Steven J Nieto1, Wave Baskerville1, Suzanna Donato1, Spencer Bujarski1, Lara Ray1,2,3. 1. Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. 2. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. 3. Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Abstract
Background: Preclinical studies demonstrate that chronic and heavy alcohol use facilitates neuroadaptations that perpetuate addiction-like behaviors. In clinical studies, it is unclear whether the extent of heavy alcohol use over the lifetime contributes to alcohol use disorder (AUD) severity over and above current alcohol use patterns (i.e. last 30 days to 3-months). Such information may improve our understanding of the phenomenology of AUD. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine lifetime heavy drinking years in relation to a clinical assessment of AUD. Methods: Participants, who were non-treatment-seeking and engaged in heavy drinking (n = 140; 50% male), completed an interview-based assessment of lifetime regular and heavy drinking years along with a battery of measures indexing alcohol use and problems, drinking motives, and depression and anxiety symptomatology. Results: Lifetime heavy drinking years was positively associated with lifetime regular drinking years, current alcohol use, alcohol problems, tonic alcohol craving, drinking for the enhancing effects of alcohol, and drinking to cope (r's = .21-.58). Adjusting for lifetime regular drinking years and current alcohol use, lifetime heavy drinking years predicted higher scores on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT; B = .382; SE = .123). A multivariate logistic regression found that lifetime heavy drinking years predicted greater odds of more severe AUD over and above current alcohol use (OR = 1.147). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that lifetime heavy drinking years are a clinically meaningful indicator of AUD severity that is not redundant with current alcohol use measures.
Background: Preclinical studies demonstrate that chronic and heavy alcohol use facilitates neuroadaptations that perpetuate addiction-like behaviors. In clinical studies, it is unclear whether the extent of heavy alcohol use over the lifetime contributes to alcohol use disorder (AUD) severity over and above current alcohol use patterns (i.e. last 30 days to 3-months). Such information may improve our understanding of the phenomenology of AUD. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine lifetime heavy drinking years in relation to a clinical assessment of AUD. Methods: Participants, who were non-treatment-seeking and engaged in heavy drinking (n = 140; 50% male), completed an interview-based assessment of lifetime regular and heavy drinking years along with a battery of measures indexing alcohol use and problems, drinking motives, and depression and anxiety symptomatology. Results: Lifetime heavy drinking years was positively associated with lifetime regular drinking years, current alcohol use, alcohol problems, tonic alcohol craving, drinking for the enhancing effects of alcohol, and drinking to cope (r's = .21-.58). Adjusting for lifetime regular drinking years and current alcohol use, lifetime heavy drinking years predicted higher scores on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT; B = .382; SE = .123). A multivariate logistic regression found that lifetime heavy drinking years predicted greater odds of more severe AUD over and above current alcohol use (OR = 1.147). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that lifetime heavy drinking years are a clinically meaningful indicator of AUD severity that is not redundant with current alcohol use measures.
Entities:
Keywords:
AUD severity; addiction; alcohol; alcohol use disorder; heavy drinking
Authors: G F Koob; A J Roberts; G Schulteis; L H Parsons; C J Heyser; P Hyytiä; E Merlo-Pich; F Weiss Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 1998-02 Impact factor: 3.455