Probing the complex genetics of alcoholism
Article Abstract:
Attempts by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to confirm reports in 1990 that a specific gene had been linked to alcoholism have failed, but a large-scale project is underway to investigate the genetic basis of the disorder. Funded by the NIAAA, the project will support research at six centers to study 600 alcoholics and their families. While there is general agreement among researchers that vulnerability to alcoholism can be inherited, controlled studies are very difficult to carry out, since the disorder takes on so many forms. For instance, certain childhood behavior disorders are associated with alcoholism later in life, but many alcoholics are not psychologically impaired in any obvious way. Some alcoholics drink consistently at a certain rate, while others drink in binges. The principal investigator of the NIAAA study, Henri Begleiter, believes no specific genes for alcoholism will be found. Instead, the disorder accompanies behavioral disregulation that can be present with or without alcoholism. His view has scientific support, but other researchers claim a genetic basis for some aspects of alcoholism. ''Compulsive disease'' genes may exist, for example. A recurrent problem in isolating symptoms specific to alcoholism is the high prevalence of mental disorders in alcoholics: close to half are affected. Even this finding is debated, however. The new NIAAA study aims to pull together different parts of the picture of predisposition, and it will use the most up-to-date methods of evaluation on a large number of people. Subjects' medical and psychiatric histories, test results from cognitive and motor tasks, electrophysiological studies, and biochemical assays, will be analyzed. The goal is to establish a blood cell bank from known, characterized alcoholics and family members so that genetic studies can be undertaken. Success is more likely now than previously, since so much of the human genome has been mapped out. Even if no specific alcoholism gene is found, improvements in classification systems and pharmacological treatments seem likely. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Science
Subject: Science and technology
ISSN: 0036-8075
Year: 1991
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Soviets seek U.S. help in combating alcoholism
Article Abstract:
The Soviets have waged a campaign against alcoholism since 1985, without any success. The Soviet perception is that alcoholism is a social disorder, whereas in the US it is more commonly considered a disease. However, recently the Soviets have become interested in the biological and genetic aspects of alcoholism. A group of physicians from the Soviet Union recently visited the US to plan a joint research program to study children of alcoholics, animal models of alcohol addiction, and the biological effects of alcohol. Changes are necessary in the treatment of alcoholics in the Soviet Union, as the present reform movement known as perestroika has not improved the situation and in many ways has made matters worse. Problems with the reform included unrealistic goals and administrative bureaucracy. With the high prices of alcohol, the Soviets now drink homemade alcohol. More than one million arrests are made each year of people dealing in homemade alcohol. The present treatment of alcoholism involves heavy fines and short-term stays at detoxification centers. Changes in the treatment of alcoholics are occurring, with the result that treatment more closely resembles that in Western countries and includes various medical approaches. Although Alcoholics Anonymous is known to be the most effective means of controlling alcoholism, the organization was not allowed in the Soviet Union because it was considered a religious organization. The formation of Alcoholic Anonymous groups in the USSR is now being encouraged.
Publication Name: Science
Subject: Science and technology
ISSN: 0036-8075
Year: 1989
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Can there be "Success for All"?
Article Abstract:
An experimental program run by educators from Johns Hopkins University is designed to extend early intervention for disadvantaged children through at least the third grade. The program is called 'Success for All' and operates in the Abbottstown Elementary school in Baltimore. Most children are black and from single-parent welfare families, and involvement of the mothers is a primary focus. Workshops are run for parents on drugs, careers, and other topics, and teachers receive special training in math and language skills. Prevention, rather than cure, is emphasized, and a family support team runs a parenting course. The program's educational goals are to have students demonstrate reading, language, and arithmetic at the level appropriate for their grades. Classes are small and tutors work intensively with students when necessary. Results so far, after only one year of operation, suggest that the program is making a difference. Scores have improved, and behavioral problems have become less frequent. The program is expensive, costing about $1,000 per child, but this is less than the difference between the money spent per child in a Baltimore school and the money spent per child in a suburban school. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Science
Subject: Science and technology
ISSN: 0036-8075
Year: 1990
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