Browsing by Subject "Alcohol Drinking"
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Item Effects of Alcohol Use on Cognition During Later Adulthood(2020-12-01T06:00:00.000Z) Becker, Joshua Eric; Brown, E. Sherwood; Rossetti, Heidi; Denney, David; Palka, Jayme; Cullum, C. Munro; Adinoff, Byron H.Alcohol is one of the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world, yet there are conflicting findings related to its long-term effect on cognition. Some research has identified a U-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and cognition, while negative relationships have been identified in other studies. Methodological issues, particularly the time at which alcohol consumption was measured relative to when cognition was measured, wide variability in definitions of "moderate" alcohol consumption, and selecting appropriate comparison groups, have made exploring the effects of alcohol on cognition during aging difficult. The current study examined the relationship between drinking at three separate time points (between the ages of 50 and 74) and cognition in older adulthood. Results revealed that the quantity of self-reported drinks over the three time points was a significant predictor of cognition in older adulthood (b=0.001; p<.001), although the effect sizes were very small and not meaningful. Subsequent analyses examined this relationship among heavy drinkers and binge drinkers compared to moderate drinkers and non-binge drinkers, but heavy and binge drinking were not significant predictors of cognition in older adulthood (all ps>0.05). Overall, the results suggest no that there is not a meaningful relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive functioning in older adulthood in this sample. There were few consistent heavy drinkers (n=71), but a large number of consistent moderate drinkers (n=1,847), although even the moderate drinkers did not consume much alcohol (mean alcohol consumption = 15.3 drinks/month; median alcohol consumption = 5.0 drinks/month). This may have limited the ability to detect clinically meaningful differences. Future studies should rely on more standardized alcohol measures, large, diverse samples, and inclusion of cognitive measures assessing visuospatial abilities and executive functioning, in order to better explore the relationship of alcohol in the aging brain.Item Epidemiology of Traumatic Brain Injuries at a Major Government Hospital in Cambodia(2017-03-02) Peeters, Sophie Monique; Mihalic, Angela; Madden, Christopher; Gatson, JoshuaBACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a critical public health problem worldwide with a significant socioeconomic burden. While improved safety regulations in high-income countries have resulted in a decline in traffic-related TBI, the incidence of TBI in low-income countries is on the rise. We illustrate the trends and factors involved in TBI in a large Cambodian governmental hospital in Phnom Penh. Additionally, suggestions for improvement of the country's road traffic safety are discussed. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of all patients who presented with traumatic brain injury to Department of Neurosurgery at Preah Kossamak Hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia between November 2013 and March 2016. RESULTS: Traumatic brain injuries in Cambodia are on the rise. 34% occur during rush hour, 5 to 9pm, and 40% during the weekend. The vast majority (74%) is due to road traffic accidents, of which 81% are motorcycle related. Helmet wear remains low at 13% and recent alcohol use was reported as 38%. The most common diagnosis is skull fracture. The subdural to epidural hematoma ratio was 1:1.05. Lastly, in both subdural and epidural hematomas the frontal lobe was most commonly involved, with 60% of epidural hematomas associated with a lucid interval. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests prevention and management of TBIs can have a measurable public health impact in Cambodia. Initiative examples include helmet safety awareness campaigns, stricter penalties, improvement of pre-hospital care, and more efficient triage. High proportion of un-helmeted motorcycle accidents correlates with a rise in epidural hematomas.Item In vino veritas: alcohol and heart disease(2003-09-25) Hill, Joseph A.Item Neuro-epigenethics: ethical and legal issues in epigenetic testing(2018-11-13) Erwin, Cheryl J.Epigenetic technologies that allow us to determine smoking and drinking behaviors have the potential to shift the frame of reference with which we judge ourselves and others. This session on the ethical use of epigenetic technology will examine how knowledge of health behaviors may impact self-perception and autonomy of individuals who undergo this testing. Shaming and blaming may be an undesirable and unanticipated event which should be carefully assessed through the lens of historical knowledge of other social phenomena. The resulting pressure on lifestyle choices may create an incursion on the autonomous right of self-determination. This session will examine these issues from an ethical and humanistic perspective as a balance to the technological imperative. Concurrently, the increase in employer and insurer interest in risk-reduction and cost-shifting has led to major enthusiasm for health and wellness plans including data collection and sale. The patchwork of legal regulations will be discussed.Item [News](1983-12-02) Harrell, AnnItem The triumph of Bacchus: the alcohol-associated liver disease epidemic(2023-08-04) Cotter, ThomasItem [UT Southwestern Medical Center News](2010-09-29) Shear, Kristen Holland