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The heavy metal cadmium, which is found in the air, water, food and soil, is known to cause health problems. A new study published in the September 4, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, examined if thinking and memory skills were associated with cadmium exposure. They found no association when they looked at the group as a whole.
Certain concepts have a demonstrated basis for aiding recovery from dangerous alcohol or substance use, according to an analysis of scientific literature since 1990. Self-efficacy (a belief in one's ability to achieve a goal), social support, and managing cravings are among the treatment elements best supported by evidence. Effective treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and other substance use disorders (SUDs) depends on understanding how human behaviors change and incorporating that knowledge into clinical practice. An ongoing research effort continues to investigate varying treatment approaches and how they relate to recovery outcomes, but those findings have not been well synthesized into a useful format. For the new review published in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research, researchers from around the USA reviewed published studies, identified the treatment elements best supported by data, and evaluated their potential as key factors in behavior change. The researchers drew
Only four percent of people who are screened and report heavy drinking go on to receive specialty treatment for their alcohol use, according to a study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research. The study found race, ethnicity, and health risk profile to be associated with differences in the likelihood of receiving specialty treatment. These findings echo previous studies and highlight the need for more tailored approaches to screening and intervention to improve treatment for diverse groups of people with varying levels of alcohol use problems, from heavy drinking to alcohol use disorder.
Certain regions of the brain show changes during the early stages after quitting drinking that may contribute to increased anxiety and relapse rates in people attempting recovery from alcohol use disorder, according to a study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.
In a large group of frequent drinkers who used a digital application offering tailored text-based support for reducing their alcohol intake, weekly drink amounts fell by 1/3 over 12 weeks. The study of real-world users shows promise for people who are uncomfortable with their drinking habits but may not meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Although they may be unlikely to aim for abstinence or to seek formal treatment, many are open to moderating their drinking. Digital interventions, such as self-guided online programs and smartphone apps, are easily accessible and engaging. Studies have shown that text-based messaging interventions can result in short- and medium-term reductions in alcohol use. Digital programs that tailor content according to users’ evolving outcomes, similar to clinical care, may be particularly effective. Outcomes data are limited, however. For the study in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research, researchers evaluated an adaptive, tailored digital
Little is known about the association between the frequency of alcohol use and the severity of injuries sustained after a fall in older adults. A study of 3,128 older adults who underwent an initial head CT scan in the emergency department after head trauma from a fall shows that occasional alcohol use was associated with double the odds of a brain bleed when compared to patients with no alcohol use. Daily alcohol use was associated with 150% increased odds of a brain bleed.
Grab a drink with friends at happy hour and you’re likely to feel chatty, friendly and upbeat. But grab a drink alone and you may experience feelings of depression. Researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso think they now know why this happens.
Rats with alcohol exposure in adolescence are less able as adults to adapt their behavior in changing circumstances, according to a study that highlights the possible brain mechanisms involved. The findings may help us better understand ways that alcohol use during the teen years can lead to long-lasting cognitive and behavioral impairments.
Young adult men who viewed alcohol warning labels experienced a lower activation of the reward circuits in their brains when the warnings were larger and involved pictures, compared to more familiar small-text warnings, in a first-of-its-type study. The findings could inform more effective messaging on alcohol-containing beverages and advertisements. Despite recommendations from the World Health Organization and European Commission that warning labels be included on alcoholic products, few countries have implemented alcohol warning policies comparable to their approach to tobacco. Alcohol warnings are typically small, text-only messages. Research has been equivocal about their impact on drinking and whether incorporating pictures would increase their effectiveness, in part because most studies have relied on participants’ self-reported reactions. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has demonstrated variations in brain activation in response to varying types of tobacco warnings
Antidepressants may reduce the risk of relapse in people with alcohol use disorder—but only if the antidepressants are effective in reducing their depression symptoms. People whose depression symptoms do not improve with antidepressant treatment may have an increased risk for relapse into problem alcohol use.
Children who try alcohol may experience mental health and personality effects as they transition to early adolescence. An analysis of alcohol sampling behavior in children ages 9 to 14, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that children who had poor response inhibition and increased alcohol sipping behaviors might be more likely to have accelerated changes in personality traits and depression scores over time. The study suggests that even minimal alcohol experimentation in early adolescence may influence later alcohol use as well as personality and mental health issues.
People with bipolar disorder have a high risk of alcohol use issues, which have been seen as “self medication,” but a new study shows that changes in drinking predict worsening symptoms, not vice versa.
Drunken driving claims 37 lives daily in the U.S. with teen and young adult drivers disproportionately involved. Niyousha Hosseinichimeh in Virginia Tech's College of Engineering has partnered with researchers across the U.S. to create a simulation model — the first of its kind in adolescent drunken driving prevention — that examines how numerous public health interventions affect fatalities.
A new University of Georgia study reveals that one in five U.S. farmers report binge drinking when they experience high levels of stress. The paper underlines the link between farmers using alcohol to cope with stress. Farming is a uniquely stressful vocation. Farmers work long hours performing labor-intensive, repetitive and often dangerous tasks.
A new study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society finds four in 10 cancer cases and about one-half of all cancer deaths in adults 30 years old and older in the United States could be attributed to modifiable risk factors, including cigarette smoking, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, diet, and infections.
A new study at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work has shown significant reductions in alcohol and substance use among formerly incarcerated men through a unique combination of critical dialogue and capacity-building projects.
Christian Hendershot, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Clinical and Translational Addiction Research Program at the UNC School of Medicine, presented early findings from the first completed randomized controlled trial of semaglutide for reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers.
Researchers agree that alcohol use can produce global and regional tissue volume changes in the brain, and that excessive alcohol use is associated with dementia and cognitive decline. A new study has examined the relationship between Alzheimer disease – the most common type of dementia – and alcohol use disorder (AUD), discovering biomarkers that link the two.
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