People seeking help for their alcohol or other drug problems enter treatment with very different levels of motivation to change. Differences in motivation appear to make a critical difference in which patients seek, comply with, and complete treatment. Findings from a study of the extent to…

• A new study examined the reliability of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis of alcohol dependence (AD) in a population-based sample.
• Characteristics relevant to the disorder – number of AD symptoms, treatment seeking,…

While alcohol has a wide range of pharmacological effects on the body, the brain is a primary target. However, the molecular mechanisms by which alcohol alters neuronal activity in the brain are poorly understood. Participants in a symposium at the June 2010 annual meeting of the Research…

• Binge drinking by young adults is prevalent in the United States and increasing in Europe.
• The brains hippocampus is particularly sensitive to alcohols neurotoxicity.
• New findings show a clear link between binge drinking and a reduced ability to learn new verbal…

• Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have numerous motor, behavioral, and cognitive difficulties.
• Deep gray matter, the brains "relay" stations, may be key to understanding alcohol-related brain injuries.
• Recent findings show significant volume…

• Children with a family history of alcoholism (FHP) have a higher risk for becoming alcoholic themselves.
• Of the two classifications of alcoholism – types I and II – the former is less severe but more prevalent.
• New findings show that a "moderate" alcohol dose can…

Researchers know that there is a strong link between parental alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and the risk for developing an AUD among their offspring. This study looked at the risk of AUDs in the offspring of a large population-based sample of Danish parents. Findings confirmed that parental AUDs…

• A new laboratory study compares the effects of alcohol alone versus alcohol mixed with an energy drink on a cognitive task, as well as participants reports of feelings of intoxication.
• Results show that energy drinks can enhance the feeling of stimulation that occurs when…

• Binge drinking is prevalent during adolescence.
• Adolescence is also a crucial developmental time for cognitive functioning, including spatial working memory.
• A new study has found the female may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of binge drinking.…

Few studies have examined the acute effects of alcohol on myocardial or heart function. While moderate-to-high blood concentrations of alcohol acutely impair conventional echocardiographic measures of left ventricular (LV) performance, the effects of low concentrations are unclear. An…