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Full-Text Articles in Psychology
Oprm1 Genotype Interacts With Serotonin System Dysfunction To Predict Alcohol-Heightened Aggression In Primates, Carlos A. Driscoll, Stephen G. Lindell, Melanie L. Schwandt, Stephen J. Suomi, J. Dee Higley, Markus Heilig, Christina S. Barr
Oprm1 Genotype Interacts With Serotonin System Dysfunction To Predict Alcohol-Heightened Aggression In Primates, Carlos A. Driscoll, Stephen G. Lindell, Melanie L. Schwandt, Stephen J. Suomi, J. Dee Higley, Markus Heilig, Christina S. Barr
Faculty Publications
Although the notion that alcohol promotes violence is widespread, not all individuals are aggressive while intoxicated. Genetic variation could be a contributing factor to individual differences in alcohol-heightened aggression. The present study examines the effects of OPRM1C77G genotype on responses to threat in rhesus macaques under normal conditions and following alcohol administration. Prior studies have shown that a low CSF level of 5-HIAA is a trait marker for individuals prone to escalated aggression. We wanted to examine whether the predictive value for this marker on aggression was moderated by OPRM1 genotype. Animals were administered alcohol (BAC 100-200 mg%), were provoked …
Toxoplasma Gondii Seropositivity And Substance Use In Us Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Andrew N. Berrett, Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Evan L. Thacker, Dawson W. Hedges
Toxoplasma Gondii Seropositivity And Substance Use In Us Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Andrew N. Berrett, Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Evan L. Thacker, Dawson W. Hedges
Faculty Publications
The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) infects humans resulting in acute toxoplasmosis, an infection that in immunocompetent people is typically mild but results in persistent latent toxoplasmosis. In that T. gondii appears to affect dopamine synthesis and because addicting drugs affect midbrain dopamine transmission, latent toxoplasmosis could influence substance use. Using both the third and continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we used logistic regression to test for associations between T. gondii seropositivity and subject self-report of having ever used tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine. …
Alcohol And Nicotine Co-Dependence Iii, Scott C. Steffensen, Jeffery G. Edwards, Sterling N. Sudweeks
Alcohol And Nicotine Co-Dependence Iii, Scott C. Steffensen, Jeffery G. Edwards, Sterling N. Sudweeks
Journal of Undergraduate Research
Alcoholism and nicotine (NIC) addiction are chronic relapsing disorders that have enormous impact on society. Alcohol and NIC are the most commonly abused drugs, and a large body of evidence indicates that there is a positive correlation between their consumption. Today, smoking NIC-containing tobacco products is recognized as one of the greatest risk factors in the development of alcoholism. A major goal of addiction research is to characterize the critical neural substrates that are most sensitive to these drugs, adapt in association with chronic consumption and drive subsequent drug-seeking behavior. The long-term objective of our research program is to advance …
Alcohol And Nicotine Co-Dependence, Taylor Woodward, Scott Steffensen
Alcohol And Nicotine Co-Dependence, Taylor Woodward, Scott Steffensen
Journal of Undergraduate Research
Addiction is a diabolical neurochemical trap that robs people of their agency and catastrophically affects virtually every aspect of an addict’s life. Alcohol is one of the most statistically widespread and harmful addictive substances in our society (Nutt, King et al. 2010). Through physiological means, it destroys an addict’s dignity, disrupts the ability to maintain healthy relationships, and often results in premature death of the addict and those around him or her. M. Russell Ballard recently spoke about the spiritual implications of the pleasure center of the brain, stating that “when activated by certain drugs or behaviors, it overpowers the …
Development Of A Self-Determination Theory Measure Of Adolescent’S Motivations To Abstain From Sex And Alcohol, Jacob Curtis, Sam Hardy
Development Of A Self-Determination Theory Measure Of Adolescent’S Motivations To Abstain From Sex And Alcohol, Jacob Curtis, Sam Hardy
Journal of Undergraduate Research
Adolescent sex and alcohol use are issues today in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), about a third of high school students report having had sex in the previous three months, and 79% of twelfth graders have drunk alcohol at least once in their lifetime. There has been a cost for society. Teen childbearing cost U.S. taxpayers $10.9 billion in 2008 (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2011), and underage drinking cost Americans over $62 billion in 2010 (Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center, 2011).
Neural Mechanisms: Nicotine And Alcohol Co-Dependence, Jordan Spencer, Dr. Scott Steffensen
Neural Mechanisms: Nicotine And Alcohol Co-Dependence, Jordan Spencer, Dr. Scott Steffensen
Journal of Undergraduate Research
Alcohol abuse is prevalent in today’s society, causing an economic burden to the US of several hundred billions of dollars annually in direct costs alone. Several reports have estimated that 80% of those with a dependence on alcohol are also smokers. While smoking rates in the general population have decreased in recent decades, the use of NIC has remained high (approximately 70-75%) in individuals who regularly use alcohol. Often taken in concert, the use of tobacco and alcohol are leading causes of preventable death in the United States. In addition, there is strong evidence of co-dependence – individuals who smoke …
Predicting Alcohol Consumption In Adolescent Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta), Andrea Nichole Sorenson
Predicting Alcohol Consumption In Adolescent Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta), Andrea Nichole Sorenson
Theses and Dissertations
Numerous studies show that a low level of response to the intoxicating effects of alcohol is considered a risk factor for future alcoholism. However, assessing this sensitivity usually requires administering a controlled dose of alcohol, which has a number of inherent problems. Early observations in our lab suggest that the response to anesthetics that show cross tolerance with alcohol, like ketamine, are blunted in nonhuman primates at risk for high alcohol intake, and may be a viable measure of future alcohol consumption. This study was designed to test potential predictors of future alcohol consumption using the change in ketamine across …
Gender Differences In The Associations Among Body Mass Index, Weight Loss, Exercise, And Drinking Among College Students, Adam E. Barry Phd, Shawn Whiteman Phd, Anna K. Piazza-Gardner Ms, Alexander C. Jensen Phd
Gender Differences In The Associations Among Body Mass Index, Weight Loss, Exercise, And Drinking Among College Students, Adam E. Barry Phd, Shawn Whiteman Phd, Anna K. Piazza-Gardner Ms, Alexander C. Jensen Phd
Faculty Publications
Objective: To explore gender differences regarding weight management behaviors of college drinkers. Participants: Nationally representative sample of college students from the fall 2008 American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II (N = 26,062 students). Methods: Structural equation modeling was used to examine potential gender differences in associations among exercise, weight loss behaviors, and alcohol use. Results: Critical ratio tests revealed that associations between exercise and weight loss behaviors were more strongly correlated among females as compared with males. For females, there was a small negative association between exercise and drinking behaviors; in contrast, for males, there was a …
Oprm1 Gene Variation Influences Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function In Response To A Variety Of Stressors In Rhesus Macaques, Melanie L. Schwandt, Stephen G. Lindell, James Dee Higley, Stephen J. Suomi, Markus Heilig, Christina S. Barr
Oprm1 Gene Variation Influences Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function In Response To A Variety Of Stressors In Rhesus Macaques, Melanie L. Schwandt, Stephen G. Lindell, James Dee Higley, Stephen J. Suomi, Markus Heilig, Christina S. Barr
Faculty Publications
The endogenous opioid system is involved in modulating a number of behavioral and physiological systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In humans, a functional variant in the OPRM1 gene (OPRM1 A118G) is associated with a number of outcomes, including attenuated HPA axis responses to stress. A nonsynonymous variant (OPRM1 C77G) in the rhesus macaque has been shown to have similar effects in vivo to the human variant. The current study investigated whether OPRM1 C77G influences HPA axis response to stress in rhesus macaques. We analyzed plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol levels measured in response to three different stressors: 1) …