Different gene variants have been identified as risk or protective factors in alcoholism. The genes coding for dopamine receptors, serotonin transporters, and dehydrogenases represent susceptibility loci for addictive behaviour. However, alcoholism represents a complex psychiatric symptomatology which is caused by multiple factors, both genetic and environmental. Furthermore, there are probably different subtypes of alcoholism each with a distinct pathophysiology, and thus a different genetic background. Genetic research can help to identify such subtypes, which may require different therapeutic approaches. However, gene polymorphisms are not only responsible for a predisposition to alcoholism, but also for personality traits which influence the likelihood of developing addictive behaviour. Moreover, genetic polymorphisms are probably involved in the way an individual responds to treatment. Also, the severity of secondary diseases resulting from chronic alcohol uptake may depend on the genetic makeup of an individual. New treatment strategies focusing on genes contributing towards drug and alcohol dependence (such as gene therapy) are already under examination in animal models. However, further research is required before these developments will considerably change today's clinical handling of alcoholism.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1517/14622416.1.1.63 | DOI Listing |
Nutrients
January 2025
Department of Community Medicine, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Background/objectives: This study aimed to investigate the lifestyle and the behavioral factors that influence the nutritional status of adolescents from Transylvania, Romania.
Methods: The Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) was used to collect data from 900 adolescents between 11 and 18 years old from the Transylvania region, Romania. This study assessed nutritional status by calculating BMI indicators adjusted to Z-Score, cut-off points according to the World Health Organization (WHO), using self-reported weight and height; perceived health status; food vulnerability; physical activity; addictive behaviors (cigarette, alcohol and drug consumption); number of hours spent in front of the computer/phone; hand and oral hygiene; sitting time/day; and sleep.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
January 2025
Department of Occupational Health and Saftey, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie 1145, Ethiopia.
Introduction: Social media addiction (SMA) and internet addiction (IA) are increasingly prevalent, impacting mental health (MH) globally. This study investigates the mediating roles of mindfulness and social capital (SC) in the relationship between SMA, IA, and MH among Ethiopian high school and university students, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 of good health and well-being.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1160 university and 1473 high school students in Dessie, Ethiopia.
BMC Psychol
January 2025
Faculty of Social Sciences, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing, China.
This study aims to explore the temporal dynamics of the relationships between problematic social media use(PSMU), self-transcendence values, and school adaptation among college students.Methods This study employed longitudinal cross-lagged analysis and structural equation modeling to investigate whether there is a mutual influence among PSMU, self-transcendence values, and school adaptation. Additionally, the study explored whether these variables serve as intermediaries in the associations between the other two variables.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Public Health
January 2025
Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), 169 West Changle Road, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China.
Background: Internet addiction has emerged as a significant mental health issue among university students. The study aimed to compare the network structures of Internet addiction and mental health symptoms among university students in China and Malawi, which provide insights into culturally sensitive prevention and intervention strategies.
Methods: Network analysis was used on two datasets: Malawi (n = 688) and China (n = 975) using the Internet Addiction Test and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire.
PLoS Biol
January 2025
Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Successful resolution of approach-avoidance conflict (AAC) is fundamentally important for survival, and its dysregulation is a hallmark of many neuropsychiatric disorders, and yet the underlying neural circuit mechanisms are not well elucidated. Converging human and animal research has implicated the anterior/ventral hippocampus (vHPC) as a key node in arbitrating AAC in a region-specific manner. In this study, we sought to target the vHPC CA1 projection pathway to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) to delineate its contribution to AAC decision-making, particularly in the arbitration of learned reward and punishment signals, as well as innate signals.
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