Development of a Computer-Based Format for the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) With University Students

<p><i>Background</i>: The Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) is a reliable and valid tool for the early detection of harmful and hazardous drug use in primary care settings when administered by interview in the general population. In university students, substance use is high, so a reliable and feasible screening instrument is needed. <i>Objectives</i>: To compare the computer-based ASSIST (ASSISTc) with the interview format (ASSISTi). <i>Methods</i>: A convenience sample with counterbalanced design was used alternating between the ASSISTi and ASSISTc with 15-day interval. Although this is not a traditional test–retest reliability study, the same statistical analysis was used: intraclass correlations (ICC), kappa (κ), and Cronbach's alpha (α) to compare the two formats. A satisfaction questionnaire was applied immediately after the second session. <i>Results</i>: Both formats were completed by the students (<i>n</i> = 809) over 15 days. The scores of involvement with all substances and with tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine obtained with the two formats demonstrated excellent ICC (> .77). The level of agreement was considered substantial for tobacco (κ = .69) and cannabis (κ = .70) and moderate for alcohol (κ = .58). The consistency of the ASSISTc was considered satisfactory (α: .85 for tobacco, .73 for alcohol, and .87 for cannabis). The analysis of satisfaction and feasibility showed that the ASSISTi was easier to understand, but the two formats were considered similar when considering acceptability, ease of responding, and degree of intimidation. <i>Conclusions/importance</i>: The two formats are acceptable, the scores are comparable, and they can be used interchangeably.</p

Effect of genotype on glutamate-NMDA receptor subunit expression in caucasian alcohol misusers

Univ Fed Parana, Dept Pharmacol, BR-81540970 Curitiba, Parana, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Psychobiol, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Psychobiol, Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

GABA(B) receptor agonist only reduces ethanol drinking in light-drinking mice

Baclofen, a GABA(B) agonist, reduces ethanol intake in animals and humans, but the contrary or no effect was also reported. Our previous study demonstrated that mice characterized as "loss of control over ethanol intake" had different Gabbr1 and Gabbr2 transcription levels, which express, respectively, the GABA(B1) and GABA(B2) subunits in brain areas related to addictive behavior. In the present study, we tested baclofen on ethanol intake in mice exposed to the free-choice paradigm. Adult male Swiss mice, individually housed, had free access to three bottles: ethanol (5% and 10%) and water. The protocol had four phases: acquisition (AC, 10 weeks), withdrawal (W, 4 cycles during 2 weeks of 2 day-free-choice and 2 day-only-water), reexposure (RE, 2 weeks), and adulteration of ethanol solutions with quinine (AD, 2 weeks). Mice characterized as "loss of control" (A, n = 11, preference for ethanol in AC and maintenance of ethanol intake levels in AD), heavy (H, n = 11, preference for ethanol in AC and reduction of ethanol intake levels in AD), and light (L n = 16, preference for water in all phases) drinkers were randomly distributed into two subgroups receiving either intraperitoneal injections of all doses of baclofen (1.25, 2.5, and 5.0 mg/kg, given each dose twice in consecutive days) or saline, being exposed to free-choice. Fluid consumption was measured 24 h later. Baclofen reduced ethanol intake in group L In group H a reduction compared to AC was observed. Group A maintained their high ethanol intake even after baclofen treatment. Activation of the GABA(B) receptor depends on the precise balance between the GABA(B1) and GABA(B2) subunits, so the disproportionate transcription levels, we reported in group A, could explain this lack of response to baclofen. These data highlight the importance to test baclofen in individuals with different ethanol drinking profiles, including humans. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Universidade Federal do ParanaUniversidade Federal do ParanaConselho de Auxilio do Pessoal de Ensino Superior (CAPES)Conselho de Auxilio do Pessoal de Ensino Superior (CAPES)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq

A transcriptional study in mice with different ethanol-drinking profiles: Possible involvement of the GABA(B) receptor

Previous studies have suggested that gamma-aminobutyric acid-B (GABA(B)) receptor agonists effectively reduce ethanol intake. The quantification using real-time polymerase chain reaction of Gabbr1 and Gabbr2 mRNA from the prefrontal cortex, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and striatum in mice exposed to an animal model of the addiction developed in our laboratory was performed to evaluate the involvement of the GABAB receptor in ethanol consumption. We used outbred, Swiss mice exposed to a three-bottle free-choice model (water, 5% v/v ethanol, and 10% v/v ethanol) that consisted of four phases: acquisition (AC), withdrawal (W), reexposure (RE), and quinine-adulteration (AD). Based on individual ethanol intake, the mice were classified into three groups: "addicted" (A group; preference for ethanol and persistent consumption during all phases), "heavy" (H group; preference for ethanol and a reduction in ethanol intake in the AD phase compared to AC phase), and "light" (L group; preference for water during all phases). In the prefrontal cortex in the A group, we found high Gabbr1 and Gabbr2 transcription levels, with significantly higher Gabbr1 transcription levels compared with the C (ethanol-naive control mice). L, and H groups. In the hippocampus in the A group, Gabbr2 mRNA levels were significantly lower compared with the C, L, and H groups. In the striatum, we found a significant increase in Gabbr1 transcription levels compared with the C, L, and H groups. No differences in Gabbr1 or Gabbr2 transcription levels were observed in the hypothalamus among groups. In summary, Gabbr1 and Gabbr2 transcription levels were altered in cerebral areas related to drug taking only in mice behaviorally classified as "addicted" drinkers, suggesting that these genes may contribute to high and persistent ethanol consumption. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq)Conselho de Auxilio do Pessoal de Ensino Superior (CAPES)Conselho de Auxilio do Pessoal de Ensino Superior (CAPES)Minas Gerais State Foundation (FAPEMIG: EDT Universal ) [01/2008 APQ-00179-08]Minas Gerais State Foundation (FAPEMIG: EDT Universal

The alcohol, smoking and substance involvement screening test (ASSIST): development, reliability and feasibility

WHO ASSIST Working Group member: Robert Ali for Drug and Alcohol Addiction Services Council, Adelaide, AustraliaAIMS The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) was developed for the World Health Organization (WHO) by an international group of substance abuse researchers to detect psychoactive substance use and related problems in primary care patients. This report describes the new instrument as well as a study of its reliability and feasibility. SETTING The study was conducted at participating sites in Australia, Brazil, Ireland, India, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. Sixty per cent of the sample was recruited from alcohol and drug abuse treatment facilities; the remainder was drawn from general medical settings and psychiatric facilities. METHODS The study was concerned primarily with test item reliability, using a simple test–retest procedure to determine whether subjects would respond consistently to the same items when presented in an interview format on two different occasions. Qualitative and quantitative data were also collected to evaluate the feasibility of the screening items and rating format. PARTICIPANTS A total of 236 volunteer participants completed test and retest interviews at nine collaborating sites. Slightly over half of the sample (53.6%) was male. The mean age of the sample was 34 years and they had completed, on average, 10 years of education. RESULTS The average test–retest reliability coefficients (kappas) ranged from a high of 0.90 (consistency of reporting ‘ever’ use of substance) to a low of 0.58 (regretted what was done under influence of substance). The average kappas for substance classes ranged from 0.61 for sedatives to 0.78 for opioids. In general, the reliabilities were in the range of good to excellent, with the following items demonstrating the highest kappas across all drug classes: use in the last 3 months, preoccupied with drug use, concern expressed by others, troubled by problems related to drug use, intravenous drug use. Qualitative data collected at the end of the retest interview suggested that the questions were not difficult to answer and were consistent with patients’ expectations for a health interview. The data were used to guide the selection of a smaller set of items that can serve as the basis for more extensive validation research. CONCLUSION The ASSIST items are reliable and feasible to use as part of an international screening test. Further evaluation of the screening test should be conducted

Loss of control over the ethanol consumption: differential transcriptional regulation in prefrontal cortex

<p>Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex multifactorial disease with heritability of ∼50% and corresponds to the state in which the body triggers a reinforcement or reward compulsive behavior due to ethanol consumption, even when faced with negative consequences. Although several studies have shown the impact of high ethanol intake on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) gene expression, few have addressed the relationship between the patterns of gene expression underlying the compulsive behaviour associated with relapsing. In this study, we used a chronic three-bottle free-choice mouse model to investigate the PFC transcriptome in three different groups of mice drinkers: ‘Light drinkers’ (preference for water throughout the experiment); ‘Heavy drinkers’ (preference for ethanol with a non-compulsive intake), and ‘Inflexible drinkers’ (preference for ethanol with a compulsive drinking component). Our aim was to correlate the intake patterns observed in this model with gene expression changes in the PFC, a brain region critical for the development and maintenance of alcohol addiction. We found that the <i>Camk2a</i> gene showed a downregulated profile only in the Inflexible when compared to the Light drinkers group, the <i>Camk2n1</i> and <i>Pkp2</i> genes showed an upregulated profile only in the Inflexible drinkers when compared to the Control group, and the <i>Gja1</i> gene showed an upregulated profile in the Light and Inflexible drinkers when compared to the Control group. These different transcription patterns have been associated to the presence of alcohol, in the <i>Camk2n1</i> and <i>Gja1</i> genes; to the amount of ethanol consumed, in the <i>Camk2a</i> gene; and to the loss of control in the alcohol consumption, in the <i>Pkp2</i> gene. Here, we provide, for the first time, the potential involvement of the <i>Pkp2</i> gene in the compulsivity and loss of control over the voluntary ethanol consumption.</p