Substance Abuse Flashcards
Good case study for substance abuse?
Elvis Presley - destructive habits (abuse of prescription drugs). Father spetn 3 years in prison when he was 4 – distant reltaionship. Mother = v close, protective of him. Died in the year when she woudln’t speak to him- just joined army. Married. Famous. Became promiscuous, eating badly. Wife left, drug use increased. RElied on range of doctors and pharmacologists to fulfil needs - ‘tooth’ problems
Post mortem - huge range of pharmaceutical drugs found in body
How man people = classified with substance dpendence or abuse in past year based on DSM diagnositc criteria?
22.2 milllion people. 18.9% of population over 12
What is the life span of someone with alochol depenence?
About 12 years shorter than that of average person without this disorder
What brain impairment (physical) occurs in peole with alcohol dependence?
Gazdinski et al, 2005 – organic impairment, including brain shrinkage, occurs in a high proportion of people with alcohol dep
How many emergency room visits associtated with drug misuse winvolved alcohol?
USDHHS 2010 – of the 1.3 million emergenyc room visits associated with drug misuse/abuse = 7% incolved alochol abuse in patietns under 21
State on car accidents and alcohol?
Chou et al 2006 – alcohol abuse = associated with over 40% of the deaths suffered in automobile accidents each year and with about 40-50% of murders (Bennett and LEhman 1998)
How many alcohol abusers suffer from at least one other co-existsing mental disorder?
Lapham et al 2001 – over 37% of them
How many in the US = abstainers?
28% of men, 50 % of women
What do lower levels of alcohol do?
Braun, 1996 – stimulate certain brain cells and activate brain’s pleasure areas – release opium like endegenous opioids stored in the body
What do higher levels of alochol do?
Depresses brain functioning, inhibiting one of the brain’s excitatory neurotransmitters glutatmate – in turn slows down actiivty in parts of the brain (Koob et al 2002)
What does the inhibition of glutamate in the brain do ?
Impairs organism’s ability to learn adn affect the higher brain cortex, impairing judgement and other retrieval processes, lowering self control
What did Turnet et al 2006 conclude?
For indivdiauls who drink to excess, the clinical picture is highly unfavourable
Can mild to moderate drinking have cogntive effects?
Yes Gordis, 2001 – even mild to moderate drinking can adversely affect memory and problem solving
Is damage from alcohol reversible?
Wobrock et al 2009 – fMrI study. Damage is partially reversible if the person abstains from alcohol use
Which neurotransmitter systems does alcohol influence?
GABA system. Anti-anxiety properties of alcohol result from interaction with the GABA stystem
Dopamine system
Serotonin system – sensitive – affects mood, agitation, insomnia
What is the centre of pscyhoactive drug activation in the brain?
Mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway (MCLP)
Alcohol produces euphoria by producing this area
Who stimulated the MCLP?
Littrell, 2001 – direct electrical stimulation of the MCLP produces great pleasure and has strong reinforcing properties
Two examples of genetics effect on alcoholism?
Cotton, 1979
Goodwin et al 1973
What did Cotton 1979 do?
Review of 39 studies over 40 years. Almost 1/3 of alcoholics had at least one parent with an alcohol problem
What did Goodwin et al 1973 find in terms of genetics?
Children of alcoholic parents who had been adopted by non-alcoholic foster parents = nearly twice as likely to have alcoholic problems by late 20s as control group of adopted children whose parents were non=alcoholic
Which experiment questions role of genetics in substance abuse?
Merikangas & Swendsen (1997) – genetics appear to play a stronger role in men than eomen – questions role of genetics as explanotry factor in substance abuse
What are important moudling infulences for children?
Hasin & KAtz, 2010 – family relationship sand parental guidance = important moudling influences for children
Personality traits assoc with those who are more high risk for developing alcohol related problems?
Morey et al 1984 – people at high risk for developing alcohol related problems = sig more impulsive and aggressive than those at low risk
Two experiments indentifying relationship between alcohol use with stress?
Schaefer & Majavits (2007)
Hussong et al (2001)
What did Schaefer & Majavits (2007) show?
about 25-50% of PTSD patients also have substance abuse problems
WHat did Hussong et al (2001) show?
high degree of association between alcohol consumption and negative affectivity such as anxiety and somatic complaints
Adults with less intimate and supportive relatinoships show greater drinking following sadness/hostility than those with close peers and more positive relationships