Race Differences in the Association Between Binge Drinking and Treatment Among First-Time Justice-System-Impacted Youth.

AIMS: We aim to determine whether there are racial/ethnic differences in the association between binge drinking frequency and community-based alcohol treatment among justice-system-impacted adolescents and young adults. METHODS: We examined whether race/ethnicity moderated the relation between binge drinking and youths' likelihood of receiving alcohol treatment. The sample included 1216 male, first-time-arrested youth from the Crossroads Study (2011-2018). Participants were recruited from CA, PA and LA. RESULTS: Among youth who binge drank occasionally, Black youth were less likely to receive alcohol treatment than White (b = -0.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.13, -0.04]) and Hispanic/Latino (b = -0.06, 95% CI [-0.09, -0.02]) youth. There were no differences between the White and Hispanic/Latino youth. Black youth who were frequent binge drinkers were as likely to receive alcohol treatment as White youth who binge drank significantly less often. There were no racial/ethnic differences in alcohol treatment at the highest level of binge drinking. CONCLUSION: Black youth who binge drink occasionally are less likely than White youth to receive alcohol treatment. The present findings highlight a need for efforts to mitigate racial disparities in access to or motivations to seek community-based treatment.

Web-delivered multisession alcohol-linked attentional bias modification for binge drinking: Cognitive and behavioral effects in young adult college students.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the efficacy of a web-delivered alcohol-linked attentional bias modification (AtBM) procedure designed to train attentional bias (AB) for negative alcohol-related expectancies. METHOD: Using a double-blind randomized controlled design, 43 college students (aged 18-25) who reported consuming four or more drinks, each comprising 10 g of alcohol, on a single occasion in the past month (i.e., binge drinking) completed five web-based self-administered sessions over 3 weeks of AtBM toward negative alcohol-related expectancies or sham-training (control) modified dot-probe task. AB for negative alcohol-related expectancies was assessed pretraining, immediately posttraining, and 1 month following the AtBM (i.e., 1-month follow-up). Binge drinking frequency was assessed at pretraining and 1-month follow-up. RESULTS: At 1-month follow-up, the AtBM training group showed significantly greater AB for negative alcohol-related expectancies than the sham-training control group. No other AtBM effects were observed for alcohol expectancy AB scores nor for binge drinking frequency. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary support for the use of a novel web-based AtBM procedure that trains AB for negative alcohol-related expectancies, with intended effects on AB observed at 1-month follow-up. Further research is needed to establish generalization of cognitive bias effects and translation to significant reductions in hazardous drinking and to identify moderators of effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of a cannabis use disorder text message-delivered treatment on young adult alcohol misuse: Differential effects by gender.

Alcohol misuse is more prevalent, frequent, and severe among young adults who use cannabis. Treatment of dual alcohol and cannabis users may have mixed results, with some studies reporting that alcohol misuse increases when cannabis use decreases (substance substitution), while others report that alcohol misuse decreases along with decreasing cannabis use (treatment spillover), and others report no association. Additionally, little research tests whether gender differences are found in treatment of dual alcohol and cannabis users, which may be expected given previous alcohol-focused treatments showing larger effects for females. In the current study, we present a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial testing a text message-delivered cannabis use disorder (CUD) treatment (peer network counseling text or "PNC-txt"). The trial included 101 young adults ages 18-25 who met criteria for CUD. We tested whether alcohol use and binge drinking frequency (4+/5+ drinks for women/men) decreased in response to the PNC-txt treatment, which has previously shown effectiveness in reducing cannabis use days. Latent growth models tested PNC-txt effects on the monthly rate of change in alcohol use and binge drinking across three months. In the full sample, we found no evidence of significant treatment effects on alcohol use (d = -0.07) or binge drinking (d = -0.10). Moderation analyses, however, indicated the PNC-txt effect on both alcohol use and binge drinking differed significantly by gender. PNC-txt led to significantly larger decreases in alcohol use (d = -0.53) and binge drinking days (d = -0.43) across the three months for females, whereas the study saw opposite (but nonsignificant) effects for males (d = 0.30 and 0.16 for alcohol use and binge drinking, respectively). We found no evidence that reductions in alcohol use and binge drinking were associated with cannabis use decreases, arguing against direct substitution or spillover effects. These results provide evidence that treatments focused on cannabis use may have secondary beneficial effects for young-adult alcohol misuse, although such effects may be limited to women.

Activation of locus coeruleus to rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) noradrenergic pathway blunts binge-like ethanol drinking and induces aversive responses in mice.

There is strong evidence that ethanol entails aversive effects that can act as a deterrent to overconsumption. We have found that in doses that support the development of a conditioned taste aversion ethanol increases the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC), a primary source of norepinephrine (NE). Using cre-inducible AAV8-ChR2 viruses in TH-ires-cre mice we found that the LC provides NE projections that innervate the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a brain region that has been implicated in the aversive properties of drugs. Because the neurocircuitry underlying the aversive effects of ethanol is poorly understood, we characterized the role of the LC to RMTg circuit in modulating aversive unconditioned responses and binge-like ethanol intake. Here, both male and female TH-ires-cre mice were cannulated in the RMTg and injected in the LC with rAVV viruses that encode for a Gq-expressing designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) virus, or its control virus, to directly control the activity of NE neurons. A Latin Square paradigm was used to analyze both 20% ethanol and 3% sucrose consumption using the "drinking-in-the-dark" (DID) paradigm. Chemogenetic activation of the LC to RMTg pathway significantly blunted the binge-ethanol drinking, with no effect on the sucrose consumption, increased the emission of mid-frequency vocalizations and induced malaise-like behaviors in mice. The present findings indicate an important involvement of the LC to RMTg pathway in reducing ethanol consumption, and characterize unconditioned aversive reactions induced by activation of this noradrenergic pathway.

Recent Perspectives on Sex Differences in Compulsion-Like and Binge Alcohol Drinking.

Alcohol use disorder remains a substantial social, health, and economic problem and problem drinking levels in women have been increasing in recent years. Understanding whether and how the underlying mechanisms that drive drinking vary by sex is critical and could provide novel, more targeted therapeutic treatments. Here, we examine recent results from our laboratories and others which we believe provide useful insights into similarities and differences in alcohol drinking patterns across the sexes. Findings for binge intake and aversion-resistant, compulsion-like alcohol drinking are considered, since both are likely significant contributors to alcohol problems in humans. We also describe studies regarding mechanisms that may underlie sex differences in maladaptive alcohol drinking, with some focus on the importance of nucleus accumbens (NAcb) core and shell regions, several receptor types (dopamine, orexin, AMPA-type glutamate), and possible contributions of sex hormones. Finally, we discuss how stressors such as early life stress and anxiety-like states may interact with sex differences to contribute to alcohol drinking. Together, these findings underscore the importance and critical relevance of studying female and male mechanisms for alcohol and co-morbid conditions to gain a true and clinically useful understanding of addiction and neuropsychiatric mechanisms and treatment.

Accumbens coordinated reset stimulation in mice exhibits ameliorating aftereffects on binge alcohol drinking.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects nearly 5% of the world's adult population. Despite treatment, AUD often manifests with relapse to binge drinking, which has been associated with corticostriatal hypersynchrony involving the nucleus accumbens (NAc). METHODS: A modified "Drinking in the Dark" protocol was used to provoke binge-like alcohol drinking. We implemented Coordinated Reset Stimulation (CRS), a computationally designed, spatio-temporal stimulation algorithm, to desynchronize abnormal neuronal activity via a deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrode in the NAc of mice exhibiting binge-like alcohol drinking. Integral CRS charge injected would be 2.5% of that of conventional high-frequency DBS. RESULTS: NAc CRS delivery during only the initial phase of exposure to alcohol and prior to the exposure (but not during) significantly reduced binge-like drinking without interfering with social behavior or locomotor activity. CONCLUSIONS: NAc CRS ameliorates binge-like alcohol drinking and preliminarily exhibits sustained aftereffects that are suggestive of an unlearning of hypersynchrony.

Randomized Clinical Trial Examining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Individuals With a First-Time DUI Offense.

BACKGROUND: Driving under the influence (DUI) programs are a unique setting to reduce disparities in treatment access to those who may not otherwise access treatment. Providing evidence-based therapy in these programs may help prevent DUI recidivism. METHODS: We conducted a randomized clinical trial of 312 participants enrolled in 1 of 3 DUI programs in California. Participants were 21 and older with a first-time DUI offense who screened positive for at-risk drinking in the past year. Participants were randomly assigned to a 12-session manualized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or usual care (UC) group and then surveyed 4 and 10 months later. We conducted intent-to-treat analyses to test the hypothesis that participants receiving CBT would report reduced impaired driving, alcohol consumption (drinks per week, abstinence, and binge drinking), and alcohol-related negative consequences. We also explored whether race/ethnicity and gender moderated CBT findings. RESULTS: Participants were 72.3% male and 51.7% Hispanic, with an average age of 33.2 (SD = 12.4). Relative to UC, participants receiving CBT had lower odds of driving after drinking at the 4- and 10-month follow-ups compared to participants receiving UC (odds ratio [OR] = 0.37, p = 0.032, and OR = 0.29, p = 0.065, respectively). This intervention effect was more pronounced for females at 10-month follow-up. The remaining 4 outcomes did not significantly differ between UC versus CBT at 4- and 10-month follow-ups. Participants in both UC and CBT reported significant within-group reductions in 2 of 5 outcomes, binge drinking and alcohol-related consequences, at 10-month follow-up (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In the short-term, individuals receiving CBT reported significantly lower rates of repeated DUI than individuals receiving UC, which may suggest that learning cognitive behavioral strategies to prevent impaired driving may be useful in achieving short-term reductions in impaired driving.

Leveraging copresence to increase the effectiveness of gamified personalized normative feedback.

Virtual copresence, or the sense of being with others in an online space, is a feeling induced on many apps and websites through user avatars and browsable profile pages. Despite the small/modest effect sizes observed in popular web-based personalized normative feedback (PNF) alcohol interventions for college students, previous research has yet to consider how copresence might boost efficacy. This study builds on previous PNF gamification work to investigate whether specific copresence features (visual and text-based information about peers) increase PNF's ability to reduce alcohol use relative to a standard PNF condition and a gamified PNF condition. Copresence and perceptions of drinking norms (average drinks, peak drinks, and binge episodes) were assessed during a 3-week period following random assignment of college students (N = 235) to 1 of the 4 web-based PNF conditions (Standard PNF, Gamified PNF Only, Gamified PNF + Visual Copresence, and Gamified PNF + Maximum Copresence). These conditions asked the same questions about drinking and delivered identical PNF on alcohol use, but differed in the level of visual and text-based information about peers. Overall, only the gamified condition that featured maximum copresence significantly reduced drinking outcomes relative to standard PNF. However, conditional effects were moderated by pre-intervention drinking. Among heavier pre-intervention drinkers, both gamified conditions that featured copresence significantly improved upon Standard PNF in reducing alcohol use at follow-up. Findings suggest that including social media-like copresence features to visually represent and provide basic information about the peers contributing to the norms can enhance the efficacy of gamified PNF interventions, especially among high-risk heavy drinkers.

Alcohol use disorders and the heart.

Alcohol use is an important preventable and modifiable cause of non-communicable disease, and has complex effects on the cardiovascular system that vary with dose. Observational and prospective studies have consistently shown a lower risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in people with low levels of alcohol consumption when compared to abstainers (the 'J'-shaped curve). Maximum potential benefit occurs at 0.5 to one standard drinks (7-14 g pure ethanol) per day for women (18% lower all-cause mortality, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 13-22%) and one to two standard drinks (14-28 g ethanol) per day for men (17% lower all-cause mortality, 95% CI = 15-19%). However, this evidence is contested, and overall the detrimental effects of alcohol far outweigh the beneficial effects, with the risk of premature mortality increasing steadily after an average consumption of 10 g ethanol/day. Blood pressure (BP) is increased by regular alcohol consumption in a dose-dependent manner, with a relative risk for hypertension (systolic BP > 140 mm Hg or diastolic > 90 mm Hg) of 1.7 for 50 g ethanol/day and 2.5 at 100 g/day. Important reductions in BP readings can be expected after as little as 1 month of abstinence from alcohol. Heavy alcohol consumption in a binge pattern is associated with the development of acute cardiac arrhythmia, even in people with normal heart function. Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia associated with chronic high-volume alcohol intake, and above 14 g alcohol/day the relative risk increases 10% for every extra standard drink (14 g ethanol). Ethanol and its metabolites have toxic effects on cardiac myocytes, and alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM) accounts for a third of all cases of non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Screening people drinking alcohol above low-volume levels and delivering a brief intervention may prevent the development of cardiovascular complications. Although people with established cardiovascular disease show improved outcomes with a reduction to low-volume alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount of alcohol to drink and patients with ACM should aim for abstinence in order to optimize medical treatment.

A randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of a brief alcohol intervention supplemented with a substance-free activity session or relaxation training.

OBJECTIVE: Behavioral economic theory suggests that a reduction in alcohol use is most likely when there is an increase in rewarding substance-free activities. Anxiety has also been linked to heavy drinking, and strategies to reduce anxiety may enhance alcohol interventions. The goal of this 2-site randomized controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the efficacy of a brief alcohol intervention that was supplemented with either a behavioral economic substance-free activity session (SFAS) or a relaxation training (Relaxation training [RT]) session. METHOD: Participants were 393 college students (61% female, mean age = 18.77 years) who reported 2 or more past-month heavy drinking episodes. Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 conditions: (a) assessment; (b) alcohol brief motivational intervention (BMI) plus SFAS; or (c) BMI plus RT. Both treatment conditions included 2 in-person sessions plus a phone booster session. Outcomes were evaluated 1-, 6-, 12-, and 16-months postintervention. RESULTS: Generalized linear mixed models indicated that the combination of a BMI plus either the SFAS or RT was associated with significant reductions in alcohol use and problems across the 16-month follow-up compared with assessment only. There were no significant differences between the two active treatment conditions. Changes in proportional reinforcement from substance-related activities, and protective behavioral strategies mediated treatment effects. CONCLUSION: Two-session (plus booster) interventions that combine BMI and either substance-free activity enhancement or RT can result in enduring reductions in alcohol misuse among college drinkers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The combination of swimming and curcumin consumption may improve spatial memory recovery after binge ethanol drinking.

Helping the return of people with social disorders, including ethanol consumption, are important research topics in the field of biological sciences, and there are many uncertainties about the efficacy of drug interventions and exercise training. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects short-term combination of curcumin and swimming on the improvement of spatial memory. Male Wistar rats (200-250 g) were randomly assigned into ethanol or dextrose groups. After 4 days of gavage, and withdrawn of consumption, they were affected by swimming intervention or curcumin supplementation within 2 weeks. Spatial memory was assessed in Morris Water Maze (MWM) apparatus by a single training session of eight trials. Furthermore, levels of BDNF were measured in hippocampal tissue by doing real time PCR. The results showed that binge ethanol drinking had no significant effect on the traveled distance [F(1,14) = 0.024; P > .05] and escape latency [F(1,14) = 0.648; P > .05] of reaching the platform. In the probe test, both the percentage of swimming time [t(14) = -4.621; P < .001] and distance [t(14) = -4.989; P < .001] in the target quadrant was significantly lower in the ethanol group than the dextrose group. On the other hand in reviewing the effect of curcumin and swimming exercise on learning and spatial memory, The percentage of swimming time was significantly higher in the swim+curcumin [P < .01], training [P < .05] and curcumin [P < .05] subgroups then the control subgroup. The percentage of distance traveled in the swim+curcumin subgroup [P < .001] and curcumin subgroup [P < .05] was significantly higher than the control subgroup. In addition, in the group of binge ethanol drinking, the percentage of swimming time and distance traveled in the target quadrant in the swim+curcumin subgroup was significantly higher than the control subgroup [P < .001]. There was a positive correlation between BDNF gene expression and the percentage of swimming time [P < .01] and the distance traveled in the target quadrant [P < .001] was observed. In conclusion, Binge ethanol drinking causes spatial memory deficiency by reduction of BDNF, and the combination of curcumin and swimming training improves impaired spatial memory after binge ethanol drinking.

Gene and cell therapy on the acquisition and relapse-like binge drinking in a model of alcoholism: translational options.

Studies reviewed show that lentiviral gene therapy directed either at inhibiting the synthesis of brain acetaldehyde generated from ethanol or at degrading brain acetaldehyde fully prevent ethanol intake by rats bred for their high alcohol preference. However, after animals have chronically consumed alcohol, the above gene therapy did not inhibit alcohol intake, indicating that in the chronic ethanol intake condition brain acetaldehyde is no longer the compound that generates the continued alcohol reinforcement. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation generated by chronic ethanol intake are strongly associated with the perpetuation of alcohol consumption and alcohol relapse "binge drinking". Mesenchymal stem cells, referred to as guardians of inflammation, release anti-inflammatory cytokines and antioxidant products. The intravenous delivery of human mesenchymal stem cells or the intranasal administration of mesenchymal stem cell-generated exosomes reverses both (i) alcohol-induced neuro-inflammation and (ii) oxidative stress, and greatly (iii) inhibits (80-90%) chronic alcohol intake and relapse binge-drinking. The therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells is mediated by increased levels of the brain GLT-1 glutamate transporter, indicating that glutamate signaling is pivotal for alcohol relapse. Human mesenchymal stem cells and the products released by these cells may have translational value in the treatment of alcohol-use disorders.

Ketamine normalizes binge drinking-induced defects in glutamatergic synaptic transmission and ethanol drinking behavior in female but not male mice.

Ketamine is a fast acting experimental antidepressant with significant therapeutic potential for emotional disorders such as major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorders. Of particular interest is binge alcohol use, which during intermittent withdrawal from drinking involves depressive-like symptoms reminiscent of major depressive disorder. Binge drinking has been successfully modeled in mice with the Drinking in the Dark (DID) paradigm, which involves daily access to 20% ethanol, for a limited duration and selectively during the dark phase of the circadian light cycle. Here we demonstrate that DID exposure reduces the cell surface expression of NMDA- and AMPA-type glutamate receptors in the prelimbic cortex (PLC) of female but not male mice, along with reduced activity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Pretreatment with an acute subanesthetic dose of ketamine suppresses binge-like ethanol consumption in female but not male mice. Lastly, DID-exposure reduces spontaneous glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the PLC of both sexes, but synaptic transmission is rescued by ketamine selectively in female mice. Thus, ketamine may have therapeutic potential as an ethanol binge suppressing agent selectively in female subjects.

Individual and Social Factors Related to Trajectories of Blackouts among Underage Drinkers in the Emergency Department.

AIMS: Alcohol-related blackouts can result in acute injuries and other negative outcomes. Among underage risky drinkers, we examined longitudinal trajectories of blackout frequency following an emergency department (ED) visit, and identified baseline characteristics associated with blackout trajectory membership. METHODS: Participants (ages 14-20; N = 836) attending an ED who screened positive for risky drinking and enrolled in a randomized-controlled trial of brief alcohol interventions were assessed at baseline, 3-, 6-, and 12-months. We used group-based trajectory modeling to determine characteristic trajectories of blackout frequency over 12-months in relation to baseline characteristics: demographics, substance use, delinquency, depression/anxiety symptoms, sexual assault, dating violence, and peer and sibling influences. RESULTS: We identified four groups: No/Low blackouts (n = 248; 29.7%), Declining blackouts (n = 92; 11.0%), Moderate blackouts (n = 337; 40.3%) and High blackouts (n = 159; 19.0%); group membership did not differ based on intervention receipt. In adjusted analyses, compared to the No/Low group all other groups had higher odds of having an alcohol-related baseline ED visit. Female sex, alcohol consumption, prescription drug misuse, sexual assault while incapacitated due to substances, and negative peer influences were positively associated with membership in the High group; College/Greek life involvement was also highest. Negative peer influences and being in high school (vs. College/Greek life) also distinguished the Moderate group. CONCLUSION: Blackout frequency was largely stable over time and riskier trajectories were marked by risk factors such as negative peer influences and college/Greek life involvement. Findings may inform targeted interventions, particularly for women who were in higher risk trajectories.

Enrollment and assessment of a first-year college class social network for a controlled trial of the indirect effect of a brief motivational intervention.

Heavy drinking and its consequences among college students represent a serious public health problem, and peer social networks are a robust predictor of drinking-related risk behaviors. In a recent trial, we administered a Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) to a small number of first-year college students to assess the indirect effects of the intervention on peers not receiving the intervention. OBJECTIVES: To present the research design, describe the methods used to successfully enroll a high proportion of a first-year college class network, and document participant characteristics. METHODS: Prior to study enrollment, we consulted with a student advisory group and campus stakeholders to aid in the development of study-related procedures. Enrollment and baseline procedures were completed in the first six weeks of the academic semester. Surveys assessed demographics, alcohol use, and social network ties. Individuals were assigned to a BMI or control group according to their dormitory location. RESULTS: The majority of incoming first-year students (1342/1660; 81%) were enrolled (55% female, 52% nonwhite, mean age 18.6 [SD = 0.51]). Differences between the intervention and control group were noted in alcohol use, but were in large part a function of there being more substance-free dormitory floors in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The current study was successful in enrolling a large proportion of a first-year college class and can serve as a template for social network investigations.

Substance use and use disorders and treatment receipt among adults in families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), 2003-2014.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Legalization of marijuana for medical and/or recreational use in some U.S. states has increased attention to substance use and related problems. However, little attention has been paid to these phenomena among adults in families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) whose adverse life experiences may put them at elevated risk of substance use disorders (SUDs). METHODS: Data from the 2003-2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) were used to test trends in past-month binge drinking and past-year marijuana, other illicit drug, and any illicit drug use and to examine SUD prevalence and treatment correlates among adults in TANF families. RESULTS: While rates of binge drinking and any illicit drug use remained steady, marijuana use increased from 15.8% in 2003/2004 to 21.6% in 2013/2014, a 36.7% increase. Increased marijuana use was strongly related to changes in marijuana risk perception. Among adults in TANF families, 19.5% of men and 10.8% of women had a past-year SUD, but only one in five received treatment. Those aged 18-25, Black or Hispanic women, and those who had children at home when surveyed were less likely to have received treatment. DISCUSSION: Preventive efforts to address substance use, especially marijuana use, among adults in TANF families are needed. Moreover, given greater odds of unmet SUD treatment need among these economically disadvantaged adults, particularly racial/ethnic minority women and those who are in emerging adulthood, uninsured, and have children at home, measures to provide more inclusive services such as integrated behavioral health care are needed.

Testing a motivational model of delivery modality and incentives on participation in a brief alcohol intervention.

OBJECTIVES: The current research evaluated delivery modality and incentive as factors affecting recruitment into a personalized normative feedback (PNF) alcohol intervention for heavy drinking college students. We also evaluated whether these factors were differentially associated with participation based on relevance of the intervention (via participants' drinking levels). METHOD: College students aged 18-26 who endorsed at least one heavy drinking episode and one alcohol-related consequence in the past month (N = 2059; 59.1% female) were invited to participate in a PNF intervention study. In this 2 × 2 design, participants were randomized to: (1) complete the computer-based baseline survey and intervention procedure remotely (i.e., at a time and location of their convenience) or in-person in the laboratory, and (2) receive an incentive ($30) for their participation in the baseline/intervention procedure or no incentive. RESULTS: Consistent with hypotheses, students were more likely to participate when participation occurred remotely (OR = 1.87, p < .001) and when an incentive (OR = 1.64, p = .007) was provided. Moderation analyses suggested that incentives were only associated with higher recruitment rates among remote participants (OR = 2.10, p < .001), consistent with cognitive evaluation theory. Moreover, heavier drinkers were more likely to participate if doing so remotely, whereas drinking was not associated with likelihood of participation among in-person participants. DISCUSSION: The present results showed a strong selection bias for participation in a web-based intervention study relative to one in which participants were required to participate in-person. Results have implications for researchers recruiting college students for alcohol interventions.

Intravenous administration of anti-inflammatory mesenchymal stem cell spheroids reduces chronic alcohol intake and abolishes binge-drinking.

Chronic alcohol intake leads to neuroinflammation and astrocyte dysfunction, proposed to perpetuate alcohol consumption and to promote conditioned relapse-like binge drinking. In the present study, human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were cultured in 3D-conditions to generate MSC-spheroids, which greatly increased MSCs anti-inflammatory ability and reduced cell volume by 90% versus conventionally 2D-cultured MSCs, enabling their intravenous administration and access to the brain. It is shown, in an animal model of chronic ethanol intake and relapse-drinking, that both the intravenous and intra-cerebroventricular administration of a single dose of MSC-spheroids inhibited chronic ethanol intake and relapse-like drinking by 80-90%, displaying significant effects over 3-5 weeks. The MSC-spheroid administration fully normalized alcohol-induced neuroinflammation, as shown by a reduced astrocyte activation, and markedly increased the levels of the astrocyte Na-glutamate (GLT-1) transporter. This research suggests that the intravenous administration of MSC-spheroids may constitute an effective new approach for the treatment of alcohol-use disorders.

Design and feasibility testing of a novel group intervention for young women who binge drink in groups.

BACKGROUND: Young women frequently drink alcohol in groups and binge drinking within these natural drinking groups is common. This study describes the design of a theoretically and empirically based group intervention to reduce binge drinking among young women. It also evaluates their engagement with the intervention and the acceptability of the study methods. METHODS: Friendship groups of women aged 18-35 years, who had two or more episodes of binge drinking (>6 UK units on one occasion; 48g of alcohol) in the previous 30 days, were recruited from the community. A face-to-face group intervention, based on the Health Action Process Approach, was delivered over three sessions. Components of the intervention were woven around fun activities, such as making alcohol free cocktails. Women were followed up four months after the intervention was delivered. RESULTS: The target of 24 groups (comprising 97 women) was recruited. The common pattern of drinking was infrequent, heavy drinking (mean consumption on the heaviest drinking day was UK 18.1 units). Process evaluation revealed that the intervention was delivered with high fidelity and acceptability of the study methods was high. The women engaged positively with intervention components and made group decisions about cutting down. Twenty two groups set goals to reduce their drinking, and these were translated into action plans. Retention of individuals at follow up was 87%. CONCLUSIONS: This study successfully recruited groups of young women whose patterns of drinking place them at high risk of acute harm. This novel approach to delivering an alcohol intervention has potential to reduce binge drinking among young women. The high levels of engagement with key steps in the behavior change process suggests that the group intervention should be tested in a full randomised controlled trial.

Four-year follow-up of an internet-based brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol use in young men.

AIM: To estimate the long-term efficacy of an internet-based brief intervention (IBI) in decreasing alcohol use among men on (1) number of drinks/week and (2) monthly or more binge drinking prevalence. In addition, overall changes in alcohol use were assessed. DESIGN: Participants in a cohort study were recruited in a two parallel-group randomized controlled trial of an IBI versus no-intervention control condition, showing a positive intervention effect at 6 months. As part of the regular cohort assessments, participants were re-assessed 47 months after the initial trial, offering an opportunity to determine long-term efficacy. SETTING: Young Swiss men from the general population. PARTICIPANTS: Of 737 randomized trial participants with unhealthy alcohol use (> 14 drinks/week or ≥ 6 drinks/occasion at least monthly, or Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) ≥ 8), 626 completed a cohort assessment at mean ± standard deviation (SD) = 47.4 ± 2.6) months after their randomized trial baseline assessment. INTERVENTION: IBI included normative and personalized feedback on alcohol use, risk indicators, information about alcohol and health and recommendations; controls: assessment only. MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported number of drinks/week and monthly or more binge drinking prevalence. FINDINGS: Comparisons at follow-up were adjusted for baseline drinking. Missing values were replaced with the last observation carried forward. There was no evidence of differences between the IBI and control group on either the number of drinks/week [IBI: 10.8 (14.2); control: 10.7 (14.1), P = 0.8] or monthly or more binge drinking prevalence (IBI: 65.1%; control: 63.5%, P = 0.5). Although there was no evidence of overall change from baseline in number of drinks/week [9.8 (7.9) at baseline, 10.8 (14.1) at 47 months, P = 0.051], there was evidence that monthly or more binge drinking prevalence had decreased during the follow-up time (84.9% at baseline, 64.3% at 47 months, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: An internet-based brief intervention directed at unhealthy alcohol use among young men does not appear to reduce drinking over the long-term.