Changes to genetic material in the brain may help induce the anxiety that is characteristic of alcohol withdrawal, according to a new study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The finding points to possible therapies to prevent withdrawal-related anxiety, a driving force behind alcohol use among dependent...
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Researchers supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have identified new genes that may contribute to excessive alcohol consumption. The new study, conducted with strains of animals that have either a high or low innate preference for alcohol, provides clues about the molecular mechanisms that underlie the tendency...
Vulnerability to both alcohol and nicotine abuse may be influenced by the same genetic factor, according to a recent study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In the study, two genetically distinct kinds of rat – one an innately heavy-drinking strain bred to prefer alcohol (“P” rats)...
Unhealthy alcohol drinking patterns may go hand-in-hand with unhealthy eating habits, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Examining diet quality of individuals who drink any kind of alcoholic beverage, researchers found that people who...
Scientists have identified a brain mechanism in rats that may play a central role in regulating anxiety and alcohol-drinking. The finding, by researchers supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), could provide important clues about the neurobiology of alcohol-drinking behaviors in humans. A report of the study appears...
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), today kicked off a major collaborative study that will investigate ways to screen, identify, and treat patients in hospital emergency departments for alcohol problems. Academic emergency medical departments (EDs) at 14 institutions throughout the U.S. will participate in the study, the...
Open Session of the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Agenda is now posted! The link to the webcast option will be provided closer to the event.
Many alcohol studies rely on participants to self-report how much and how often they drink, which can, at times, result in unreliable data. Biomarkers (biological markers) based on indicators in blood or other bodily fluids can be objective measures of alcohol use. Some biomarkers directly measure whether an individual has recently been drinking by measuring components of alcohol in blood...
GENE EXPRESSION CORE FACILITY for ALCOHOL RESEARCH The NIAAA is supporting a gene microarray technology resource center to assist investigators who are currently conducting, or who have an interest in initiating, gene expression studies that address alcohol-related disorders. The purpose of the Gene Expression Core facility is to provide microarray slides, and technical and bioinformatics services, to investigators for the...
Brain activity patterns may provide clues about a young person’s risk for initiating harmful alcohol use, according to new research supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). NIAAA-funded scientists led by Susan Tapert, Ph.D., and Lindsay Squeglia, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, and VA San Diego Healthcare, used magnetic resonance...
Alcohol and the Nervous System Gordon Research Conference New Perspectives in Alcohol Neuroscience Research Gordon Research Conferences Alochol and the Nervous System Website
People with schizophrenia spectrum disorders have high rates of co-occurring substance use disorder, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). For individuals who have schizophrenia, AUD is associated with depression, suicidality, medication nonadherence, chronic physical problems, homelessness, aggression, violence, incarceration, and high rates of hospitalization. The latest article from Alcohol Research Current Reviews provides an updated review of the epidemiology, underlying neurobiology...
Open Session of the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Agenda is now posted, and the webcast link is now available.