Alcohol\u27s Effects on Physiological Arousal and Self-Reported Affect and Sensations

60 male normal drinkers (undergraduates) were instructed that they would receive an alcoholic, nonalcoholic, or an unidentified beverage that would be alcoholic or nonalcoholic. Half the Ss in each instruction group consumed an alcoholic beverage; the other half consumed a non-alcoholic beverage. Self-reports of affect (Mood Adjective Check List, Multiple Affect Adjective Check List) and bodily sensations and measures of pulse rate and skin conductance were obtained at baseline and during the ascending and descending phases of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) function. Analysis of covariance showed that Ss who consumed alcohol reported higher levels of positive affects and sensations and lower levels of depression than Ss who did not consume alcohol. The instructional manipulation had a limited effect. Self-reports of affect and sensations were most affected by type of beverage consumed; sensations were also rated higher during the ascending than during the descending phase of the BAC. Physiological measures were influenced by instructions and beverage

Effects of Voluntary Short-Term Abstinence from Alcohol on Subsequent Drinking Patterns of College Students

Among college students participating in a 30-day study, those unwilling to volunteer to abstain for 10 days were the heaviest drinkers; those volunteering to abstain spent similar amounts of time before, during and after the period of abstinence at social functions where drinking occurred, and drank more after than before the period of abstinence

Self-reported memory problems in adult-onset cancer survivors: effects of cardiovascular disease and insomnia

BACKGROUND: Cancer and its treatments can deleteriously affect memory. Cardiac function and insomnia can exacerbate memory problems. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationships among cardiovascular disease, insomnia, and self-reported memory problems (SRMP) in adult-onset cancer survivors. METHODS: We included data from participants (41–64 year-old) of the 2007–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative probability sample of the civilian, non-institutionalized population of the US. We excluded participants with brain cancer/stroke history since these conditions are expected to cause cognitive problems. Using binary logistic regression, we determined the prevalence of SRMP relative to cardiac problems and insomnia by weighting our results proportionally. We adjusted for predictors of memory problems: age, sex, race, education and general health. RESULTS: The sample included 2,289 adults (49% females), 9% with a cancer history. The results pertain only to cancer survivors. Those with insomnia were 16 times as likely to have SRMP. Only insomnia symptoms (OR, 15.74; 95%CI, 1.73 to 143.30; p<0.01) significantly predicted SRMP, uniquely explaining 12% of the variance. Insomnia accounted for 18.8% of the association between cardiac issues and SRMP, demonstrating mediation (Sobel p<0.05). The large CI is a consequence of analyzing a subgroup of a subpopulation. Among participants without a cancer history, cardiovascular disease and insomnia were not associated with SRMP (p>0.05). LIMITATIONS: We could not determine severity and time-related changes in SRMP. CONCLUSION: Likelihood of SRMP was higher in cancer survivors with a history of cardiovascular disease and insomnia symptoms. Future studies are needed to delineate the cardiac-insomnia-memory interrelationships

Neuropsychological care and rehabilitation of cancer patients with chemobrain: strategies for evaluation and intervention development

Malignant tumors and their various treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy can deleteriously affect a large number of cancer patients and survivors on multiple dimensions of psychosocial and neurocognitive functioning. Oncology researchers and clinicians are increasingly cognizant of the negative effects of cancer and its treatments on the brain and its mental processes and cognitive outcomes. Nevertheless, effective interventions to treat cancer and treatment-related neurocognitive dysfunction (CRND), also known as chemobrain, are still lacking. The paucity of data on effective treatments for CRND is due, at least partly, to difficulties understanding its etiology, and a lack of reliable methods for assessing its presence and severity. This paper provides an overview of the incidence, etiology, and magnitude of CRND, and discusses the plausible contributions of psychological, motor function, and linguistic and behavioral complications to CRND. Strategies for reliable neuropsychological screening and assessment, and development and testing of effective ways to mitigate CRND are also discussed