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Gender Differences In The Development Of Substance- Related Problems: The Impact Of Family History Of Alcoholism, Family History Of Violence And Childhood Conduct Problems, Stephen T. Chermack, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Bret E. Fuller, Frederic C. Blow Jun 2012

Gender Differences In The Development Of Substance- Related Problems: The Impact Of Family History Of Alcoholism, Family History Of Violence And Childhood Conduct Problems, Stephen T. Chermack, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Bret E. Fuller, Frederic C. Blow

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Objective: This study examined gender differences regarding the relative influence of family history of alcoholism (FHA) and family history of violence (FHV) on reported childhood conduct problems (CCP) and adult problems with alcohol, drugs and violence. Method: The participants were 110 men and 103 women with alcohol-related problems recruited within 30 days of enrolling in treatment for substance abuse or dependence. Participants completed self-report measures of pretreatment violence, FHV, CCP, substance use and consequences, and demographics; a semi-structured interview was used to assess FHA. Results: Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses revealed gender differences with regard to the influence of FHA …


Does Gender Moderate Associations Among Impulsivity And Health-Risk Behaviors?, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Brian D. Batien, Denis G. Birgenheir Jun 2012

Does Gender Moderate Associations Among Impulsivity And Health-Risk Behaviors?, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Brian D. Batien, Denis G. Birgenheir

Scott F. Stoltenberg

The present study explores the relations among gender, impulsivity and three health-risk behaviors relevant to young adults (tobacco use, alcohol problems and gambling problems) in a sample of 197 college-age individuals. We sought to determine whether impulsivity is associated with health-risk behaviors in the same ways for men and women. For tobacco use and gambling problems, men were at higher risk than women, and impulsivity was not significantly associated with higher risk. Higher levels of motor impulsivity in men accounted for a significant amount of the gender difference in risk for alcohol problems. That is, impulsivity as measured by the …


Association Between A Dopamine-4 Receptor Polymorphism And Blood Pressure, Srijan Sen, Randolph Nesse, Li Sheng, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Lillian Gleiberman, Margit Burmeister, Alan B. Weder Jun 2012

Association Between A Dopamine-4 Receptor Polymorphism And Blood Pressure, Srijan Sen, Randolph Nesse, Li Sheng, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Lillian Gleiberman, Margit Burmeister, Alan B. Weder

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Background: Dopamine receptor genes are candidates for hypertension susceptibility. Locally released dopamine increases renal sodium excretion, and defective renal dopamine receptor signaling has been shown to play a role in hypertension. Dopamine-4 receptors are expressed in juxtaglomerular and cortical collecting cells, where dopamine activation could alter sodium and water metabolism and affect blood pressure (BP). The dopamine-4 receptor (DRD4) gene has a 16 amino acid (48 base pairs [bp]) repeat polymorphism located in exon 3 where a G-protein binding area is encoded. The long allele (defined as at least one 7 to 10 repeat) has been associated with the personality …


Epistatic Interaction Between Comt And Dat1 Genes On Eating Behavior: A Pilot Study, Samantha L. Hersrud, Scott F. Stoltenberg Jun 2012

Epistatic Interaction Between Comt And Dat1 Genes On Eating Behavior: A Pilot Study, Samantha L. Hersrud, Scott F. Stoltenberg

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Problems related to food and weight in women may be influenced by the (DA) dopamine system. Catechol-o-methyl transferase (COMT) and the dopamine transporter (DAT) exert control on concentrations of extracellular DA. High and low functioning alleles of the COMT Val158Met and DAT1 3’ UTR VNTR polymorphisms have been identified, and their associations with reward and cognition suggest a role in the modulation of eating behavior. A sample of undergraduate college women (N = 71) was characterized for binge eating and eating psychopathology and genotyped for the COMT and DAT1 markers. Results revealed a significant epistatic interaction between COMT and DAT1 …


Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism Genotype Is Associated With Behavioral Disinhibition And Negative Affect In Children Of Alcoholics, Geoffrey R. Twitchell, Gregory L. Hanna, Edwin H. Cook, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Robert A. Zucker Jun 2012

Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism Genotype Is Associated With Behavioral Disinhibition And Negative Affect In Children Of Alcoholics, Geoffrey R. Twitchell, Gregory L. Hanna, Edwin H. Cook, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Robert A. Zucker

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Background: Serotonergic (5-HT) dysfunction has been implicated in the etiology of both behavioral disinhibition (BD) and negative affect (NA). This work extends our previous finding of relationships between whole blood 5-HT and both BD and NA in pubescent, but not prepubescent, children of alcoholics and continues examination of a hypothesized role of 5-HT dysfunction in alcoholism risk. The long and short (L and S) variants of the 5-HT transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) are responsible for differing transcriptional efficiencies in 5-HT uptake. Although associations have been found between the SS 5-HTTLPR genotype and severe alcoholism and neuroticism, recent reports describe …


Epistasis Among Presynaptic Serotonergic System Components, Scott Stoltenberg Jun 2012

Epistasis Among Presynaptic Serotonergic System Components, Scott Stoltenberg

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Epistatic interactions among regulatory components of the serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmitter system may be an important aspect of 5-HT function. Because 5-HT dysregulation is associated with several common psychiatric disorders, the potential for epistasis among genetic variants in the 5-HT transporter (SERT), 5-HT1B terminal autoreceptor and the 5- HT1A somatodendritic autoreceptor should be examined. In this study, output from a dynamic minimal model of 5-HT function was compared to empirical results in the literature. Parameters representing extracellular 5-HT clearance rates (SERT), 5-HT release levels (5-HT1B) and inhibitory thresholds (the amount of extracellular 5-HT above which cell firing is inhibited, an indication …


Methamphetamine-Associated Psychosis, Kathleen M. Grant, Tricia D. Le Van, Sandra M. Wells, Ming Li, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Howard E. Gendelman, Gustavo Carlo, Rick A. Bevins Jun 2012

Methamphetamine-Associated Psychosis, Kathleen M. Grant, Tricia D. Le Van, Sandra M. Wells, Ming Li, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Howard E. Gendelman, Gustavo Carlo, Rick A. Bevins

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Methamphetamine (METH) is a frequent drug of abuse in U.S. populations and commonly associated with psychosis. This may be a factor in frequent criminal justice referrals and lengthy treatment required by METH users. Persecutory delusions and auditory hallucinations are the most consistent symptoms of METH-associated psychosis (MAP). MAP has largely been studied in Asian populations and risk factors have varied across studies. Duration, frequency and amount of use as well as sexual abuse, family history, other substance use, and co-occurring personality and mood disorders are risk factors for MAP. MAP may be unique with its long duration of psychosis and …


Serotonergic Agents And Alcoholism Treatment: A Simulation, Scott F. Stoltenberg Jun 2012

Serotonergic Agents And Alcoholism Treatment: A Simulation, Scott F. Stoltenberg

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Background: Those with early-onset alcoholism may better respond to ondansetron (a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist) than to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment, whereas those with late-onset alcoholism may present the reverse response pattern. Johnson and colleagues proposed a model that attempts to explain the observed treatment response patterns of those with early and late alcoholism onset by focusing on the influence of a common genetic variant in the serotonin transporter regulatory region (5-HTTLPR) on serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) system function. Methods: The present study formalizes and extends Johnson’s descriptive model into a computer simulation consisting of differential equations. For …


Antisocial Alcoholism And Serotonin-Related Polymorphisms: Association Tests, Elizabeth M. Hill, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Katherine Harris Bullard, Sheng Li, Robert A. Zucker, Marget Burmeister Jun 2012

Antisocial Alcoholism And Serotonin-Related Polymorphisms: Association Tests, Elizabeth M. Hill, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Katherine Harris Bullard, Sheng Li, Robert A. Zucker, Marget Burmeister

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Central serotonin dysfunction appears to be related to a subtype of alcoholism with antisocial impulsive features (type II; antisocial alcoholism). The serotonergic deficit may be associated with greater impulsivity, which in turn facilitates both alcohol dependence and antisocial behavior. The present study tested association of antisocial impulsive alcoholism with candidate genes related to serotonergic neurotransmission, using families. Eight markers were assayed using polymerase chain reaction: tryptophan hydroxylase (intron 7), the serotonin transporter SLC6A4 (VNTR 9/12), HTTLPR, the three serotonin receptor types HTR1B (G861C), HTR2A (T102C) and HTR2C (Cys23Ser), monoamine oxidase A (T1460C), and (CA)n. Eligible probands had early age of …


Gender Differences In The Relationships Among Ses, Family History Of Alcohol Disorders And Alcohol Dependence, Geoffrey M. Curran, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Elizabeth M. Hill, Sharon A. Mudd, Frederic C. Blow, Robert A. Zucker Jun 2012

Gender Differences In The Relationships Among Ses, Family History Of Alcohol Disorders And Alcohol Dependence, Geoffrey M. Curran, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Elizabeth M. Hill, Sharon A. Mudd, Frederic C. Blow, Robert A. Zucker

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Objective: Potential moderator and mediator roles of several measures of socioeconomic status (SES) were investigated for the relationship between a family history of alcoholism( FH) and alcohol dependence symptoms in adulthood. Method: These analyses were performed with a sample of 931 men and 385 women participating in studies at the Alcohol Research Center, University of Michigan. Hierarchical multiple regression equations were used to assess whether SES mediated and moderated relationships between FH and alcohol dependence symptoms. Results: In general, measures of SES (education, occupation, personal and household income) were more important predictors of alcohol dependence symptoms among men, while FH …


Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism, Peripheral Indexes Of Serotonin Function, And Personality Measures In Families With Alcoholism, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Geoffrey R. Twitchell, Gregory L. Hanna, Edwin H. Cook, Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Robert A. Zucker, Karley Y. Little Jun 2012

Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism, Peripheral Indexes Of Serotonin Function, And Personality Measures In Families With Alcoholism, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Geoffrey R. Twitchell, Gregory L. Hanna, Edwin H. Cook, Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Robert A. Zucker, Karley Y. Little

Scott F. Stoltenberg

A functional polymorphism in the regulatory region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) is considered to be a plausible candidate gene for anxiety-related personality traits and for alcoholism. Empirical support for the association between 5-HTTLPR and psychological traits has been somewhat inconsistent; however, observations of the functional dominance of the low-activity s-allele over the l-allele have been more consistent. When studying the influence of particular genes on psychological traits, it seems useful also to assess more biological intermediate traits that may mediate the effects of those genes on the traits of interest. The present study examined relationships between 5-HTTLPR genotype, …


Serotonin Transporter And Gaba(A) Alpha 6 Receptor Variants Are Associated With Neuroticism, Srijan Sen, Sandra Villafuerte, Randolph Nesse, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Jeffrey Hopcian, Lillian Gleiberman, Alan Weder, Margit Burmeister Jun 2012

Serotonin Transporter And Gaba(A) Alpha 6 Receptor Variants Are Associated With Neuroticism, Srijan Sen, Sandra Villafuerte, Randolph Nesse, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Jeffrey Hopcian, Lillian Gleiberman, Alan Weder, Margit Burmeister

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Background: A tendency to experience negative affect, as measured by the neuroticism component of the Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness Personality Inventory (NEO-PI), is a trait marker for major depression. Epidemiologic studies indicate a strong genetic component, but to date few specific genetic variants have been definitively implicated. A serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) has been extensively studied in neuroticism and several psychiatric disorders, with inconclusive results. A GABA(A) receptor α6 subunit variant (Pro385Ser) has been associated with alcohol-related traits but has not been studied in neuroticism or depression. Methods: A total of 384 subjects who completed the NEO-PI were genotyped …


A Bdnf Coding Variant Is Associated With The Neo Personality Inventory Domain Neuroticism, A Risk Factor For Depression, Srijan Sen, Randolph M. Nesse, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Sheng Li, Lillian Gleiberman, Aravinda Chakravarti, Alan B. Weber, Margit Burmeister Jun 2012

A Bdnf Coding Variant Is Associated With The Neo Personality Inventory Domain Neuroticism, A Risk Factor For Depression, Srijan Sen, Randolph M. Nesse, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Sheng Li, Lillian Gleiberman, Aravinda Chakravarti, Alan B. Weber, Margit Burmeister

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Genetic factors influence vulnerability to depression (Sullivan et al, 2000), but no specific genes have been definitively implicated. One promising approach is to determine whether variations in specific (candidate) genes are associated not with disease per se, but with traits, such as personality factors, that are themselves associated with risk for the disorder (Lander and Schork, 1994; Stoltenberg and Burmeister, 2000). Often such traits have a higher heritability than the disease status (Almasy and Blangero, 2001). Neuroticism, as measured by the NEO personality inventory (NEO-PI) (Costa and McCrae, 1997), a psychometrically sound and widely used instrument, is one such trait. …


Possible Association Between Response Inhibition And A Variant In The Brain-Expressed Tryptophan Hydroxylase-2 Gene, Scott Stoltenberg, Jennifer Glass, Steven Chermack, Heather Flynn, Sheng Li, Margaret Weston, Margit Burmeister Jun 2012

Possible Association Between Response Inhibition And A Variant In The Brain-Expressed Tryptophan Hydroxylase-2 Gene, Scott Stoltenberg, Jennifer Glass, Steven Chermack, Heather Flynn, Sheng Li, Margaret Weston, Margit Burmeister

Scott F. Stoltenberg

The ability to inhibit a response is an important component of normal behavioral control and is an aspect of psychopathology when diminished. Converging evidence implicates the serotonergic neurotransmitter system in response inhibition circuitry. Objectives — The present study examined potential associations between serotonergic genetic markers and response inhibition as indexed by Stop Task performance. Methods — College-age participants (N= 199) completed self-report questionnaires, the computerized Stop Task, and donated buccal cells for genetic analyses. Statistics were analyzed by ANOVA. Results — Stop Signal reaction time was not associated with allelic variation at a monoamine oxidase A promoter length polymorphism or …


Description And Validation Of A Dynamical Systems Model Of Presynaptic Serotonin Function: Genetic Variation, Brain Activation And Impulsivity, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Parthasarathi Nag Jun 2012

Description And Validation Of A Dynamical Systems Model Of Presynaptic Serotonin Function: Genetic Variation, Brain Activation And Impulsivity, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Parthasarathi Nag

Scott F. Stoltenberg

Despite more than a decade of empirical work on the role of genetic polymorphisms in the serotonin system on behavior, the details across levels of analysis are not well understood. We describe a mathematical model of the genetic control of presynaptic serotonergic function that is based on control theory, implemented using systems of differential equations, and focused on better characterizing pathways from genes to behavior. We present the results of model validation tests that include the comparison of simulation outcomes with empirical data on genetic effects on brain response to affective stimuli and on impulsivity. Patterns of simulated neural firing …