Alcohol and gambling pathology among U.S. adults: prevalence, demographic patterns and comorbidity

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to determine the prevalence and demographic distribution of problem gambling, pathological gambling, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence in the United States, and to examine the co-occurrence of gambling pathology and alcohol pathology in the United States.

METHOD

A representative sample (N = 2,638) of U.S. adults age 18 and older was surveyed in the year 2000 using computer-assisted telephone interviewing. Respondents' gambling pathology and alcohol dependence were assessed by the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS).

RESULTS

Current pathological gambling had an overall prevalence of 1.3% as measured by the DIS and 1.9% as measured by the SOGS, with a higher prevalence among minorities and lower socioeconomic status (SES) respondents. Current and lifetime alcohol pathology was more common among males and young adults than among females and older adults. Current pathological gambling and alcohol dependence were correlated, and the highest correlation was found among higher SES respondents.

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of current pathological gambling in the United States is higher than reported in past surveys. Minorities and lower SES Americans have higher than average rates of current pathological gambling. However, when higher SES persons are classified as current pathological gamblers, they are more likely than lower SES persons to be dependent on alcohol.

[Selected markers of bone metabolism in boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty]

The aim of the study was to determine serum concentration and urinary excretion of selected parameters of bone metabolism in boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) in the relation to pubertal stages. The study group consisted of 41 boys (aged 8 to 18 yrs) with CDGP. Patients were divided on the basis of Tanner's criteria into 4 groups according to the pubertal stage. Serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity and serum osteocalcin (OC) concentration as markers of bone growth, as well as urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD) as a marker of bone resorption were determined. Serum AP activity in 31 (75.6%) boys was within normal age range. Mean values of serum AP activity increased insignificantly from I to IV stage of puberty. Serum OC concentrations were normal in 33 (80.5%) patients. Eight (19.5%) boys showed decreased values of serum OC concentration. Mean OC concentration insignificantly increased with the pubertal stages. DPD urinary excretion was within normal age range in all patients and was the highest in stage III of pubertal stage. No significant abnormalities of bone metabolism parameters in boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty were found.

Dissociation of the effects of amphetamine and quinpirole on dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens following behavioural sensitization: an ex vivo voltammetric study

Behavioural sensitization to the locomotor stimulant effect of (+)-amphetamine or quinpirole was induced in rats by intermittent drug administration. Once established, endogenous dopamine release (DA) was measured in slices containing nucleus accumbens using fast cyclic voltammetry. DA release induced by single pulse electrical stimulation did not differ between vehicle-, (+)-amphetamine-or quinpirole-treated groups. Multiple pulse stimulation resulted in enhanced DA release in quinpirole-sensitized rats and an attenuation of DA release in (+)-amphetamine-sensitized rats. In the presence of sulpiride, DA release was increased, at low stimulation frequencies, in vehicle- and quinpirole-treated animals, but not in amphetamine-treated animals. The sensitivity of axon terminal D2 DA receptors was assessed in vitro by measuring the concentration of quinpirole required to inhibit single pulse release of DA by 50% (EC(50)). Quinpirole EC(50) was significantly increased in the quinpirole-treated animals and significantly attenuated in the (+)-amphetamine-treated animals. The results suggest that the increase in DA release following quinpirole may arise from the desensitization of release-regulating D2 autoreceptors in the nucleus accumbens. The sensitization of axon terminal D2 autoreceptors and the decrease in DA release following behavioural sensitization with (+)-amphetamine is difficult to reconcile with a unitary explanation of behavioural sensitization to both quinpirole and (+)-amphetamine. It is suggested that the effects following (+)-amphetamine may be secondary to decreased axon traffic caused by DA displacement in the ventral tegmental area, and that the drugs examined in this study may induce behavioural sensitization by different mechanisms at different sites.

Neurodevelopmental dysfunction and specific learning disabilities in school-aged twins

The frequency of the developmental dysfunction and specific learning disabilities were assessed in the retrospective study in the group of 56 school-aged twins. The relationships between genetic, perinatal and social factors and learning disability were also determined. It was found that 12.5% of twins had learning disabilities. The most common neurodevelopmental dysfunction were language disorders, poor graphomotor fluency and poor fine motor dexterity. It was also found that educational difficulty were associated with prematurity, low Apgar scores, neonatal complications and familial predisposition.

Ionically conducting polyether composites

Ionic conductivity in polymer–salt electrolytes occurs in the amorphous regions of the complex. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is the best polyether for complexing salts. Unfortunately, it is partially crystalline at ambient temperatures. With inorganic (i.e., alumina) or organic (i.e., poly(acrylamide) (PAAM)) fillers the crystallization of PEO is inhibited and the room temperature conductivity is enhanced in these mixed phase systems by over two orders of magnitude (to ~ 10−4 S/cm) above the base PEO–salt system (<10− S/cm). Even adding PAAM to an initially amorphous system (oxymethylene-linked PEO–LiClO4) increases the room temperature conductivity by 2 to 3 times. Various alkali metal salts (Li, Na) and NH4SCN are used with α-Al2O3, θ-Al2O3, PAAM′ and poly(N,N′-dimethyl acrylamide) as fillers. The aluminas stiffen the complex and increase Tg. The addition of the organic fillers lowers Tg, as is to be preferred. It is suggested that changes in the conductivity with changes in salt and filler concentration are due to changes in the ultrastructure and morphology and are the result of an equilibrium between various Lewis acid – Lewis base reactions. Qualified success has been achieved in modelling ionic conductivity in these composite electrolyte systems using an effective medium approach. In this approach it has been assumed that the main conductivity enhancement takes place in thin amorphous layers of the polyether that coat the dispersed polyacrylamide particles separated in a microphase. In the best complexes this layer is identified by a second Tg. Key words: polyethers, composites, ionic conductivity, phase structure, Lewis acids and bases.

[Arrhythmias and conduction block in the newborns of mothers who had received long-term tocolytic therapy]

Serial electrocardiograms (ECGs) were studied prospectively in 48 newborns exposed in utero to prolonged tokolytic therapy to beta-sympathomimetics and in 30 newborns non-exposed in utero to beta-mimetics. Duration of exposure to tocolysis was at least 7 days, mean 51 +/- 36 days. The ECGs were made in 1-st and 3-rd day of life. The ECGs were estimated for duration the QT interval (as corrected QT-QTc) Cardiac event in 16 newborns from treated group and in 16 newborns from control group were examined in 1-st day of life on a Holter monitor. It was found that, the prolongation of QTc time, the ventricular extrasystole and the atrioventricular blocks second degree (Wenckenbach's period) were occurred more often in the newborns whose mother had taken beta-mimetic drugs then in the control group.

Influences of neuronal uptake and D2 autoreceptors on regulation of extracellular dopamine in the core, shell and rostral pole of the rat nucleus accumbens

Fast cyclic voltammetry in rat brain slices containing the nucleus accumbens, was used to examine the regulation of the extracellular concentration of electrically stimulated dopamine overflow in the core, shell and rostral pole. One microM (-)-sulpiride, significantly increased dopamine overflow in all 3 regions but only when the duration of stimulation was greater than 500 ms. One microM cocaine, significantly potentiated dopamine overflow in all 3 regions following all patterns of stimulation. In the presence of 1 microM cocaine, superfusion with 1 microM (-)-sulpiride did not result in a further increase in dopamine overflow at any frequency of stimulation in the rostral pole, but significant increases in dopamine overflow were observed after stimulation with 20 pulses at 10 or 20 Hz in the core or shell; the degree of potentiation was greater in the shell than core. Quinpirole inhibited single pulse stimulated dopamine overflow in a concentration dependent manner (maximum inhibition (100%) in all regions) but was significantly less potent in the rostral pole than in the core or shell. Increasing the number of pulses to 2 or 4 pulses at 50 Hz resulted in a shift of the quinpirole dose-response curve to the right in all regions and in the rostral pole, a significant reduction in the maximum inhibition of dopamine overflow to both stimulation parameters. In the shell a significant reduction in maximum inhibition was only seen with 4 pulses at 50 Hz stimulation, whereas in the core there was no change in the maximum inhibitory effect of quinpirole. Neuronal uptake and D2 autoreceptor activity contribute to regulation of the extracellular concentration of dopamine in core, shell and rostral pole. The relative importance of either uptake or autoreceptor control is region and stimulus dependent.

Parametric analysis of the effects of cocaine and cocaine pretreatment on dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens measured by fast cyclic voltammetry

Fast cyclic voltammetry was used to measure dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens of anaesthetized rats, in response to electrical sine-wave stimulation of the ventral tegmental area. Voltammetric signals followed increases in either frequency (50-100 Hz), intensity (50-100 microA) or duration (0.5-5.0 s) of the stimulus. Cocaine administration (10 mg/kg) preferentially increased DA release by weak electrical stimuli. Cocaine pretreatment (3 x 10 mg/kg, two weeks earlier) preferentially increased DA release by stronger stimuli, and the effects of acute cocaine were potentiated in these animals. The effects of increasing stimulus duration conformed to first order kinetics. Cocaine pretreatment selectively increased the kinetic parameter representing maximal release, while acute cocaine administration preferentially decreased the parameter representing the stimulus duration eliciting half maximal release. The lack of statistical interaction between these two effects suggests that sensitization of the response to acute cocaine by cocaine pretreatment may simply reflect an increase in the size of the releasable pool of DA.

Transferrin and mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase in young adult alcoholics

Two recently proposed biochemical markers of alcoholism, namely, quantitation of plasma transferrin variant (Tf5.7) and the ratio of plasma mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (m-AspAT) to total AspAT (t-AspAT), were tested for their ability to detect young adult alcoholics. Another commonly used biochemical test, namely, activity of plasma gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) was included as a comparison. Although mean values of GGT, TF5.7, total transferrin (Tftot), m-AspAT and t-AspAT in alcoholics were significantly higher than those in controls, there were too many overlapping values in each test between alcoholics and controls to render any of these tests suitable as a marker for young adult alcoholics. Depending on cut-off limits, the sensitivity of each test ranged from 0-52% and the specificity ranged from 80-97%. Moreover, the m-AspAT/t-AspAT and Tf5.7/Tftot ratios were not significantly different between alcoholics and controls. A stepwise linear discriminant function analysis of all the variables resulted in a slight increase in classification sensitivity (66%) but a decrease in specificity (77%). The relatively short duration (mean = 5.6 years) of heavy alcohol intake and the time elapsed (mean = 5.8 days) since the alcoholics last consumed alcohol very likely contributed to the low sensitivity. Young adults might also be more resilient with regard to the damaging biochemical effects of ethanol. Abnormal biochemical values might reverse to normal values much more quickly in young adult alcoholics than in those who are older and have more years of alcohol abuse.

The role of alcohol in suicides in Erie County, NY, 1972-84

A discriminant analysis of the 806 suicide victims in Erie County, NY, from 1972-84, compared those with alcohol in the blood to those without. Thirty-three percent of the victims had alcohol in their blood. Those with blood alcohol present were more likely to demonstrate such characteristics as being male, leaving no note, being found in a vehicle, having no prior attempt, using a gun, killing themselves in the evening or at night, and not being under psychiatric treatment. The results are interpreted to mean that alcohol is a contributory cause of impulsive suicides. Suicides related to long-standing conditions, such as chronic depression or physical illness, which are less spontaneous and more predictable, are less likely to involve alcohol. The alcohol-related suicide is more likely to be impulsive. Alcohol-involved suicides reflect general drinking patterns, with men drinking more than women, and most drinking being done in the evening.