Variants of the P3 event-related potential operate as indicators of distinct mechanisms contributing to problematic alcohol use.

Considerable research has linked relative reduction in the amplitude of the P3 event-related potential (ERP) during cognitive task performance (i.e., Target-P3) with increased risk of alcohol-related problems.

Differential brain responses to alcohol-related and natural rewards are associated with alcohol use and problems: Evidence for reward dysregulation.

Multiple theoretical perspectives posit that drug use leads to biased valuation of drug-related reward, at the expense of naturally occurring rewarding activities (i.e., reward dysregulation).

Impact of employment and insurance status on distress in gynecologic oncology patients.

Objectives: To study associations among employment, insurance status, and distress in gynecologic oncology patients; and to evaluate the impact of being unemployed or having no/Medicaid insurance on different distress problem areas.

Methods: In this single institution, cross-sectional analysis of gynecologic oncology patients, we screened for distress and problem areas using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network distress thermometer and problem list at outpatient appointments between 6/2017-9/2017. Primary outcome was self-reported high distress (score ≥ 5).

Comparison of nylon-flocked swab and Dacron swab cytology for anal HSIL detection in transgender women and gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.

Background: An anal histological high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (hHSIL) is an anal cancer precursor. Experts recommend Dacron swab anal cytology as a primary screen for anal hHSILs, especially among human immunodeficiency virus-infected and -uninfected men who have sex with men (MSM). Studies have shown that Dacron cytology inaccurately predicts anal hHSILs and results in unnecessary diagnostic procedures.

Substance use consequences, mental health problems, and readiness to change among Veterans seeking substance use treatment.

Individuals seeking substance use treatment who have one or more co-occurring mental health problems tend to have lower treatment engagement, higher rates of attrition, and poorer treatment outcomes. Readiness to change (RTC) is an integral construct in the recovery process, with higher RTC associated with improved treatment outcomes. However, the impact of psychiatric symptoms on RTC is not fully understood, especially among specialty subpopulations, such as military Veterans.

Gepotidacin for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Urogenital Gonorrhea: A Phase 2, Randomized, Dose-Ranging, Single-Oral Dose Evaluation.

Background: In this phase 2 study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of oral gepotidacin, a novel triazaacenaphthylene bacterial type II topoisomerase inhibitor, for the treatment of uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea.

Methods: Adult participants with suspected urogenital gonorrhea were enrolled and completed baseline (day 1) and test-of-cure (days 4-8) visits. Pretreatment and posttreatment urogenital swabs were collected for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) culture and susceptibility testing.

Characteristics and clinical treatment of tobacco smokers enrolled in a VA substance use disorders clinic.

Individuals with a substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis are more than twice as likely to smoke cigarettes as the general population. Emerging research has suggested that treating a substance use disorder simultaneously with tobacco use leads to a higher rate of treatment success for both substances. Despite this, substance use treatment protocols tend not to focus on tobacco use; in fact, traditional substance use treatments often discourage patients from attempting to quit smoking.

Associations between posttraumatic stress and legal charges among substance using veterans.

Substance misuse is prevalent among veterans entering the criminal justice system, and is related to recidivism. Research demonstrates that trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, which commonly co-occur with substance misuse, also increase the risk of legal involvement and recidivism. However, it is unclear whether the associations between trauma, PTS symptoms and violent and nonviolent crime may be conflated by substance use.

A psychometric evaluation of the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory with Veterans seeking treatment following military trauma exposure.

Trauma-related beliefs have salient relationships to the development and maintenance of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following stress exposure. The Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI) has the potential to be a standard assessment of this critical construct. However, some critical aspects of validity and reliability appear to vary by population.

Differential Associations of UPPS-P Impulsivity Traits With Alcohol Problems.

Objective: The UPPS-P model posits that impulsivity comprises five factors: positive urgency, negative urgency, lack of planning, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking. Negative and positive urgency are the traits most consistently associated with alcohol problems. However, previous work has examined alcohol problems either individually or in the aggregate, rather than examining multiple problem domains simultaneously.

Association between overall rate of change in rising breath alcohol concentration and the magnitude of acute tolerance of subjective intoxication via the Mellanby method.

Objective: The magnitude of acute tolerance is a strong predictor of the development of longer-term chronic tolerance and plays a decisive role in risky decisions (e.g., driving after drinking).

Drinking-and-Driving-Related Cognitions Mediate the Relationship Between Alcohol Demand and Alcohol-Impaired Driving.

Objective: Elevated behavioral economic demand for alcohol has been shown to be associated with drinking and driving in college students. The present study sought to clarify the underlying mechanisms of this relationship by examining whether drinking-and-driving-related cognitions (e.g.

Acute subjective response to alcohol as a function of reward and punishment sensitivity.

Individual differences in subjective response to alcohol play a crucial role in the development of heavy drinking and related problems. In light of this, a growing focus of research has been identifying factors that contribute to differences in response. The aim of the present study was to determine whether individual differences in the subjective experience of rewarding and aversive effects of alcohol are a specific manifestation of general differences in reward and punishment sensitivity.

Separate and joint effects of alcohol and caffeine on conflict monitoring and adaptation.

Rationale: Caffeine is commonly believed to offset the acute effects of alcohol, but some evidence suggests that cognitive processes remain impaired when caffeine and alcohol are coadministered.

Objectives: No previous study has investigated the separate and joint effects of alcohol and caffeine on conflict monitoring and adaptation, processes thought to be critical for self-regulation. This was the purpose of the current study.

Increased behavioral economic demand and craving for alcohol following a laboratory alcohol challenge.

Background And Aims: Although increases in subjective alcohol craving have been observed following moderate doses of alcohol (e.g. priming effects), the effects of alcohol consumption on behavioral economic demand for alcohol are largely unstudied.

Effects of acute alcohol tolerance on perceptions of danger and willingness to drive after drinking.

Rationale: Drinking and driving is associated with elevated rates of motor vehicle accidents and fatalities. Previous research suggests that alcohol impairs judgments about the dangers of risky behaviors; however, how alcohol affects driving-related judgments is less clear. Impairments have also been shown to differ across limbs of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) curve, which is known as acute tolerance.

Perceived danger while intoxicated uniquely contributes to driving after drinking.

Background: Previous findings suggest that alcohol alters perceptions of risky behaviors such as drinking and driving. However, studies testing these perceptions as a predictor of drinking and driving typically measure these perceptions while participants are sober. This study tested whether the perceived danger of driving after drinking assessed while intoxicated was associated with increased willingness to drive and self-reported drinking-and-driving behavior over and above perceptions assessed while sober.

Direct and indirect effects of impulsivity traits on drinking and driving in young adults.

Objective: Impulsivity is strongly associated with alcohol-related risk-taking behavior, and this association has been found to be mediated by alcohol cognitions. The current study expanded this literature by comparing the relative association of distinct impulsivity traits with a specific risky behavior--drinking and driving. We then tested whether drinking-and-driving expectancies uniquely mediated this relation over and above other cognitions about alcohol and drinking and driving.

Acute alcohol effects on impulsivity: associations with drinking and driving behavior.

Aims: Although drink drivers exhibit higher levels of trait impulsivity, no studies have tested the hypothesis that drink drivers experience increased impulsivity while intoxicated. We tested this hypothesis for two impulsivity constructs: delay discounting and behavioral inhibition.

Design: A within-subjects study comparing performance of drink drivers and non-drink drivers on behavioral measures of impulsivity in alcohol and no-beverage sessions.

Alcohol dose and aggression: another reason why drinking more is a bad idea.

Objective: Numerous studies have examined the impact of alcohol on violence; however, only a small number have addressed differences elicited by different doses of alcohol. Such studies are limited by mixed findings, small sample sizes, inconsistent alcohol doses and control conditions, a bias toward studying only male participants, and the predominant use of only one particular measure to assess aggression. The present laboratory investigation was designed to elucidate and advance this literature by improving on these limitations.

Men and women, alcohol and aggression.

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of alcohol on aggressive behavior in men and women in a laboratory setting. Participants were 526 (261 men and 265 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. They were randomly assigned to either an alcohol or a placebo group.