Alcohol Negative Consequences Research Articles

Value-based decision-making in regular alcohol consumers following experimental manipulation of alcohol value

BackgroundDevaluation of alcohol leads to reductions in alcohol choice and consumption; however, the cognitive mechanisms that underpin this relationship are not well-understood. In this study we applied a computational model of value-based decision-making (VBDM) to decisions made about alcohol and alcohol-unrelated cues following experimental manipulation of alcohol value. Method: Using a pre-registered within-subject design, thirty-six regular alcohol consumers (≥14 UK units per week) completed a two-alternative forced choice task where they chose between two alcohol images (in one block) or two soft drink images (in a different block) after watching videos that emphasised the positive (alcohol value), and separately, the negative (alcohol devalue) consequences of alcohol. On each block, participants pressed a key to select the image depicting the drink they would rather consume. A drift–diffusion model (DDM) was fitted to reaction time and choice data to estimate evidence accumulation (EA) processes and response thresholds during the different blocks in each experimental condition. Findings: In the alcohol devalue condition, soft drink EA rates were significantly higher compared to alcohol EA rates (p = 0.04, d = 0.31), and compared to soft drink EA rates in the alcohol value condition (p = 0.01, d = 0.38). However, EA rates for alcoholic drinks and response thresholds (for either drink type) were unaffected by the experimental manipulation. Conclusions: In line with behavioural economic models of addiction that emphasise the important role of alternative reinforcement, experimentally manipulating alcohol value is associated with changes in the internal cognitive processes that precede soft drink choice.

Retraction of "Event-level risk for negative alcohol consequences in emerging adults: The role of affect, motivation, and context" by Waddell et al. (2024).

Reports the retraction of "Event-level risk for negative alcohol consequences in emerging adults: The role of affect, motivation, and context" by Jack T. Waddell, Scott E. King, Sarah A. Okey and William R. Corbin (Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 2024[Feb], Vol 38[1], 8-18). This article is being retracted at the request of the publisher, and the editor and all authors of the original article consented. This article was published in error, as it is a first stage Registered Report that has received in-principle acceptance. Given the workflow of a Registered Report, the first journal publication appears after data collection and results have been reported in the second stage Registered Report submission (see workflow at https://www.cos.io/initiatives/registered-reports). This stage one article is being removed from the literature to avoid confusion and will instead be preregistered as a Registered Report Protocol Preregistration (https://osf.io/7euzd/). (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2022-80654-001.) Objective: Decades of research has found support for the motivational model of alcohol use, such that positive/negative affect are indirectly associated with drinking behavior through drinking motives. However, research on event-level drinking motives is in its nascent stage, and studies have yet to consider how drinking context plays a role in the motivational pathway to both event- and person-level drinking behavior. Therefore, the present study seeks to test whether drinking context mediates the effect of affect and motivation on drinking outcomes at both the event- and person-level. Method: Data for this Stage 1 Registered Report will come from a recently completed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study in emerging adults. The study collected data on 131 emerging adults, of whom 107 reported event-level social and solitary drinking during the EMA period. Multilevel structural equation modeling will be used to test whether predrinking affect is associated with predrinking motives, and whether drinking context (social vs. solitary drinking) mediates the effect of drinking motives on drinking outcomes. Models will parse within-/between-person variance, allowing the present study to test whether drinking context serves as a mechanism of risk in the motivational model at the event-level, or solely at the between-person level. Findings will inform personalized interventions and motivational models of drinking behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Sex- and estrous-related response patterns for alcohol depend critically on the level of compulsion-like challenge

Alcohol use disorder is a substantial social and economic burden. During the last years, the number of women with drinking problems has been increasing, and one main concern is that they are particularly more vulnerable to negative consequences of alcohol. However, little is known about female-specific response patterns for alcohol, and potential underlying differences in brain mechanisms, including for compulsion-like alcohol drinking (when intake persists despite adverse consequences). We used lickometry to assess behavioral microstructure in adult Wistar male and female rats (n = 28–30) during alcohol-only drinking or moderate- or higher-challenge alcohol compulsion (10 or 60 mg/l quinine in alcohol, respectively). Estrous stages were determined and related to drinking levels and patterns of responding to alcohol, as was ovariectomy. Our findings showed that females (where we didn't determine estrus stage) had similar total licks in a session as males, but significantly longer licking bouts under alcohol-only and moderate-challenge, suggesting greater persistence. Further, greater intake under alcohol-only and moderate-challenge was related to faster licking in males, while female consumption was not related to licking speed. Thus, females could have increased persistence without greater vigor, unlike males. However, under higher-challenge, faster licking did predict higher intake in females, similar to males. To better understand female higher-challenge responding, we examined drinking in relation to phases of the estrous cycle. Higher-challenge had longer bouts only in late diestrus. In addition, ovariectomy led to longer bouts only under higher-challenge, suggesting that conditions with reduced hormone levels could increase female persistence for alcohol under higher-challenge. However, ovariectomy also reduced alcohol-only and moderate-challenge drinking but did not reduce bout length. Thus, intake level and response strategy could be regulated somewhat differently by ovarian hormones. Finally, moderate-challenge licking speed was less variable during early diestrus, and we previously showed more stereotyped responding specifically under moderate-challenge in males. By combining behavioral microstructure and sex- and estrus-related changes in drinking patterns, our results suggest that females have greater persistence for alcohol under lower-challenge drinking, while late diestrus and ovariectomy unmasked greater persistence under higher-challenge. Together, our novel insights could help develop more effective and personalized treatments for problematic alcohol use.

Event-level risk for negative alcohol consequences in emerging adults: The role of affect, motivation, and context.

Event-level risk for negative alcohol consequences in emerging adults: The role of affect, motivation, and context.

Sex-difference in the association between social drinking, structural brain aging and cognitive function in older individuals free of cognitive impairment.

We investigated a potential sex difference in the relationship between alcohol consumption, brain age gap and cognitive function in older adults without cognitive impairment from the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. Self-reported alcohol consumption was collected using the food-frequency questionnaire. A battery of cognitive testing assessed performance in four different domains: attention, memory, language, and visuospatial. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was conducted using 3-T scanners (Signa; GE Healthcare). Brain age was estimated using the Brain-Age Regression Analysis and Computational Utility Software (BARACUS). We calculated the brain age gap as the difference between predicted brain age and chronological age. The sample consisted of 269 participants [55% men (n=148) and 45% women (n=121) with a mean age of 79.2 ± 4.6 and 79.5 ± 4.7 years respectively]. Women had significantly better performance compared to men in memory, (1.12 ± 0.87 vs 0.57 ± 0.89, P<0.0001) language (0.66 ± 0.8 vs 0.33 ± 0.72, P=0.0006) and attention (0.79 ± 0.87 vs 0.39 ± 0.83, P=0.0002) z-scores. Men scored higher in visuospatial skills (0.71 ± 0.91 vs 0.44 ± 0.90, P=0.016). Compared to participants who reported zero alcohol drinking (n=121), those who reported alcohol consumption over the year prior to study enrollment (n=148) scored significantly higher in all four cognitive domains [memory: F3,268=5.257, P=0.002, Language: F3,258=12.047, P<0.001, Attention: F3,260=22.036, P<0.001, and Visuospatial: F3,261=9.326, P<0.001] after correcting for age and years of education. In addition, we found a significant positive correlation between alcohol consumption and the brain age gap (P=0.03). Post hoc regression analysis for each sex with language z-score revealed a significant negative correlation between brain age gap and language z-scores in women only (P=0.008). Among older adults who report alcohol drinking, there is a positive association between higher average daily alcohol consumption and accelerated brain aging despite the fact that drinkers had better cognitive performance compared to zero drinkers. In women only, accelerated brain aging is associated with worse performance in language cognitive domain. Older adult women seem to be vulnerable to the negative effects of alcohol on brain structure and on certain cognitive functions.

Supplemental Material for Event-Level Risk for Negative Alcohol Consequences in Emerging Adults: The Role of Affect, Motivation, and Context

Supplemental Material for Event-Level Risk for Negative Alcohol Consequences in Emerging Adults: The Role of Affect, Motivation, and Context

Differentiating action from inaction: Longitudinal relations among impulsive personality traits, internalizing symptoms, and drinking behavior

BackgroundImpulsive personality traits are strong, consistent risk factors for heavy drinking, and modern theories suggest that impulsive traits may also confer risk for internalizing symptoms. However, it remains unclear which specific impulsive traits are linked with heavy drinking versus internalizing symptoms, and whether heavy drinking and internalizing symptoms are mechanisms of risk for negative alcohol consequences in impulsive individuals. MethodData are from a longitudinal study of young adults (N = 448, Mage = 22.27, 43.5 % female) assessed at baseline (T1), 6 months (T2), and one year later (T3). Longitudinal path models tested whether T1 impulsive traits (i.e., lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, sensation seeking, positive urgency, negative urgency) were indirectly associated with T3 negative alcohol consequences through heavy T2 drinking and T2 internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress). Separate models were tested for positive and negative urgency given strong correlations between these measures. ResultsAcross models, T1 lack of premeditation indirectly predicted more T3 negative alcohol consequences through heavy T2 drinking. When tested separately, T1 negative urgency indirectly predicted more T3 negative consequences through higher T2 stress and depressive (but not anxiety) symptoms, and T1 positive urgency predicted higher T2 anxiety symptoms, but T2 anxiety was unrelated to T3 negative consequences. Across models, T1 sensation seeking indirectly predicted less T3 negative consequences through decreased T2 depression. ConclusionsDistinct impulsive traits prospectively predicted heavy drinking and internalizing symptoms, both of which conferred risk for negative alcohol consequences. Findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions based on personality and suggest that decreases in drinking may be more effective prevention for those who lack premeditation, whereas decreases in internalizing, particularly depression/stress, may be critical for those high in negative urgency.

Event-level risk for negative alcohol consequences in emerging adults: The role of affect, motivation, and context.

Decades of research has found support for the motivational model of alcohol use, such that positive/negative affect are indirectly associated with drinking behavior through drinking motives. However, research on event-level drinking motives is in its nascent stage, and studies have yet to consider how drinking context plays a role in the motivational pathway to both event- and person-level drinking behavior. Therefore, the present study seeks to test whether drinking context mediates the effect of affect and motivation on drinking outcomes at both the event- and person-level. Data for this Stage 1 Registered Report will come from a recently completed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study in emerging adults. The study collected data on 131 emerging adults, of whom 107 reported event-level social and solitary drinking during the EMA period. Multilevel structural equation modeling will be used to test whether predrinking affect is associated with predrinking motives, and whether drinking context (social vs. solitary drinking) mediates the effect of drinking motives on drinking outcomes. Models will parse within-/between-person variance, allowing the present study to test whether drinking context serves as a mechanism of risk in the motivational model at the event-level, or solely at the between-person level. Findings will inform personalized interventions and motivational models of drinking behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Alcohol Use and Abstinence throughout Adolescence: The Changing Contributions of Perceived Risk of Drinking, Opportunities to Drink, and Self-Control

Objective: Adolescence is characterized by psychosocial and cognitive changes that can alter the perceived risk of negative effects of alcohol, opportunities to drink, and self-control. Few studies have investigated whether these factors change in their contribution to adolescent drinking over time. This study examined associations between perceived risk, opportunities to drink, self-control, and past-year drinking and investigated whether self-control buffers the effect of lower perceived risk and frequent drinking opportunities on the probability of past-year drinking. Method: Data from a four-wave longitudinal study (2015–2020) of 2,104 North Carolina adolescents (Mage = 12.36, SDage = 1.12, at Time 1) were used to assess changes in associations between self-control, perceived risk of drinking, and drinking opportunities on the frequency of past-year drinking. Hypotheses were tested using latent trajectory models. Results: At all timepoints, greater perceived risk, fewer drinking opportunities, and higher self-control were associated with drinking abstinence in the past year. Self-control buffered the impact of frequent drinking opportunities and lower perceived risk on the probability of alcohol use at Times 1–3. Conclusions: Despite expectations that adolescents’ ability to navigate their environments improves as they age, associations between risk, protective factors, and past-year drinking were relatively stable over time. Nevertheless, self-control protected against frequent drinking opportunities and lower perceived risk. Strategies that support or relieve the need for self-control (e.g., situation modification) may protect against alcohol use throughout adolescence.

Social epidemiology of early adolescent alcohol expectancies

PurposeTo determine the sociodemographic correlates of alcohol expectancies (i.e., beliefs regarding positive or negative effects of alcohol) in a national (U.S.) cohort of early adolescents 10–14 years old. A second aim was to determine associations between alcohol sipping and alcohol expectancies.MethodsWe analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 11,868; Year 2). Linear regression analyses were conducted to estimate associations between sociodemographic factors (sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, household income, parental education, parent marital status, religiosity) and positive (e.g., stress reduction) and negative (e.g., loss of motor coordination) alcohol expectancies. Additional linear regression analyses determined associations between alcohol sipping and alcohol expectancies, adjusting for sociodemographic factors.ResultsOverall, 48.8% of the participants were female and 47.6% racial/ethnic minorities, with a mean age of 12.02 (SD 0.67) years. Older age among the early adolescent sample, male sex, and sexual minority identification were associated with more positive and negative alcohol expectancies. Black and Latino/Hispanic adolescents reported less positive and negative alcohol expectancies compared to White non-Latino/Hispanic adolescents. Having parents with a college education or greater and a household income of $200,000 and greater were associated with higher positive and negative alcohol expectancies. Alcohol sipping was associated with higher positive alcohol expectancies.ConclusionsOlder age, White non-Latino/Hispanic race, male sex, sexual minority status, higher parental education, and higher household income were associated with higher positive and negative alcohol expectancies. Future research should examine the mechanisms linking these specific sociodemographic factors to alcohol expectancies to inform future prevention and intervention efforts.

Alcohol use disorder in alcohol-associated liver disease: Two sides of the same coin.

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) has emerged as the leading indication for liver transplantation (LT) worldwide, with 40% of LTs in the United States performed for ALD in 2019. The ALD-related health care burden accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in young individuals. Alcohol use disorder (AUD), which focuses on the negative effects of alcohol on psychosocial, physical, and mental health, is present in the majority of patients with ALD, with moderate to severe AUD in 75%-80%. During the last decade, early liver transplantation (eLT) has emerged as a lifesaving treatment for selected patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis; these patients may have a higher risk of using alcohol after LT. The risk of alcohol use recurrence may be reduced during the pretransplant or post-transplant period with AUD treatment using behavioral and/or pharmacological therapies and with regular monitoring for alcohol use (self-reported and complemented with biomarkers like phosphatidylethanol). However, AUD treatment in patients with ALD is challenging due to patient, clinician, and system barriers. An integrated model to provide AUD and ALD care by hepatologists and addiction experts in a colocated clinic starting from LT evaluation and selection to monitoring listed candidates and then to following up on recipients of LT should be promoted. However, the integration of addiction and hepatology teams in an LT program in the real world is often present only during evaluation and candidate selection for LT. Data are emerging to show that a multidisciplinary integrated AUD treatment within an LT program reduces recurrent alcohol use after LT. If we want to continue using early liver transplantation for patients with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis, LT programs should focus on building integrated multidisciplinary care teams for the integrated treatment of both AUD and ALD.

Daily-level simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use and its associations with alcohol use, marijuana use, and negative consequences in a young adult community sample.

Simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use has been associated with greater alcohol use and consequences at the daily level, but limited research has examined SAM use in relation to marijuana use and its consequences. This study tested daily associations between SAM use and four outcomes: alcohol use (number of drinks), marijuana use (hours high), negative alcohol consequences, and negative marijuana consequences. A community sample of young adults [ages 18-25, mean (SD) = 21.61 (2.17) years] with recent alcohol and SAM use was recruited (N = 409; 50.9% female; 48.2% non-Hispanic/Latinx White). Participants completed a baseline survey and six 2-week bursts of daily surveys (81.1% of morning surveys completed) and reported on substance use and negative substance-related consequences. Multilevel modeling was used to test the main aims and to explore each specific consequence. Among days with any alcohol use, SAM use days were associated with consuming more drinks and experiencing more total negative alcohol-related consequences than non-SAM use days. Among days with any marijuana use, SAM use days were associated with more hours being high than non-SAM use days. Exploratory models showed that SAM use was related to five specific alcohol-related consequences and two specific marijuana-related consequences. These findings build upon prior research by showing that SAM use days are linked to consuming more drinks, reporting more hours being high from marijuana, and experiencing more total alcohol-related consequences even after controlling for the number of drinks, the number of hours high, any tobacco/nicotine use, and any other substance use. SAM use was also associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing some specific consequences related to alcohol and marijuana. The findings underscore the need for additional research on SAM use and marijuana-related outcomes.

Imaging the brain's immune response to alcohol with [11C]PBR28 TSPO Positron Emission Tomography.

In humans, the negative effects of alcohol are linked to immune dysfunction in both the periphery and the brain. Yet acute effects of alcohol on the neuroimmune system and its relationships with peripheral immune function are not fully understood. To address this gap, immune response to an alcohol challenge was measured with positron emission tomography (PET) using the radiotracer [11C]PBR28, which targets the 18-kDa translocator protein, a marker sensitive to immune challenges. Participants (n = 12; 5 F; 25-45 years) who reported consuming binge levels of alcohol (>3 drinks for females; >4 drinks for males) 1-3 months before scan day were enrolled. Imaging featured a baseline [11C]PBR28 scan followed by an oral laboratory alcohol challenge over 90 min. An hour later, a second [11C]PBR28 scan was acquired. Dynamic PET data were acquired for at least 90 min with arterial blood sampling to measure the metabolite-corrected input function. [11C]PBR28 volume of distributions (VT) was estimated in the brain using multilinear analysis 1. Subjective effects, blood alcohol levels (BAL), and plasma cytokines were measured during the paradigm. Full completion of the alcohol challenge and data acquisition occurred for n = 8 (2 F) participants. Mean peak BAL was 101 ± 15 mg/dL. Alcohol significantly increased brain [11C]PBR28 VT (n = 8; F(1,49) = 34.72, p > 0.0001; Cohen's d'=0.8-1.7) throughout brain by 9-16%. Alcohol significantly altered plasma cytokines TNF-α (F(2,22) = 17.49, p < 0.0001), IL-6 (F(2,22) = 18.00, p > 0.0001), and MCP-1 (F(2,22) = 7.02, p = 0.004). Exploratory analyses identified a negative association between the subjective degree of alcohol intoxication and changes in [11C]PBR28 VT. These findings provide, to our knowledge, the first in vivo human evidence for an acute brain immune response to alcohol.

A national study on pregaming motives, frequency, consumption, and negative alcohol consequences among university students in the United States

BackgroundPregaming, or drinking before going out, is a commonly practiced risky behavior. Drinking motives are well-established predictors of alcohol use and negative alcohol consequences. Given the influence of context on drinking practices, motives specific to pregaming may affect pregaming behaviors and outcomes above and beyond general drinking motives. Thus, we examined how pregaming motives are related to pregaming behaviors and negative alcohol consequences. MethodsUsing data from two national cross-sectional online studies, the current study included undergraduates who pregamed at least once in the past month (n=10,200, Mage=19.9, women=61%, white=73.6%; 119 U.S. universities). Participants completed assessments of demographics, general drinking motives, pregaming motives, pregaming frequency/consumption, and negative alcohol consequences. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear models accounting for nesting of participants within sites. ResultsWhen controlling for demographic factors and general drinking motives, interpersonal enhancement motives and intimate pursuit motives were positively associated with pregaming frequency, pregaming consumption, and negative alcohol consequences. Situational control motives were negatively associated with pregaming consumption and negative alcohol consequences. Barriers to consumption motives were negatively associated with pregaming frequency but positively associated with negative alcohol consequences. ConclusionsStudents who pregame to make the night more fun or to meet potential dating partners appear to be at particular risk for negative alcohol consequences. Motives may be modifiable, particularly via cognitive/behavioral strategies. Findings suggest that specific motives may be appropriate intervention targets when trying to reduce pregaming behaviors and negative alcohol consequences.

Using substances to cope with social anxiety: Associations with use and consequences in daily life.

Using substances to cope with social anxiety is robustly related to negative consequences. The present study uses daily-level methods to test whether days young adults used substances to cope with social anxiety were associated with greater alcohol and cannabis use and consequences compared to use days without this motive. Participants were a community sample of young adults enrolled in a study on alcohol and cannabis use, which involved a baseline survey and five 2-week bursts of online daily surveys across 2 years. Aims were tested using multilevel models among a subsample of 257 participants who reported social anxiety coping motives 1 day or more during the study period; Mage = 21.8 (SDage = 2.2), 51% female; 49% non-Hispanic/Latinx White. Compared to use days without social anxiety coping motives, days with social anxiety coping motives were associated with more drinks consumed and more positive and negative alcohol consequences on alcohol-only days, more negative cannabis consequences on cannabis-only days, and heavier use, more negative cannabis consequences, and more positive consequences for both substances on co-use days. Days with social anxiety coping motives were associated with a greater likelihood of positive item-level consequences (e.g., "was more sociable") on drinking days. Baseline social anxiety symptoms did not moderate associations. Days young adults used substances to cope with social anxiety were high-risk days for elevated substance use and consequences, regardless of baseline social anxiety. Positive consequences attained through drinking to cope with social anxiety may be an important pathway that reinforces coping motivated use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

“I just feel better about myself”: Feasibility of a fitness-focused & women-centered complement to treatment

ABSTRACT Exercise may be a useful complement to treatment programs aimed at reducing the negative neural and functional consequences of alcohol and drug use. While some empirical studies have examined the impact of physical activity (PA) as a complement to treatment, they are limited in sample size or they fail to consider the unique physiological status of women. In preparation for a developmental study, we took steps to examine the feasibility of a fitness-focused intervention with women (n = 25) in treatment. To that end, we conducted a mixed method study with actual physical wellness and perceptions of physical wellness as the target domains. Participation in PA was viewed positively; however, women wished they engaged in exercise more consistently. Ultimately, women viewed exercise as a means to feeling better about themselves emotionally and physically. Recommendations link findings to practice including psycho education, group-based goal setting, and offering a variety of PA modalities.

Alcohol intoxication and ophthalmological pathology

Alcohol-containing drinks are widespread throughout the world, and alcohol ingestion is a part of the culture of diff erent peoples and an integral part of their daily diet. At the same time, alcohol abuse leads to adverse consequences such as home accidents, poisoning and various somatic diseases. However, there is also an opinion that alcohol can have a benefi cial eff ect on the body by its vasodilation and blood circulation improvement. The review analyzes the data of works that studied the positive and negative eff ects of alcohol on the visual organ, while highlighting the problems of acute intoxication and chronic alcohol ingestion.

Oral Probiotic Expressing Human Ethanol Dehydrogenase Attenuates Damage Caused by Acute Alcohol Consumption in Mice.

Alcohol is an essential drug in human life with multiple medical functions, but excessive alcohol intake, even a single episode of binge drinking, can cause serious damage. Reducing alcohol consumption or absorption is a direct way to alleviate the related harm. Alcohol is decomposed successively by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the liver. Here, we produced a human ADH1B (hADH1B)-expressing probiotic, a recombinant Lactococcus lactis, that aimed to enhance alcohol degradation in the intestinal tract after oral administration. Our results showed that the oral hADH1B-expressing probiotic reduced alcohol absorption, prolonged the alcohol tolerance time, and shortened the recovery time after acute alcohol challenge. More importantly, the liver and intestine were protected from acute injury caused by alcohol challenge. Therefore, the engineered probiotic has the potential to protect organ damage from alcohol consumption. Furthermore, this engineered probiotic may have beneficial effects on alcohol-related diseases such as alcoholic fatty liver disease. IMPORTANCE Alcohol plays an important role in medical treatment, culture, and social interaction. However, excessive alcohol consumption or improper alcohol intake patterns can lead to serious damage to health. Aiming to reduce the harm of alcohol consumption, we designed a recombinant probiotic expressing hADH1B. Our results showed that this recombinant probiotic can reduce alcohol absorption and protect the body from alcohol damage, including hangover, liver, and intestinal damage. Reducing alcohol damage is helpful to the health of people with difficulty in abstinence. The engineered probiotic may provide new strategies for treatment and prevention of the negative effects of alcohol, and it also has the potential for widespread application.

“I just feel better about myself”: feasibility of a fitness-focused & women-centered complement to treatment

ABSTRACT Exercise may be a useful complement to treatment programs aimed at reducing the negative neural and functional consequences of alcohol and drug use. While some empirical studies have examined the impact of physical activity (PA) as a complement to treatment, they are limited in sample size or they fail to consider the unique physiological status of women. In preparation for a developmental study, we took steps to examine the feasibility of a fitness-focused intervention with women (n = 25) in treatment. To that end, we conducted a mixed method study with actual physical wellness and perceptions of physical wellness as the target domains. Participation in PA was viewed positively; however, women wished they engaged in exercise more consistently. Ultimately, women viewed exercise as a means to feeling better about themselves emotionally and physically. Recommendations link findings to practice including psycho education, group-based goal setting, and offering a variety of PA modalities.

Childhood Traumatic Experiences and Negative Alcohol-Related Consequences in Adulthood: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Distress Tolerance and Drinking to Cope

Background: Prior research has established that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) predict harmful alcohol use outcomes. However, underlying mechanisms that could explain these associations are less clear. The present study examined if ACEs are indirectly related to alcohol negative consequences through their associations with distress tolerance and drinking to cope. Method: A sample of 3,763 (71.9% female) college students who drink alcohol from seven countries (U.S., Argentina, Canada, Uruguay, Spain, South Africa, and England) completed online surveys. Path analysis was performed within the whole sample testing the serial unique associations between ACEs→distress tolerance→drinking to cope→negative alcohol-related consequences. Multi-group analysis was performed to determine if the proposed pathways were invariant across gender and countries. Results: Both distress tolerance and drinking to cope uniquely accounted for the relationship between ACEs and negative alcohol-related consequences. Additionally, a significant double-mediation effect was found illustrating that a higher endorsement of ACEs was associated with lower distress tolerance, which in turn was associated with higher drinking to cope, which in turn was associated with more negative alcohol-related consequences. These effects were invariant across countries and gender groups. Conclusions: These findings provide support for the relevance of distress tolerance and coping motives as potential factors in linking ACEs to problematic alcohol use across nations. Our data are consistent with the idea that intervening on distress tolerance and drinking motives could mitigate downstream alcohol-related consequences related to ACEs in college student populations around the world.