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Abstinent alcoholics can have reduced brain activation without apparent structural damage
Researchers know that heavy alcohol intake can lead to structural and functional changes in the brain, but have not been able to establish direct links between these changes and specific cognitive functions.   view more (2007-08-28)

Stress and alcohol cues appear to target the brain differently to produce craving
"Alcohol cues" are reminders of drinking. Researchers already know that both stress and alcohol cues can produce cravings and relapse in abstinent alcoholics. New findings indicate that stress and cues work on the brain differently to influence craving, perhaps producing an additive effect, which may in turn decrease the chances of... view more... (2007-02-23)

Alcoholics' deficits in smell are linked to frontal lobe dysfunction
Prior research has shown that chronic alcoholism is associated with numerous olfactory deficits in odor judgment, odor identification, odor sensitivity, and the ability to qualitatively discriminate between odors. New findings indicate that olfactory deficits among alcoholics are associated with prefrontal cognitive dysfunction, specifically,... view more... (2006-07-25)

Alcoholism-treatment medication acamprosate may help abstinent alcoholics sleep better
Alcoholics generally don't sleep well. Nor does abstinence improve the situation much. In fact, sleep difficulties during alcohol abstinence may be responsible for a relapse to alcoholism as individuals attempt to self medicate their sleeping problems.   view more (2006-08-28)

Medicine proves a promising treatment in the battle against alcohol dependence
Researchers at the University of Virginia have led a multisite clinical trial showing that the drug topiramate is significantly more efficacious than placebo at curbing alcohol dependence. Subjects had to be drinking heavily and were not abstinent when they started the trial.   view more (2007-10-10)

Alcoholics with cirrhosis of the liver have more brain damage than noncirrhotic alcoholics
Sustained exposure to alcohol can cause scarring and dysfunction of the liver, referred to as cirrhosis. Heavy alcohol use can also cause brain damage. An examination of gene expression in the frontal cortex has found that brain function is even more impaired in cirrhotic than non-cirrhotic alcoholics.   view more (2007-08-28)

Memory function: There is hope for alcoholics with Korsakoff Syndrome
People with Korsakoff Syndrome (KS), a brain disorder usually associated with long-term heavy drinking and thiamine deficiency, often have profound deficits in their "explicit memory" or ability to recall recent events.   view more (2006-03-27)

Alcoholism may cause decreased density of neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex
Previous research has shown that alcoholism can cause damage to certain brain regions, including reduced metabolism, blood flow and tissue volume, as well as a reduced density of neurons and glial cells.   view more (2006-10-25)

Alcoholics show deficits in their ability to perceive dangerous situations
Alcoholics tend to be deficient in both cognitive and emotional processes. Previously, most brain-imaging research focused on cognition rather than emotion.   view more (2007-08-28)

Spirituality increases as alcoholics recover
For decades, recovering alcoholics and those who treat them have incorporated spirituality into the recovery process — whether or not it's religious in nature. But few research studies have documented if and how spirituality changes during recovery, nor how those changes might influence a person's chance of succeeding in the quest for... view more... (2007-03-20)

Chronic drinking and smoking cause both separate and interactive brain injury
Most alcoholics in North America are chronic smokers. While much is known about the adverse effects of chronic smoking on cardiac, pulmonary and vascular function as well as the risk for various cancers, little is known about its effects on brain neurobiology and function.   view more (2006-01-25)

LSD treatment for alcoholism gets new look
For the past five years, Dr. Erika Dyck has been unearthing some intriguing facts related to a group of pioneering psychiatrists who worked in Saskatchewan, Canada in the '50s and '60s.   view more (2006-10-09)

Brain imaging and genetic studies link thinking patterns to addiction
Scientists have for the first time identified brain sites that fire up more when people make impulsive decisions. In a study comparing brain activity of sober alcoholics and non-addicted people making financial decisions, the group of sober alcoholics showed significantly more "impulsive" neural activity.   view more (2007-12-26)

Recovering alcoholics with poor sleep perceptions will likely relapse
Alcohol can initially have sleep-inducing effects among non-alcoholics, but once drinking becomes chronic, alcohol's effects on sleep become much more negative in nature. New findings indicate that individuals in early recovery from alcoholism who have inaccurate sleep perceptions are more likely to return to drinking.   view more (2006-11-27)

Measuring brain activity for emotional markers that may indicate risk for developing alcoholism
Although prior research has looked at brain activity and alcoholism, much of it has focused on cortical activity as a marker for impulsivity among alcoholics. A new study examines measures of brain activity in the frontal regions of the brain, thought to reflect individual differences in emotionality, an important aspect of personality.   view more (2006-11-27)

Alcoholics with a borderline personality disorder are at greatest risk for suicidal behavior
Compared to the general population, individuals with alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) have a significantly greater risk of suicide attempts. Up to 40 percent of treatment-seeking patients with AUDs report having attempted suicide, which is six to 10 times greater than suicide attempts among the general population.   view more (2006-04-24)

Brief physician interventions have impact on problem drinking
Five minutes of straight talk between doctors and problem drinkers could help reduce the toll of alcohol-related injuries, violence and accidents.   view more (2007-04-18)

The British Psychological Society London Conference 1999
The British Psychological Society's London Conference 1999 takes place on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 December at the Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL.   view more (1999-12-16)

Does smoking cloud the brain?
Smokers often say that smoking a cigarette helps them concentrate and feel more alert. But years of tobacco use may have the opposite effect, dimming the speed and accuracy of a person's thinking ability and bringing down their IQ, according to a new study led by University of Michigan researchers.   view more (2005-10-11)

New study reveals brain cell mechanism of alcohol dependence
A study released today reveals a cellular mechanism involved in alcohol dependence. The study, in the May 28 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, shows that gabapentin, a drug used to treat chronic pain and epilepsy, reduces alcohol intake in alcohol-dependent rats by normalizing chemical communication between neurons, which is altered by chronic... view more... (2008-05-29)
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