Alcohol – a Universal Preventive Agent? a Critical Analysis.
Alcohol – a Universal Preventive Agent? A Critical Analysis.
Filed under: Addiction Rehab
Addiction. 2013 Jan 8;
Fekjaer HO
A conspicuous fact is that light or moderate drinking apparently prevent such a large number of unrelated diseases. It is even more striking that beneficial effects for the different diseases all seem to peak at approximately the same consumption level. For almost all the diseases, there is a remarkable absence of dose-response effects. Within threshold limits, protective and harmful factors more often have a dose-response effect. This is easier to explain biologically, and is frequently regarded as one of the criteria for inferring causality. However, in practically all these studies, certain small doses of alcohol are apparently protective and somewhat larger doses are apparently harmful.
HubMed – addiction
Gambling in Sweden: The cultural and socio-political context.
Filed under: Addiction Rehab
Addiction. 2013 Jan 8;
Binde P
AIM: To provide an overview, with respect to Sweden, of the cultural history of gambling, the commercialization of gambling, problem gambling research, the prevalence of problem gambling, and its prevention and treatment. METHOD: A review of the literature and official documents relating to gambling in Sweden; involvement in gambling research and regulation. RESULTS: Gambling has long been part of Swedish culture. Since about 1980, the gambling market, although still largely monopolistic, has been commercialized. At the same time, problem gambling has emerged as a concept in the public health paradigm. Debate regarding whether or not Sweden’s national restrictions on the gambling market are compliant with European Community legislation has helped put problem gambling on the political agenda. Despite expanded gambling services, the extent of problem gambling on the population level has not changed significantly over the past decade. CONCLUSIONS: The stability of problem gambling in Sweden on the population level suggests a homeostatic system involving the gambling market, regulation, prevention and treatment, and adaption to risk and harm by gamblers. We have relatively good knowledge of the extent and characteristics of problem gambling in Sweden and of how to treat it, but little is known of how to effectively prevent it. Knowledge is needed of the effectiveness of regulatory actions and approaches, and of responsible gambling measures implemented by gambling companies. Sweden, gambling, national profile, regulation, research, treatment.
HubMed – addiction
A Response to Tucker (2012).
Filed under: Addiction Rehab
Addiction. 2013 Jan 8;
Gates PJ, Copeland J, Norberg MM, Digiusto E
We welcome an opportunity to respond to Tucker’s commentary [1] on our manuscript [2]. The author raised several criticisms of the internal and external validity of our findings. First, Tucker [1] stated that the majority of interested respondents were excluded. The authors would like to highlight that the majority of interested respondents were in fact included in the study (58%), a comparable proportion to that reported by a large face-to-face cannabis intervention (55%) [3]. Further, the majority (61%) of those excluded from our study were excluded following failure to respond to the researcher rather than meeting exclusion criteria (39%) as is more commonly seen in clinical trials [4]. Second, Tucker criticised the sample for being treatment seekers. Given the intervention was designed for treatment seekers, callers to the Australian Cannabis Information and Helpline (CIH) were the ideal population to recruit. Indeed, the recruitment of treatment seekers is consistent with the majority of intervention pilot studies [5]. Third, the intervention was described as “not brief, low-intensity or low-threshold… nor was it anonymous”. The telephone intervention comprised four one-hour counselling sessions based on cognitive behavioural therapy and motivational interviewing techniques (MI+CBT), delivered by telephone counsellors working with the CIH. We therefore assert that this intervention was brief, particularly when compared to face-to-face MI+CBT-based cannabis interventions where a four session program is the briefest of this kind of combined intervention to have been published to date [6]. While our study was not strictly anonymous (participants completed research interviews via telephone and were reimbursed via post for interview completion), participants were never physically observed and were not required to release their actual names to participate in the trial.
HubMed – addiction
Capture of d2 dopamine receptor signaling complexes in striatal cells for mass spectrometry proteomic analysis.
Filed under: Addiction Rehab
Methods Mol Biol. 2013; 964: 43-60
Kabbani N, Nordman JC
In recent years advancements in proteomic techniques have contributed to the understanding of protein interaction networks (Interactomes) in various cell types. Today, high throughput proteomics promises to define virtually all of the components of a signaling and a regulatory network within cells for various molecules including membrane-spanning receptors. The D2 dopamine receptor (D2R) is a primary mediator of dopamine transmission in the brain. Signaling through D2Rs has been linked to dopamine-mediated effects on motivation, reward, locomotion and addiction to drugs of abuse. In the striatum, the D2R is a key mediatory of dopamine transmission. Actions on this receptor are an important pharmacological property of various drugs including typical antipsychotics and drugs of abuse. Here we provide an approach for the identification protein interaction networks of the D2R within striatal cells. We discuss key assays and techniques, such as cellular membrane protein fractionation, western blot analysis, magnetic bead coimmunoprecipitation, and liquid chromatography electrospray ionization (LC-ESI) mass spectrometry, that can be used for the isolation and characterization of D2R protein interaction networks. This approach presents a reliable method for the identification and characterization of D2R signaling within cells.
HubMed – addiction
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