Consumo de alcohol durante la adolescencia y el desarrollo temprano, causas y consecuencias

La etiología de los trastornos por abuso de alcohol tradicionalmente subrayó la importancia de los factores genéticos. Investigaciones recientes indican, sin embargo, que el consumo de alcohol está también significativamente influenciado por la exposición a la droga durante la vida prenatal, postnatal temprana y por la autoadministración durante la adolescencia. El consumo de alcohol durante la adolescencia tiene consecuencias nocivas inmediatas y aumenta la probabilidad de desarrollar abuso y dependencia a la droga. Se ha observado una relación inversa entre edad de inicio de consumo de alcohol y las probabilidades de tener problemas con la droga. Este artículo explora algunas de los factores que pueden contribuir al consumo significativo de alcohol entre los adolescentes y a los efectos duraderos de este consumo. Los adolescentes son, comparados con los adultos, relativamente insensibles a los efectos sedativos, de inducción del sueño y motivacionalmente aversivos del alcohol. Estos efectos sirven como barreras que limitan el mantenimiento y escalada en el consumo de alcohol. Al mismo tiempo, los adolescentes parecen ser más sensibles que los adultos a los efectos subjetivos apetitivos, reforzantes del consumo y a la facilitación social inducida por la droga. El alcohol puede inducir marcada neurotoxicidad en el cerebro adolescente, particularmente en áreas involucradas en el control de impulsos. En conjunto, estos trabajos apoyan medidas que tienden a tratar de demorar el inicio del consumo de alcohol en los menores. Es también importante diferenciar grupos o poblaciones de adolescentes que se encuentren particularmente en riesgo de desarrollar problemas con el alcohol.The etiology of alcohol abuse disorders traditionally highlighted the importance of genetic factors. Recent research suggests, however, that alcohol intake is significantly affected by alcohol exposure during prenatal and early postnatal stages of development, as well as by self-administration during adolescence. Alcohol intake during adolescence has immediate negative consequences and enhances the likelihood of developing alcohol abuse and dependence later in life. A negative association has been found between age of drinking onset and likelihood of alcohol-related problems. This article explores some of the factors that can contribute to ethanol drinking in adolescents and to the lingering consequences of that intake. Adolescents are, when compared to adults, relatively insensitive to the sedative, sleep-inducing and motivationally aversive effects of ethanol. These factors serve as barriers that limit escalation in ethanol intake. On the other hand, adolescents are more sensitive than adults to the appetitive, reinforcing effects of ethanol and to the facilitating effects of the drug on social interactions. Alcohol can induce neurotoxicity in the adolescent brain, particularly in brain areas involved in impulse control. Altogether, this research support public policy measures that aim at delaying age of drinking onset. It is also important to differentiate groups of adolescents that exhibit even greater propensity to engage in problematic alcohol consumption.Fil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentin

Individual differences predictive of ethanol-induced reinforcement and ethanol intake during adolescence

Fil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentina.Likelihood of alcohol use disorders is greater in adolescence than in other developmental stages. Greater novelty-seeking, enhanced sensitivity to stress or to ethanol-induced appetitive effects, or lessened sensitivity to ethanol-induced sedation may underlie adolescent vulnerability to alcohol-related problems. The present work describes studies assessing susceptibility to ethanol reinforcement and intake in subpopulations of rats that differed in their innate levels of novelty seeking or anxiety patterns, or in their level of response to ethanol. In an early study we found that binge ethanol exposure early on adolescence enhanced ethanol intake and that adolescents exhibiting greater sensibility to the motor activating effects of binge ethanol administration were even more predispose to drink ethanol. Subsequent work indicated that the motor stimulating effect of ethanol and the facilitative effect of ethanol binge exposure on later ethanol intake are greater in adolescent than in adult rats. Moreover, enhanced level of exploration in an open-field at adolescence was associated with greater ethanol-induced conditioned place preference and reduced ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion. Recent work indicated that adolescents exhibiting reduced exploration of the open arms of an elevated plus maze and higher anxiety response in a light-dark maze drank significantly more ethanol than counterparts with average levels of anxiety. Similar enhancement in ethanol intake was found in adolescents that had been chronically exposed to maternal deprivation. These results suggest that certain subpopulations of adolescents - those with innate or stress-induced high levels of anxiety, exacerbated novelty-seeking response or enhanced sensitivity to ethanol-induced psychomotor effects - may be at greater risk of elevated alcohol intake.http://www.lasbra.net/Abstracts%20LASBRA-LARNEDA%202013.pdfFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentina.Drogadicció

Personality and alcohol expectancies discriminate alcohol consumption patterns in female college students

To characterize patterns of alcohol use in a sample of Argentinean female college students according to personality traits and alcohol expectancies. Methods: Data from 298 female college students (Mage = 18.27 years; SD = 1.37 years) from the city of Cordoba, Argentina were analysed using multinomial regression. Results: Three drinking categories were identified, abstainers, moderate drinkers and regular drinkers with heavy episodic drinking, and these were differentiated by three personality traits [extraversion, disinhibition (DIS) and experience seeking (ES)] and three alcohol expectancies dimensions (sociability, risk/aggression and negative mood). Regular drinkers with heavy episodic drinking and moderate drinkers had, compared to abstainers, higher scores in extroversion and alcohol expectancies for social facilitation, and lower scores in alcohol expectancies for risk and aggression. Regular drinkers with heavy episodic drinking exhibited, compared to moderate drinkers, higher scores in ES, DIS, extroversion, alcohol expectancies for social facilitation and negative mood alcohol expectancies; as well as lower scores in risk and aggression alcohol expectancies. Conclusion: College women in Argentina with problematic alcohol drinking can be distinguished from those drinking moderately.Fil: Pilatti, Angelina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Cupani, Marcos. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentin

Bases neurofisiológicas de la adicción

El consumo de sustancias psicoactivas es uno de los comportamientos más extraños que podemos observar en el reino animal. Algunas de estas causan un daño enorme a las personas y la sociedad (como la heroína) o constituyen factores de riesgo importantes para el desarrollo de enfermedades crónicas evitables (como el tabaco o el alcohol), mientras que otras parecen ser menos dañinas y ampliamente disfrutadas (como el café y el chocolate). Pero, antes de meternos con la posible explicación a este fenómeno, primero entendamos exactamente de qué hablamos cuando hablamos de adicciones.Definiendo ?adicción?Si bien existen adicciones al juego, al sexo y hasta a las compras, este capítulo se va a centrar en la adicción a sustancias químicas. Esta condición puede ser identificada fácilmente por algunos comportamientos específicos que ocupan gran parte del día del individuo que la padece: búsqueda de la sustancia adictiva, ingesta, disminución del tiempo destinado a actividades que antes eran importantes en pos de la relación con la sustancia (consumida hasta cuando su efecto placentero ha disminuido), aun luego de repetidos y frustrados intentos por dejarla. Muchas veces, esta incapacidad para detener el consumo de la sustancia está relacionada con que, al cortarse bruscamente su consumo, aparecen un conjunto de síntomas y signos desagradables entre los cuales se encuentra un deseo imperioso e irrefrenable de volver a consumir, así como también depresión. Las personas que transitan una adicción pueden inclusive consumir la sustancia en situaciones que implican peligro para ellas mismas o para otros (por ejemplo, un conductor de colectivos que consume estimulantes antes de salir de trabajar).Fil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentin

The Change in Psychoactive Substance Consumption in Relation to Psychological Stress During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uruguay

Objective: to analyze how the health crisis associated with the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affected psychoactive substance consumption in Uruguay. Method: An online survey was answered by 1916 Uruguayan citizens between March 26th and April 5th, 2020. They were surveyed on psychoactive substance use before and after the instauration of a recommended quarantine, and on increases in frequency and volume of use (during the quarantine) of the psychoactive substance they reported as having consumed the most in the year prior to the quarantine, and psychological distress experienced during the last month. Results: The main substances consumed during the quarantine were alcohol, tobacco, marihuana, and psychopharmaceuticals. Approximately 29.0% increased the volume (and 17.7% the frequency) of use of the substance they had consumed the most the year before the instauration of the quarantine. Moreover, 5.6% initiated the consumption of a new psychoactive substance during the quarantine, mostly marihuana and psychopharmaceuticals. Psychological distress was significantly higher in women, in participants under 30 years old and in those that increased the volume of their preferred substance or increased the volume of the second preferred psychoactive substance. Membership into the group reporting an increase in the volume of use of the preferred psychoactive substance was associated with greater psychological distress. Conclusions: These results indicate an association between the instauration of the recommended quarantine in Uruguay and greater psychoactive substance use during the period, as well as an association between increased psychoactive substance use during this period and levels of psychological stress. These results are relevant in terms of public health and public policies.publishedVersionFil: Ruiz, Paul. Universidad de la República; Uruguay.Fil: Semblat, Florencia. Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres; Uruguay.Fil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina.Fil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentina

Ethanol-induced autonomic responses and risk taking increase in young adults with a positive family history of alcohol problems

The mechanisms that underlie the greater prevalence of alcohol use disorders in individuals with a positive family history (FH +) of alcohol abuse are still under investigation. These subjects may exhibit differential sensitivity to alcohol´s effects on psychomotor stimulation and impulsivity. Alcohol-induced psychomotor stimulation, measured as the heart rate (HR) response, is a proxy for the positive rewarding effects of the drug. We analyzed alcohol-induced effects on time perception (Time Production Task), risk taking (Balloon Analogue Risk Task [BART]), and HR in FH + and FH − participants. In the FH + and FH − groups, women and men received 0.6 and 0.7 g/kg alcohol, respectively. The alcohol dose yielded a breath alcohol concentration of 0.08% throughout the experiment. The control groups received placebo, and the subjective perception of alcohol intoxication was assessed. Alcohol intoxication significantly increased HR and the adjusted average number of pumps on the BART (a measure of risk taking) in FH + men and women but not in FH − participants. Behavioral impulsivity was unaffected by alcohol or a FH of alcohol abuse. FH − but not FH + participants who received alcohol reported significantly greater subjective perception of alcohol´s effects than their placebo counterparts. These results indicate that FH + individuals presented heightened sensitivity to alcohol-induced HR stimulation and alcohol-induced risk taking compared with their FH − counterparts. FH + subjects, however, were insensitive to the subjective effects of alcohol. This idiosyncratic response pattern may be a likely pathway by which a FH of alcohol problems promotes alcohol drinking.Fil: Caneto, Florencia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudio sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Psicología - Grupo Vinculado CIPSI; ArgentinaFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Pilatti, Angelina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudio sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Psicología - Grupo Vinculado CIPSI; Argentin

Contribution of Time of Drinking Onset and Family History of Alcohol Problems in Alcohol and Drug Use Behaviors in Argentinean College Students

Aims: The aim of the study was to analyze independent and potential interactive effects of age at drinking onset and family history of alcohol abuse on subsequent patterns of alcohol drinking, alcohol-related problems and substance use. Methods: Participants were college students (60.3% females, mean age = 20.27 ± 2.54 years) from the city of Córdoba, Argentina. Several measures were used to assess alcohol, tobacco and drug use. The Spanish version of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire was used to assess alcohol-related problems. Factorial analyses of variance, or its non-parametric equivalent, were performed to explore differences in substance use behaviors and alcohol-related problems in subjects with early or late drinking onset and with or without family history of alcohol abuse. Chi-square tests were conducted to analyze the association between these two risk factors and categorical measures of alcohol, tobacco and drug use. Results: Early onset of drinking was associated with amount of consumption of alcohol including up to hazardous levels, as well as tobacco and drug use. However, the frequency of alcohol problems and frequency of episodes of alcohol intoxication were only related to age of onset in those with a positive family history of alcohol problems. Conclusion: Delaying drinking debut is particularly important in the prevention of future alcohol problems in those adolescents who have a family history of such problems.Fil: Pilatti, Angelina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Caneto, Florencia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Garimaldi, Javier Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Vera, Belén del Valle. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentin

Operant self-administration of ethanol in infant rats

The review focuses on operant self-administration of ethanol in immature, infant rats. Several methods for the analysis of ethanol intake in infants are available, yet only oral self-administration models the typical pattern of ethanol consumption found in humans. The study of ethanol intake in infants is important for our understanding of how early alcohol experiences facilitate subsequent engagement with alcohol. It seems that sensitivity to ethanol-induced operant reinforcement is found very early in life, a few hours after birth, and throughout the first three weeks of life. Most of the studies reviewed complied with most, albeit not all, of the criteria for operant behavior (e.g., greater responding than yoked controls and persistence of this difference after withholding the reinforcer). Operant self-administration of ethanol in infant rats seems to be, at least partially, mediated by endogenous opioid transmission and can be enhanced by prior exposure to ethanol. Furthermore, acquisition of ethanol-mediated operant learning seems to facilitate drug self-administration during adolescence. Relative to older subjects, infants exhibit lower sensitivity to ethanol's sedative, hypnotic and motor impairing effects. On the other hand, they exhibit increased sensitivity to the motor stimulant and rewarding effects of ethanol. We suggest that this pattern of response to ethanol may favor the rapid acquisition of operant self-administration in infant rats.Fil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Miranda Morales, Roberto Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Nizhnikov, Michael. University of Binghamton; Estados Unido

ELSA 2014 Cohort: Risk Factors Associated With Heavy Episodic Drinking Trajectories in Argentinean College Students

Heavy episodic drinking (HED) is highly prevalent in college students. In Argentina, there is a notable lack of longitudinal studies examining drinking trajectories. The present study identified HED trajectories in Argentinean college students during the first 3 years of college (seven waves) and examined the association between risk factors for alcohol use and HED trajectories. The sample was composed of 1,240 college students [63.1% women, aged 18–25 years (M = 19.1 ± 1.7)] who completed at least three waves (the first data collection and ≥2 follow-ups). For 3 years, participants completed seven surveys that measured HED frequency, age of drinking onset, drunkenness occurrence, trait impulsivity, family history of alcohol abuse, stressful life events, and perceived peer’s drinking. Latent Class Growth Analysis (LCGA) and Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR) were used to identify the pattern and number of HED trajectories and to explore which risk factors better distinguished between the trajectories, respectively. Six HED trajectories were identified: Heavy Stable Frequency, Moderate Stable Frequency, Moderate Decreasing Frequency, Stable Infrequent, Decreasing Infrequent, and No-HED. Younger age of drinking onset, alcohol intoxication, greater perception of peer drinking frequency and higher levels of impulsivity (i.e., sensation seeking, lack of premeditation, and positive urgency) increased the probability of belonging to the trajectories with more frequent HED. These trajectories partially coincide with those identified in studies from other cultures. Unlike previous studies, we did not find a trajectory with increasing/ascending HED frequency. This may be related to contextual/cultural variables unique to Argentina, like differences in the age when the peak in alcohol consumption is reached or the legal minimum age to buy alcoholic beverages in this country, and the idiosyncratic elements that characterize college life in Argentina. This work represents a step forward in the identification of risk factors differentiating between different HED trajectories, and help understand changes in alcohol use during college, in an understudied population.Fil: Vera, Belén del Valle. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Pilatti, Angelina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentin

The association between alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use and risk perception in college students

Alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use are highly prevalent at college. Perception of the risks associated with substance use (i.e., perceived risk [PR]) modulates engagement in substance use. This study examined, in college students, the perceived risk of using alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana and its association with alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use. We also examined differences in PR as a function of exhibiting last-year tobacco or last-year marijuana use, and differences in the PR of using alcohol as a function of exhibiting binge drinking (≥ 4/5 standard drinks per drinking session, women/men, respectively). College students (n = 279, 75.6% women; M age = 23.02 ± 3.36) completed an online survey that measured quantity (alcohol, tobacco) and frequency (alcohol, tobacco and marijuana) of substance use within the previous month and year and PR of using alcohol, tobacco and marijuana (e.g., “How much do you think people risk harming themselves [physically, in their health, or in other ways] if they: 1-smoke >10 cigarettes per day, 2-drink 4–5 standard drinks every weekend, 3-consume marijuana >1 per week?”). Lower PR was significantly associated with greater quantity (alcohol rs between -.12 and -.35; tobacco rs between -.16 and -.23) and frequency of substance use (alcohol r between -.14 and -.32; tobacco r between -.19 and -.26; marijuana r between .26 and .56). Last-year tobacco users and last-year marijuana users perceived the use of tobacco (t(277) = 4.52; p ≤ .001) or marijuana (t(277) = 11.56; p ≤ .001) as less risky than peers who did not report use of these substances. Binge drinkers perceived alcohol consumption as less risky than non-binge drinkers (t(277) = 4.41; p ≤ .001). Discussion: Overall, results showed a significant negative association between PR and substance use, that was particularly robust for marijuana. This information allows a better understanding of substance use in emerging adults, which should be useful to identify college students at-risk for problematic substance use.Fil: Rivarola Montejano, Gabriela Belen. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pilatti, Angelina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaIX International meeting of the Latin American Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (LASBRA): Determinants of Alcoholism: bridging the gap between epidemiological and basic researchCórdobaArgentinaLatin American Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholis