Gender differences in the effects of ADH1B and ALDH2 polymorphisms on alcoholism.

Background: Gender differences are known to exist in the prevalence, characteristics, and course of alcohol dependence. Elucidating gender differences in the characteristics of alcohol dependence is important in gender-based medicine and may improve treatment outcomes. Many studies have shown that genetic factors are associated with the risk of alcohol dependence in both genders.

Role of GABRA2 in moderating subjective responses to alcohol.

Background: Human twin studies have shown that certain responses to alcohol, including subjective perceptions, are genetically influenced. Previous studies have provided evidence that a low level of response to alcohol predicts future alcohol use disorders in humans. Recent genetic studies suggest an association between alcohol dependence and genetic variation in the γ-aminobutyric acid A (GABA(A)) receptor α2 subunit gene (GABRA2).

Prion disease causes less severe lesions in human hippocampus than other parts of brain.

Aim: The hippocampus can be very sensitive to damage in the scrapie-infected mouse, a well-established animal model of prion diseases. Terminally ill scrapie-infected animals exhibit nearly complete loss of cornu ammonis (CA) 1 pyramidal neurons, but few studies have focused on the neuropathological lesions of the human hippocampus in autopsied brain tissue; in particular, few findings on differences in severity of pathology between the hippocampal and parahippocampal formations have been obtained. The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the human hippocampus of prion disease through neuropathological examination.

Elevated cerebrospinal fluid tau protein levels in Wernicke's encephalopathy.

Objective: Limited neuronal cell loss is seen in the neuropathology of Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE), but the extent of neuronal damage has not been well studied. Moreover, there is still a debate as to whether alcohol itself causes brain damage in humans. Although, it is difficult to examine the extent of neuronal damage in living patients, recent studies have revealed that total tau protein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) reflect the rate of neuronal degeneration.

Two-month stability of hyperbolic discount rates for delayed monetary gains in abstinent inpatient alcoholics.

Objectives: Alcohol dependence has been associated with disrupted neuroendocrine systems, impulsivity in intertemporal choice (delay discounting). However, little is known regarding stability of discount rates in alcoholics. This study examined both differential stability (stability of individual differences) and absolute stability (stability of group mean) of hyperbolic discount rates for monetary gains in severe alcoholic inpatients (diagnosed with DSM-IV) over a 2-month period during abstinence.

[The treatment cost at different stages of alcohol dependence in Japan].

The treatment costs of alcohol dependence were calculated by disease stage and by method of treatment. Alcohol-related problems, mainly alcohol dependence, can be divided into four stages for convenience: (1) abnormal values found in health examinations, (2) preventive treatment as an outpatient or short-term hospitalization for education and testing, (3) basic outpatient treatment, and (4) inpatient treatment. The following results were obtained.

Association study of brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene polymorphism and alcoholism.

Objective: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) influences dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters that are heavily linked to addiction. A quantitative trait loci study indicated that genes localized to 11p13, where the BDNF gene is mapped (11p13-15), increase the risk for severe alcohol withdrawal. Moreover, a recent study using a pooled-sample microarray suggested that the BDNF gene locus was included in the loci that were shown to be associated with drug abuse.

Benign type of central pontine myelinolysis in alcoholism--clinical, neuroradiological and electrophysiological findings.

Nine alcoholic patients with central pontine myelinolysis (CPM),who showed a favorable prognosis, are reported. The majority of them had taken part in binge drinking and had a subsequent consciousness disturbance for 18.1+/-10.

Methamphetamine in Japan: the consequences of methamphetamine abuse as a function of route of administration.

Aims: To determine differences in life backgrounds and clinical features between methamphetamine (MAP) smokers and injectors in Japan.

Setting: Out-patient clinic at a psychiatric centre.

Participants: Among 451 MAP abusers undergoing initial assessments, 116 subjects whom the first author had directly interviewed and treated were studied.