The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

DRAM Vol. 5(11) – Which comes first – the drink or the distress?

Previous studies have demonstrated a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders among individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) than among the general population (Grant et al., 2004; Kessler et al., 1996). However, there is limited literature that examines both the co-occurence and the temporal ordering (i.e., which disorder occurs first) of AUD and other psychiatric disorders. This week’s DRAM reviews a study that aims to fill this gap in the literature (Flensborg-Madsen et al., 2009). Method Investigators analyzed 25 years of follow up data for 18,146 individuals from Copenhagen, Denmark. The data reflected all admissions to Danish hospitals since 1976 and... Read more →

WAGER Vol. 14 (10): Generation Gap: Difference in PG symptoms based on age of onset.

Research suggests that, like OCD, the clinical characteristics and symptoms of pathological gambling (PG) (e.g., symptom severity, changes in relationships, financial trouble, comorbid disorders) can vary based on age of onset. Research has indicated differences in PG-related clinical characteristics and symptoms based on gender (Ibanez, Blanco, Moreryra, & Saiz-Ruiz, 2003; Potenza, Steinberg, Wu, Rounsaville, & O'Malley S, 2006) and age when seeking treatment (Grant et al., 2007; Lucke & Wallace, 2006; Pietrzak & Petry, 2006). To further examine the clinical characteristics of PG, Grant and colleagues (Grant, Kim, Odlaug, Buchanan, & Potenza, 2009) studied a cohort of 322 adult pathological... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials: An Inconvenient Leak: ClimateGate and The Transparency Project

This year, the Division on Addictions launched The Transparency Project, an initiative that provides, to our knowledge, the first-ever open access database repository for privately-funded data related to addiction. Recent events surrounding research on global warming have reinforced the importance of transparency in research practices. A set of emails involving prominent climatology researchers at the University of East Anglia was leaked to the public a couple of weeks ago. These emails contain statements that suggest data were being manipulated to support pre-existing conclusions. Whether we consider the emails to be taken out of context or unmistakable evidence reflecting unethical research... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 5(10) – Can family interventions in early adolescence reduce teen illicit drug contact years later?

Exposure to, and use of, substances during early adolescence is associated with increased risk of escalating use, abuse, and dependence later in life (Agrawal et al., 2006; Grant & Dawson, 1997; Van Etten, Neumark, & Anthony, 1997). Researchers have identified factors associated with reductions in opportunities to engage in substance use, such as parenting practices that emphasize adolescent monitoring and non-coercive discipline (Chen, Storr, & Anthony, 2005). This week’s STASH reviews the findings of a family level intervention program focusing on adolescent contact with illicit drugs (Spoth, Guyll, & Shin, 2009). Methods Researchers randomly assigned 22 rural Iowa schools to... Read more →

Addiction & The Humanities, Vol. 5 (10) - Beyond the family secrets in Mackenzie Phillips' High on Arrival

Several celebrities have recently published “addiction memoirs.” Carrie Fisher, Andre Agassi, and former child stars Jodie Sweetin and Melissa Gilbert have all written candidly about their substance abuse. (We reviewed Fisher’s Wishful Drinking in the last edition of Addiction & the Humanities.) None of their stories has garnered as much attention as Mackenzie Phillips’ revelation of her incestuous affair with her father John Phillips, founder of The Mamas & the Papas, as detailed in her new memoir High on Arrival. Indeed, High on Arrival is replete with stories that illustrate the power of addiction to warp relationships. However, the most... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials - Gambling and the Law®: Read Those T&Cs

I Nelson Rose Party Poker won a nice victory in federal court in Ohio, because its Terms and Conditions say that all disputes will be heard in the courts of Gibraltar. The suit had the potential to be a major headache for Party Poker. The plaintiffs, Rose Wong and Patrick Gibson, had filed a class action, claiming they “and others similarly situated” had lost money because other players with multiple accounts had colluded against them. So why would Party Poker be liable? Wong and Gibson claimed Party Poker knew about the collusion and did nothing to prevent it. The plaintiffs’... Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 5(10) – Crushing virtual cigarettes to aid real world smoking cessation

There are a variety of treatments used to encourage smokers to stop smoking. However, despite the treatment options, many smokers still struggle to quit (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999). Perhaps smoking cessation treatment could benefit by expanding the variety of treatments available; a particularly novel intervention is Virtual Reality (VR) treatment (Baumann & Sayette, 2006; Carter, Bordnick, Traylor, Day, & Paris, 2008). This week the ASHES reviews a study of the benefits of VR in combination with psychosocial treatment to reduce cigarette smoking (Girard, Turcotte, Bouchard, & Girard, 2009). Methods Researchers recruited 91 healthy adults, aged 18-65, from... Read more →