Does sex moderate the effects of early life stress on peripheral inflammation in alcohol use disorder? A preliminary investigation.

Introduction: Early life stress (ELS) increases risk for many medical and psychiatric illnesses, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Females appear to be more vulnerable than males to adverse ELS-related health outcomes, including heavy alcohol use. The biological processes underlying sex differences in ELS-related drinking outcomes are not well understood.

Examining the moderating role of cannabis use on the relationship between alcohol consumption and inflammation in individuals with alcohol use disorder.

Inflammation appears to be a critical mechanism in the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and a consequence of chronic alcohol use. The potential anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis may modulate the proinflammatory effects of alcohol. This study sought to extend previous work investigating the relationship between alcohol consumption, cannabis use and circulating interleukin (IL)-6 levels in a sample with AUD.

Endpoints for Pharmacotherapy Trials for Alcohol Use Disorder.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a debilitating disorder, yet currently approved pharmacotherapies to treat AUD are under-utilized. The three medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the indication of AUD are disulfiram, acamprosate, and naltrexone. The current landscape of pharmacotherapies for AUD suggests opportunities for improvement.

Characterizing reward and relief/habit drinking profiles in a study of naltrexone, varenicline, and placebo.

Introduction: This study aims to clarify differences in mood, craving, and treatment response between reward and relief/habit individuals in a study of naltrexone, varenicline, and placebo. We hypothesized that relief/habit individuals would have a poorer mood during early abstinence and higher levels of alcohol craving than reward individuals. We hypothesized that reward individuals would demonstrate better drinking outcomes on naltrexone versus placebo.