During the critical developmental periods of childhood when neural plasticity is high, exposure to early life stress (ELS) or trauma may lead to enduring changes in physiological stress systems and enhanced vulnerability for psychopathological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) in adulthood. Clinical and preclinical studies have sought to...
Search
Genetic and Genomic Web Resources for Research on Alcohol Use and Abuse
There are two major ways of publishing scientific data and results: (1) the standard peer-reviewed paper, which dates back to volume 1 of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in 1665; and (2) online distribution of data, resources, and software using the Internet that dates back a mere 21 years to the first Web site at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)...
A Watershed Year for an Update on the Genetics of Alcoholism
It is easy to think of genetics as the study of genes, but given our current knowledge of genetics, this definition is now considered inadequate. Genetics is the study of differences among individuals—even between identical twins. We know that some differences between individuals are linked to variations in DNA sequence (i.e., the genome), but most differences actually are caused by complex...
Alcohol's Effect on Host Defense
Alcohol has been the most common substance of use and abuse in human history. Moderate amounts of alcohol are enjoyed for its anxiolytic effects; however, its addictive properties can lead to chronic, excessive alcohol use and alcohol use disorder. In addition to its commonly recognized behavioral effects, alcohol affects many organs, including the immune system that controls the body’s defense...
Uniting Epidemiology and Experimental Disease Models for Alcohol-Related Pancreatic Disease
Findings from epidemiologic studies and research with experimental animal models provide insights into alcohol-related disease pathogeneses. Epidemiologic data indicate that heavy drinking and smoking are associated with high rates of pancreatic disease. Less clear is the association between lower levels of drinking and pancreatitis. Intriguingly, a very low percentage of drinkers develop clinical...
Alcohol Use Disorder and Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder
Introduction
Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are heterogeneous psychotic disorders that often cause significant disability, with symptoms that include delusions, hallucinations, disorganization, and cognitive impairment.1 In schizoaffective disorder, the psychotic symptoms are present, along with mood episodes of depression or mania.2 People with these schizophrenia spectrum disorders...