adoption of various therapies such as psychotherapy, other alternative systems of therapies and recreational therapies are much recommended. The treating health care team should consider strongly the use of pharmacological means, if the patient is found to be having depression, in the course of treatment in the hospital.

Acute Cognitive Dysfunction in a Patient With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Clinical Vignette.

Acute Cognitive Dysfunction in a Patient With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Clinical Vignette.

Survey of Opioid Risk Tool Among Cancer Patients Receiving Opioid Analgesics.

BackgroundThe risk of opioid-related aberrant behavior (OAB) in Korean cancer patients has not been previously evaluated. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) in Korean cancer patients receiving opioid treatment.MethodsData were obtained from a multicenter, cross-sectional, nationwide observational study regarding breakthrough cancer pain. The study was conducted in 33 South Korean institutions from March 2016 to December 2017. Patients were eligible if they had cancer-related pain within the past 7 days, which was treated with strong opioids in the previous 7 days.ResultsWe analyzed ORT results of 946 patients. Only one patient in each sex (0.2%) was classified as high risk for OAB. Moderate risk was observed in 18 males (3.3%) and in three females (0.7%). Scores above 0 were primarily derived from positive responses for personal or familial history of alcohol abuse (in men), or depression (in women). In patients with an ORT score of 1 or higher (n = 132, 14%), the score primarily represented positive responses for personal history of depression (in females), personal or family history of alcohol abuse (in males), or 16–45 years age range. These patients had more severe worst and average pain intensity (proportion of numeric rating scale ≥ 4: 20.5% vs. 11.4%, P < 0.001) and used rescue analgesics more frequently than patients with ORT scores of 0. The proportion of moderate- or high-risk patients according to ORT was lower in patients receiving low doses of long-acting opioids than in those receiving high doses (2.0% vs. 6.6%, P = 0.031). Moderate or high risk was more frequent when ORT was completed in an isolated room than in an open, busy place (2.7% vs. 0.6%, P = 0.089).ConclusionsThe score of ORT was very low in cancer patients receiving strong opioids for analgesia. Higher pain intensity may associate with positive response to one or more ORT item.

Alcohol use in Tanzanians with chronic psychotic disorders and poor medication adherence

BackgroundThe burden of chronic psychotic disorders (CPDs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is significant. Poorly medically adherent patients are more likely to have worse outcomes and require more resources. However, factors impacting effective treatment of CPD in this population are unclear.AimExamine the relationship between alcohol use and disease management and compare alcohol risk stratification between the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) in poorly medication adherent Tanzanians with CPD.SettingMuhimbili National Hospital and ambulatory clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Methods100 Tanzanians with CPDs and suboptimal medication adherence were dichotomized into low and moderate-to-high risk alcohol use based on AUDIT scores and compared regarding medication attitudes, adherence and psychiatric symptoms. Patients completed the ASSIST for comparison to AUDIT risk stratification.ResultsModerate-to-high risk alcohol users had worse medication attitudes (p < 0.01), medication adherence (previous week, p = 0.01; previous month, p < 0.001), and psychiatric symptoms (p = 0.03). They were younger, predominately male and more likely to have a family history of alcohol abuse. A logistic regression analysis found age, gender and family history of abuse as significant predictors of hazardous alcohol use (p = 0.02, 0.02, < 0.01, respectively). Risk stratification between AUDIT and ASSIST aligned in 85% of participants.ConclusionAlcohol use is an important consideration in treating poorly adherent Tanzanians with CPD. The ASSIST was comparable to the AUDIT in stratifying risky alcohol use with the additional benefit of screening for other substances.

ELSA 2014 Cohort: Risk Factors Associated With Heavy Episodic Drinking Trajectories in Argentinean College Students.

Heavy episodic drinking (HED) is highly prevalent in college students. In Argentina, there is a notable lack of longitudinal studies examining drinking trajectories. The present study identified HED trajectories in Argentinean college students during the first 3 years of college (seven waves) and examined the association between risk factors for alcohol use and HED trajectories. The sample was composed of 1,240 college students [63.1% women, aged 18–25 years (M = 19.1 ± 1.7)] who completed at least three waves (the first data collection and ≥2 follow-ups). For 3 years, participants completed seven surveys that measured HED frequency, age of drinking onset, drunkenness occurrence, trait impulsivity, family history of alcohol abuse, stressful life events, and perceived peer’s drinking. Latent Class Growth Analysis (LCGA) and Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR) were used to identify the pattern and number of HED trajectories and to explore which risk factors better distinguished between the trajectories, respectively. Six HED trajectories were identified: Heavy Stable Frequency, Moderate Stable Frequency, Moderate Decreasing Frequency, Stable Infrequent, Decreasing Infrequent, and No-HED. Younger age of drinking onset, alcohol intoxication, greater perception of peer drinking frequency and higher levels of impulsivity (i.e., sensation seeking, lack of premeditation, and positive urgency) increased the probability of belonging to the trajectories with more frequent HED. These trajectories partially coincide with those identified in studies from other cultures. Unlike previous studies, we did not find a trajectory with increasing/ascending HED frequency. This may be related to contextual/cultural variables unique to Argentina, like differences in the age when the peak in alcohol consumption is reached or the legal minimum age to buy alcoholic beverages in this country, and the idiosyncratic elements that characterize college life in Argentina. This work represents a step forward in the identification of risk factors differentiating between different HED trajectories, and help understand changes in alcohol use during college, in an understudied population.

Family History of Alcohol Abuse Associated with Higher Impulsivity in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder: A Multisite Study

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is to a high degree heritable, and in clinical practice it is common to assert presence of alcohol abuse family history (FH) in treatment-seeking AUD patients. Patients with AUD also exhibit cognitive deficits, including elevated impulsivity and impairments in executive functions (EF), but less is known regarding the relation between FH and these cognitive domains. The aim of the current study was to investigate if alcohol abuse FH in AUD patients is associated with a specific cognitive profile. Methods: Patients with AUD (n = 197) from Sweden (n = 106) and Belgium (n = 91) were recruited. Self-rated impulsivity was assessed by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). EF assessed were response inhibition (stop signal task), attention (rapid visual processing task), and working memory (digit span). A series of linear regression models were run to explore the effect of FH on cognitive outcomes. Results: A FH of alcohol abuse was associated with elevated score in self-rated impulsivity assessed by the BIS, with the greatest effect on the subscale of nonplanning. There was no statistically significant association between FH and any of the other neuropsychological task outcomes. Conclusion: Presence of alcohol abuse FH within AUD patients could be a marker of higher impulsivity, which may have clinical implications regarding diagnostic evaluation and treatment.

209 Assessing Risk of Opioid Abuse Among the Emergency Medicine Population

Prescription opioid abuse is a rapidly growing epidemic in the United States. The American College of Emergency Physicians recommends that prior to prescribing opioids to an individual the provider assess an individual's risk for opioid abuse. Few emergency medicine studies have assessed the use of validated opioid risk assessment tools to assess emergency department patients' risk of misusing opioids. In this study, we assess the feasibility of performing a self-administered validated opioid risk screening tool, the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT), in the waiting room of an emergency department and assessed the risk of opioid abuse among an emergency department (ED) population. The study was conducted over a 3-week period in the waiting room of an academic emergency department with an annual census of approximately 115,000 visits per year. All adults presenting to the emergency department were eligible. Individuals were approached while in the waiting room and chosen randomly based on their seat in the waiting room. The ORT was self-administered via an electronic tablet in the waiting room. The results of the survey were anonymous, and were not shared with clinician providers. A research coordinator was available while the individual completed the survey to assist with completion of the survey if necessary. Any difficulties completing the survey were recorded by the research coordinator. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. A total of 212 individuals were enrolled out of 253 persons invited to participate yielding a response rate of 84%. All completed the survey without difficulty. Males represented 34% of the participants. Overall 40% of the total sample reported a family history of alcohol abuse, 36% reported a family history of illicit drug abuse, and 21% reported a family history of prescription drug misuse. There were no significant differences between the family history of alcohol abuse, illicit drug abuse, or prescription drug misuse between males and females. Males were significantly more likely to report a personal history of ethanol abuse (74% vs 51%) and illicit drug abuse (53% vs 34%). Females were significantly more likely to report a history of depression (44% vs 23%). Seventy-two percent of individuals had a moderate or high opioid risk score. Males had a significantly higher opioid risk score than females (8.9 vs 7.1) and the overall average opioid risk score was 7.69, which is considered moderate opioid risk. Forty-two percent of individuals had a high opioid risk score, which has been associated with a 91% risk of aberrant drug behavior. In our study greater than 70% of the emergency department population was at increased risk of abusing opioids. Future studies should be performed to assess the impact integrating opioid risk scoring tools into clinical practice has on provider prescribing patterns in the emergency department.

P-30ACUTE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL INTAKE ON IMPULSIVITY AND HEART RATE IN YOUTH WITH OR WITHOUT A FAMILY HISTORY OF ALCOHOL ABUSE

This study analyzed, in youth (18-30 years old) with or without a family history of alcohol abuse (FH+ and FH-, respectively), the effect of an acute dose of alcohol on impulsivity, risk taking, heart rate, and on the subjective response to alcohol. The Balloon Analogue Risk Task and the Time Production were …

A Single-Center, Retrospective Analysis Evaluating the Utilization of the Opioid Risk Tool in Opioid-Treated Cancer Patients

ABSTRACTThe Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) is a screening tool used to assess risk of opioid misuse by stratifying aberrant drug-seeking behaviors and/or identifying known risk factors for drug abuse. The objectives of this study were to risk stratify opioid misuse in a cancer pain population and determine the most common patient risk factors associated with misuse utilizing the ORT. This was a retrospective analysis conducted at an academic comprehensive cancer center. Patients were referred by an oncologist or hematologist to an outpatient palliative care clinic. One-hundred and fourteen patients with cancer (n = 107) or sickle cell disease (n = 7) were evaluated from July 2012 to July 2013. During the clinical interview, patients responded to a clinician administered ORT. Based on the ORT score, patients were stratified into low, moderate, or high risk for opioid misuse. Sample size included 57 men and 57 women. Sixty-five, 21, and 28 patients were deemed low, moderate, and high risk based on the ORT, respectively. The most common risk factors for opioid misuse were a history of depression (women = 32; men = 22) and family history of alcohol abuse (women = 26; men = 22). There was no difference between men and women in the prevalence of depression (P = .17) or family history of alcohol abuse (P = .57). The least common risk factor was a personal history of prescription drug abuse (n = 1) in women and history of preadolescent sexual abuse in men (n = 0). Twenty-five percent (n = 28) of the sample population were deemed high risk based on the ORT. Screening of cancer patients in the palliative care setting suggests that risk factors for opioid misuse exist. Stratifying patients based on a routine screening tool may help identify cancer patients at risk for aberrant drug behaviors.

Contribution of Time of Drinking Onset and Family History of Alcohol Problems in Alcohol and Drug Use Behaviors in Argentinean College Students

The aim of the study was to analyze independent and potential interactive effects of age at drinking onset and family history of alcohol abuse on subsequent patterns of alcohol drinking, alcohol-related problems and substance use. Participants were college students (60.3% females, mean age = 20.27 ± 2.54 years) from the city of Córdoba, Argentina. Several measures were used to assess alcohol, tobacco and drug use. The Spanish version of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire was used to assess alcohol-related problems. Factorial analyses of variance, or its non-parametric equivalent, were performed to explore differences in substance use behaviors and alcohol-related problems in subjects with early or late drinking onset and with or without family history of alcohol abuse. Chi-square tests were conducted to analyze the association between these two risk factors and categorical measures of alcohol, tobacco and drug use. Early onset of drinking was associated with amount of consumption of alcohol including up to hazardous levels, as well as tobacco and drug use. However, the frequency of alcohol problems and frequency of episodes of alcohol intoxication were only related to age of onset in those with a positive family history of alcohol problems. Delaying drinking debut is particularly important in the prevention of future alcohol problems in those adolescents who have a family history of such problems.

A single center, retrospective analysis evaluating aberrant drug behavior stratification utilizing the opioid risk tool in patients with cancer.

167 Background: Historically, it was believed that cancer patients could not have aberrant drug behaviors. However, clinical experience suggests otherwise. The prevalence of aberrant drug behaviors of cancer patients is unknown as screening is uncommon. Consequently, the UCSD Moores Cancer Center outpatient palliative care clinic initiated screening of aberrant drug behaviors utilizing the opioid risk tool (ORT) on new consultations. The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to identify key risk factors of aberrant behaviors of cancer patients and formulate a routine approach to follow-up and medications quantities. Methods: The treating oncologist referred new consultations to the outpatient palliative care clinic. A cohort of 93 cancer patients was evaluated from July 2012 to February 2013. Patients completed a 10-item, provider-administered, ORT during the consultation visit. Based on the ORT, patients were stratified into high-, moderate-, or low-risk for abarrent drug behavior and follow-up appointments and opioid quantities were adjusted accordingly. Results: Of the 93 patients, 48% were men and 52% women. Most patients had metastatic cancer (n=50; 54%) of gastrointestinal primary (n=27; 29%). Fifty-six (60%) patients were stratified as low-, 15 (16%) moderate-, and 22 (24%) high-risk based on ORT score. The most common risk factors for aberrant behaviors were a history of depression (women=25; men=17) and family history of alcohol abuse (women=22; men=18). There was no difference in the prevalence of depression (p=0.17) or family history of alcohol abuse (p=0.57). The least common risk factor was a personal history of prescription drug abuse (n=1) in women and history of preadolescent sexual abuse in men (n=0). Conclusions: Screening of cancer patients suggests risk factors for aberrant drug behavior exist. Stratifying patients based on a standard, routine tool can help identify cancer patients at risk for aberrant drug behaviors. Moderate and high-risk patients can then be followed closely with limited quantities of opioids until trust is established.

Injunctive Peer Misperceptions and the Mediation of Self-Approval on Risk for Driving After Drinking Among College Students

Of the alcohol-related risks faced by college students, it is arguable that none presents a greater public health hazard than driving after drinking (DAD). The present study examined the extent to which students' injunctive misperceptions toward DAD predicted the likelihood to engage in DAD and how this relation was mediated by self-approval of DAD. Participants were 2,848 college students (59.1% female, 64.6% Caucasian) from two U.S. West Coast universities who completed confidential web-based surveys assessing DAD beliefs and behaviors. Results revealed that respondents tended to overestimate their peers' approval toward DAD. Moreover, the subgroups likely to engage in DAD—men, 21 + years of age, Greek affiliated students, Caucasians, students with a family history of alcohol abuse—were also more likely to misperceive (i.e., overestimate) their peers' level of approval toward DAD. Using binary logistic regression analyses, self-approval of DAD emerged as an important statistical mediator in the relation between misperception of typical student approval toward DAD and engagement in DAD. Results point to the considerable role injunctive peer misperceptions may play in the pathways leading to drinking-driving risk. These findings provide preliminary support for DAD-specific social normative interventions, either complementing or supplementing existing alcohol interventions. By targeting high-risk student subgroups and communicating accurate drinking-driving norms, these proposed interventions have the potential to reduce self-approval and incidence of DAD.

Risk factors related to lifetime suicide attempts in acutely admitted bipolar disorder inpatients

The main aim of this study was to assess possible clinical characteristics of acutely admitted bipolar I disorder (BD-I) and bipolar II disorder (BD-II) inpatients at high risk of suicide by comparing patients who had made one or several serious suicide attempts with patients who had not. A total of 206 consecutive patients (mean age 42 ± 15 years; 54.9% women) with DSM-IV diagnosed BD-I (n = 140) and BD-II (n= 66) acutely admitted to a single psychiatric hospital department from November 2002 through June 2009 were included. Using a detailed retrospective questionnaire, patients with a history of a serious suicide attempt were compared to those with no history of a suicide attempt. Ninety-three patients (45.1%) had a history of one or more serious suicide attempts. These constituted 60 (42.9%) of the BD-I patients and 33 (50%) of the BD-II patients (no significant difference). Lifetime suicide attempt was associated with a higher number of hospitalizations due to depression (p < 0.0001), antidepressant (AD)-induced hypomania/mania (p = 0.033), AD- and/or alcohol-induced affective episodes (p = 0.009), alcohol and/or substance use (p = 0.002), and a family history of alcohol abuse and/or affective disorder (p = 0.01). Suicide attempt was negatively associated with a higher Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS) Positive Subscale score (p = 0.022) and more hospitalizations due to mania (p = 0.006). The lifetime suicide attempt rate in BD inpatients is high. Risk factors of suicide attempts were: (i) a predominant depressive course of illness, (ii) comorbid alcohol and substance use disorders, and (iii) a history of AD- and/or alcohol-induced affective episodes. Risk-reducing factors were a preponderant manic or psychotic course of the illness. These risk factors may be signs of a clinical subgroup at risk of suicidal behaviour, and seem to be important for suicide risk assessment in acutely admitted BD patients.

Identifying factors that increase the likelihood of driving after drinking among college students

Driving after drinking (DAD) is a serious public health concern found to be more common among college students than those of other age groups or same-aged non-college peers. The current study examined potential predictors of DAD among a dual-site sample of 3753 (65% female, 58% Caucasian) college students. Results showed that 19.1% of respondents had driven after 3 or more drinks and 8.6% had driven after 5 or more drinks in the past 3 months. A logistic regression model showed that male status, fraternity or sorority affiliation, family history of alcohol abuse, medium or heavy drinking (as compared to light drinking), more approving self-attitudes toward DAD, and alcohol expectancies for sexual enhancement and risk/aggression were independently associated with driving after drinking over and above covariates. These results extend the current understanding of this high risk drinking behavior in collegiate populations and provide implications for preventive strategies. Findings indicate that in addition to targeting at-risk subgroups, valuable directions for DAD-related interventions may include focusing on lowering both self-approval of DAD and alcohol-related expectancies, particularly those associated with risk/aggression and sexuality.

Prädiktoren suizidalen Verhaltens bei Bundeswehrsoldaten

Increasing psychological distress due to out-of-area deployments is associated with a growing risk of suicidal behaviour in soldiers. A total of 200 military psychiatric inpatients of German Armed Forces hospitals, including n=100 soldiers with and n=100 without (control group) acute suicidality prior to admission were compared concerning sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Significant predictors of suicidal ideation were a family history of alcohol abuse and pathological scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Suicide attempts were predicted by pathological MMPI scales, insufficient occupational education, family history of suicide attempts and the situation of basic military training. Significant predictors of suicidal ideation were a family history of alcohol abuse and pathological scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Suicide attempts were predicted by pathological MMPI scales, insufficient occupational education, family history of suicide attempts and the situation of basic military training.

Age of onset of first alcohol intoxication and subsequent alcohol use among urban American Indian adolescents.

The objective was to assess the effect of early onset intoxication on subsequent alcohol involvement among urban American Indian youth. The data come from the American Indian Research (AIR) project, a panel study of urban Indian youth residing in King County, Washington. Data were collected annually from the adolescent and his/her primary caregiver from the 1988-89 school year to the 1996-97 school year, providing a total of nine waves of data. Early intoxication (by age 14) was related to delinquency, family history of alcohol abuse or dependence, poverty, broken family structure, less family cohesiveness, and more family conflict. The effects of these characteristics were, therefore, partialed out in testing effects of early intoxication on later alcohol involvement. Two-part latent growth models of alcohol use and alcohol problems were specified. Effects of early onset intoxication on these trajectories, as well as lifetime alcohol abuse or dependence by the transition to young adulthood, were examined. Findings indicate that adolescents who experienced their first intoxication early (by age 14), used alcohol more heavily from the ages of 16 to 18, experienced more problems related to the alcohol's use from the ages of 16 to 18, and were more likely to have a diagnosed alcohol disorder by the final wave of data collection. Congruent with similar studies in the general population, early intoxication appears to be associated with a deleterious course of alcohol involvement during adolescence and into the transition to young adulthood among urban American Indian youth. Implications for prevention are discussed.

Identifying Factors That Increase the Likelihood for Alcohol-Induced Blackouts in the Prepartying Context

The present study examined risk factors related to “blacking out” (e.g., temporary periods of memory loss during drinking) during preparty drinking events (i.e., pregaming, predrinking). Participants were students from two universities on the West Coast who reported past month prepartying (N = 2,546) in online surveys administered in the fall of 2008. Among these students, 25% (n = 636) reported blacking out during at least one occasion in which they prepartied in the past month. A logistic regression model underscored that Greek student affiliation, family history of alcohol abuse, frequency of prepartying, and both playing drinking games and consuming shots of liquor while prepartying increased the likelihood of blacking out. Limitations and implications for future research and collegiate prevention strategies are discussed.

Delay Discounting Behavior and White Matter Microstructure Abnormalities in Youth With a Family History of Alcoholism

Youth with family history of alcohol abuse have a greater risk of developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Brain and behavior differences may underlie this increased vulnerability. The current study examined delay discounting behavior and white matter microstructure in youth at high risk for alcohol abuse, as determined by a family history of alcoholism (FH+), and youth without such family history (FH-). Thirty-three healthy youth (FH+ = 15, FH- = 18), ages 11 to 15 years, completed a delay discounting task and underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Tract-based spatial statistics (Smith et al., 2006), as well as follow-up region-of-interest analyses, were performed to compare fractional anisotropy (FA) between FH+ and FH- youth. FH+ youth showed a trend toward increased discounting behavior and had significantly slower reaction times (RTs) on the delay discounting paradigm compared to FH- youth. Group differences in FA were seen in several white matter tracts. Furthermore, lower FA in the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus and the right optic radiation statistically mediated the relationship between FH status and slower RTs on the delay discounting task. Youth with a family history of substance abuse have disrupted white matter microstructure, which likely contributes to less efficient cortical processing and may act as an intrinsic risk factor contributing to an increased susceptibility of developing AUD. In addition, FHP youth showed a trend toward greater impulsive decision making, possibly representing an inherent personal characteristic that may facilitate substance use onset and abuse in high-risk youth.