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Introduction and overview
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Epidemiology of Alcohol Use, Abuse and Dependence
- Why has alcohol been present for over 7,000 years despite its possible adverse effects?
- What countries have the highest and lowest prevalence of alcohol use?
- How does alcohol use compare to other drugs of abuse?
- How can religion effect alcohol use?
- How does alcohol rank as a preventable cause of death relative to other factors?
- What is the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems?
- What's the relationship of the number of drinks per day and overall mortality?
- How do economic factors like advertising affect health costs in alcohol consumption?
- Describe the demographics of alcohol use.
- Lesson Summary
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Pharmacology - Blood Alcohol Levels - Metabolism - Acute Behavioral Effects
- What constitutes 1 drink?
- How do the number of drinks affect blood alcohol levels and behavior?
- What is the difference in blood alcohol per drink in men and women?
- What are the factors that alter the relationship between drinks ingested and BAL?
- Describe the metabolism of ethyl, methyl and isopropyl alcohol.
- What is the most important genetic factor that alters alcohol metabolism and dependence?
- How does acute tolerance change the behavioral effects of ascending and descending BAL?
- How does subjective elation and intoxication relate to rising and falling BAL?
- How does alcohol induced stimulation and sedation relate to binge drinking?
- What are the motor and cognitive impairments along the ascending and falling BAL curve?
- What are the persistent effects of alcohol after BAL reaches 0?
- Describe chronic tolerance to alcohol effects.
- Summary
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Neurobiology of alcohol.
- What is the role of the GABA system and neurosteroids in alcohol effects and withdrawal?
- How does alcohol interact with the dopamine reward system?
- Describe the effects of alcohol on the opioid system.
- Identify the effects of alcohol on the glutamatergic system.
- Describe the role of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) in alcohol dependence.
- Describe the role of the serotonergic system in alcohol dependence.
- How could smoking increase drinking?
- How could marijuana use lead to increased alcohol use?
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Genetics and Alcohol Use Disorders
- Describe the magnitude of genetic factors in alcohol dependence.
- Identify how both genetic and environmental factors are involved in alcohol use.
- At what age do genetic factors become more evident in alcohol consumption.
- How do adoption studies show that genetics and stress interact in 2 types of alcoholism?
- Why would a biologic factor (endotype) predict alcoholism better than family history?
- What is the most robust genetic factor known to influence the development of alcoholism?
- How do genetic variations in the dopamine D-2 receptor relate to alcohol dependence?
- How does the D2 A1 allele interact with stress, rule setting and treatment?
- How do genetic variations in GABA-A receptors relate to alcoholism?
- How do genetics of the u-opioid receptor relate to effects of alcohol and alcoholism
- How are genetic variations in the CRF system related to alcohol seeking
- How does variation in a glutamate receptor relate to alcohol problems?
- How would changes in endocannibinoid metabolism effect alcohol use
- Why would variations in nicotine receptors relate to alcohol use.
- How would genetic related lower NPY levels relate to stress induced alcohol drinking?
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Effects of Regular Alcohol Use
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Alcohol and Adolescense
- How prevalent is alchhol use in adolescense
- How prevalent are alcohol use disorders in collece and what increases it.
- How does age of onset of drinking relate to age of first dependence on alcohol
- Does advertising increase youth drinking?
- Can alcohol use lead to marijuana use and to cocaine us?
- Exposure to which regular drinking family member increases adolescent drinking the most?
- Does early life adversity and illness increase alcohol problems?
- How do acute alcohol effects differ between adolescent and adult rats
- Does alcohol in adolescense cause changes in motor and cognitive function in adulthood?
- Do alcohol effects on memory seen in adolescent rats persist up to age 25 in humans?
- How could neurobiologic effects of alcohol in adolescense explain alcohol-age effects?
- Describe the effects of alcohol on brain structure
- Summary
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Medical complications of excessive alcohol use.
- List the chronic neurological complications of excessive alcohol use.
- Describe the relationship of alcohol intake to liver cirrhosis and GI problems.
- Describe the effect of chronic alcohol use on malignant neoplasms
- Describe the effects of alcohol on the hematologic and immune systems
- Describe the effects of excessive alcohol use on the heart.
- List the adverse effects of alcohol on behavior and psychiatric illness.
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Alcohol Withdrawal
- How does alcohol's acute effects + use tolerance relate to alcohol withdrawal syndrome?
- Cite the diagnostic criteria for alcohol withdrawal.
- What are the diagnostic criteria for alcohol withdrawal delirium (delirium tremens)?
- What are the risk factors for more severe withdrawal symptoms like seizures and DTs?
- Describe the time course of withdrawal symptoms.
- List indications for hospitalization for inpatient alcohol withdrawal treatment.
- Describe the rational for the types of withdrawal treatments and the medications used.
- Describe a method used to individually adjust drug dose to treat withdrawal.
- What are 2 important medical complications seen in withdrawal and how do you treat them?
- What are the symptoms of an alcohol hangover and its possible causes and treatment?
- What are 2 important aspects of treatment following withdrawal?
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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Overview of FAS
- What is the amount of alcohol use in women of childbearing age and pregnant women?
- What are the risk factors for giving birth to a child with FAS?
- Describe the critetia for making a diagnosis of FAS
- Name a types of problems that individuals with FAS encounter
- What are the effects of alcoholduring pregnancy on the central nervous system?
- Describe a framework for FASD diagnosis and services
- Why tell women not to drink during pregnancy and what can they do if pregnant?
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Alcohol and accidents
- How does alcohol relate to accidents.
- What is the magnitude of alcohol-related traffic fatalities in the United States.
- How do blood-alcohol levels relate to the risk of a traffic accident.
- What time of day are drunk drivers on the road?
- How does alcohol change the number of crash fatalities in the day vs. night?
- How do traffic fatalities relate to alcohol consumed in different countries?
- How does the legal limit for blood alcohol relate to traffic fatilities?
- How could physicians change public policy to reduce alcohol-related traffic fatlilites?
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Diagnosis and Treatment of Alcohol Problems
- List the 4 questions use in the CAGE questionnaire to screen for problem drinkers.
- Describe the use of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).
- Interpret the scoring of the AUDIT and other screening instruments.
- List the 7 criteria used for making a diagnosis of alcohol dependence.
- What are the 4 criteria for alcohol abuse?
- Define the terms hazardous alcohol use and harmful alcohol use.
- List physical signs and laboratory tests that assist in making a diagnosis.
- List brief interventions for alcohol use disorders and 5 behavioral therapies.
- What are the medications used to treat alcohol dependence?
- What strategies can individuals use to reduce drinking?
- List self help groups useful in the treatment of alcohol problems.
- 12. Describe the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous (AA) and the factors involved
RELATED RESOURCES
Related Clinical Cases
- Adolescent Drinking (Sneaky Teen is Not Squeeky Clean)
- Alcohol Withdrawal focuses on
- Binge Drinking in College (Rebel Without a Cause)
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) focuses on
Related Quizzes
- Alcohol and accidents focuses on
- Alcohol and adolescence focuses on
- Alcohol Genetics focuses on
- Alcohol withdrawal focuses on
- Diagnosis and treatment focuses on
- Epidemiology
- Fetal alcohol syndrome focuses on
- Medical complications
- Neurobiology focuses on
- Pharmacology and acute effects alcohol
- Regular drinking focuses on