Alcohol-related aggression-social and neurobiological factors

Unveiling the Dark Nexus: A systematic review on the interplay of mental health, substance abuse, and socio-cultural factors in femicide

A shared definition of femicide would help to distinguish it from the murder of a woman and understand its root causes favoring prevention. We conducted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to assess how (and if) femicide cases were related to mental disorders. Articles papers that explicitly define or discuss femicides or articles that, albeit not expressly mention femicides, thoroughly compare generic homicides and homicides with female victims. We analyse 3546 articles were retrieved from the databases, and 75 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the SLR. Many forms of femicide emerge worldwide as people's values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours evolve (intimate partner femicide, femicide-suicide, religious femicide, honour, revolt femicide) and state of vulnerability. A tiny percentage of femicides occur at the hands of subjects with diagnosed mental disorders, and controversies exist regarding the possible link between femicide and the use of drugs and/or alcohol and other factors. The complex problem of violence against women must be addressed with a transdisciplinary approach and targeted interventions for both the victims and the perpetrators. The present SLR shows that it is not possible to link femicides to mental disorders and that socio and cultural factors appear to be more relevant. Further quantitative research is warranted to disentangle the root causes of this heinous phenomenon plaguing our times. Our studies show that using the proposed definition of feminicide would help to delimit and adequately recognise violence in courtrooms, promote the culture of equality, and identify adequate policy strategies for prevention.

Bridging the Gap: A Holistic View of Personality Factors in Individuals With and Without Alcohol Use

This comprehensive review examines the intricate interplay between personality factors and alcohol use, shedding light on the dynamic relationship that shapes the initiation, progression, and outcomes of alcohol-related behaviors. The exploration encompasses vital personality traits such as sensation seeking, impulsivity, neuroticism, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. The bidirectional nature of this association is underscored, emphasizing how personality influences and is influenced by alcohol consumption patterns. Protective personality factors, including resilience, emotional regulation, and social support, are identified as crucial elements in mitigating the risk of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The implications for clinical practice advocate for tailored interventions that address individual personality profiles, while policy considerations highlight the need for targeted prevention efforts that acknowledge the diverse ways individuals respond to alcohol use. Furthermore, a call for future research emphasizes emerging perspectives, improved methodologies, and ongoing exploration of intervention strategies to advance our understanding of this complex relationship and refine approaches for prevention and treatment. As we navigate this evolving field, the insights gleaned hold promise for shaping more compelling and nuanced interventions to address the diverse needs of individuals affected by AUDs.

Alcohol Use of German Adults during Different Pandemic Phases: Repeated Cross-Sectional Analyses in the COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring Study (COSMO)

There is little evidence on how different COVID-19 pandemic phases influence the alcohol use behaviour of adults. The objective of this study is to investigate alcohol use frequency over different COVID-19 pandemic phases and to identify vulnerable subgroups for risky use behaviour in the German adult population. Survey waves of 14/15 April 2020 (n = 1032), 23/24 June 2020 (n = 993), and 26/27 January 2021 (n = 1001) from the COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring (COSMO) were analysed. The mean age was 46 ± 15.3 years in April, 46 ± 15.5 years in June, and 45 ± 15.5 years in January. The gender ratio was mostly equal in each survey wave. Descriptive analyses and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses for individuals with increased alcohol use frequency (AUF) were performed. 13.2% in April (lockdown), 11.3% in June (easement), and 8.6% in January (lockdown) of participants showed an increased AUF. Individuals with perceived burden, high frustration levels due to protective measures, and young to middle-aged adults were more likely to increase their AUF during different pandemic phases. In conclusion, unfavourable alcohol behaviour might occur as a potentially maladaptive coping strategy in pandemics. Because of potential negative long-term consequences of problematic alcohol use behaviour on health, public health strategies should consider mental health consequences and target addictive behaviour, while also guiding risk groups towards healthy coping strategies such as physical activities during pandemics/crises.

Gender differences in the acceptance of wife-beating in Nigeria: evidence from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey

The world over, more than one-third of women have been victims of either physical or sexual violence, or both, most of which are perpetrated by intimate partners. Intimate partner violence (IPV) has negative consequences for women's health, socio-economic and psychological wellbeing. Similarly, acceptance of IPV has negative implications for its spread, sympathy for victims, and utilisation of antenatal and postnatal healthcare services among women. This study investigates the influence of age, education, location, religion, marriage type, employment, wealth level, extramarital sex, smoking, internet use, media exposure and decision making on the justification of IPV, and how the associations vary between men and women. The study utilised the 2018 Nigeria's Demographic and Health Survey. The data analysed was comprised of 8,018 men and 28,888 women who were married or living with a partner. It was found that women are more likely to accept IPV than men (AOR: 1.627). Educational difference between spouses influences women's experience of and acceptance of IPV. Overall, being young, being uneducated, living in the north, being Muslim, being polygamous, being employed, being poor, having extra-marital sex, being a smoker, not having access to internet, and not being exposed to the media increased the odds of IPV justification. However, while Muslim women had higher odds of accepting IPV than Christians (AOR: 1.587), Muslim men have lower likelihood of IPV justification than Christian men (AOR: 0.759). Gender differences also exist in the influence of age, marriage type, employment, extra-marital sex, smoking, media exposure and decision making. This study underscores the importance of applying differing intervention programmes to men and women where necessary.

Change in Alcohol Use and Association with Positive and Negative Emotions: Results from an Alcohol Treatment Study with Hepatitis C Patients

Few studies exist on the change over time in positive and negative emotions during treatment for alcoholism disorders. We aimed to evaluate relationship between alcohol reduction and change in positive and negative emotions. Chronic HCV patients (n=174) with alcohol use received brief alcohol counseling. Participants completed the PANAS-Short Form, MHC-Short Form, and the Alcohol Timeline Follow back at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months. Decreases in alcohol use were related to decreased negative emotions from baseline to 3 months, baseline to 6 months and baseline to 12 months. Decreases in alcohol use were associated with increased positive emotions from baseline to 12 months but not sooner.

The Interaction of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on Fibroblast Growth Factor 19 Superfamily Genes Is Associated With Alcohol Dependence-Related Aggression

Alcohol dependence (AD) is characterized by compulsive alcohol consumption, which involves behavioral impairments such as aggression. Members of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 19 superfamily, including FGF19, FGF21, and FGF23, are major endocrine mediators that play an important role in alcohol metabolism and alcohol related disorders. The objective of the present study is to explore the possible associations among the interaction of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the FGF 19 superfamily, AD occurrence, and aggression in patients with AD. A total of 956 subjects were enrolled in this study, including 482 AD patients and 474 healthy controls (HCs). Michigan alcoholism screening test (MAST) was used to measure the level of AD, a Chinese version of the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire was used to evaluate the aggressive behavior of subjects, and MassARRAY^@ system was used to genotype rs948992 of FGF19, rs11665841 and rs11665896 of FGF21, rs7955866 and rs11063118 of FGF23. The results showed that AD patients presented a significantly higher level of aggression compared to HCs, and MAST scores were significantly positively associated Buss–Perry aggression scores (r = 0.402, p < 0.001) in AD patients. The interaction of FGF19 rs948992 TC × FGF21 rs11665896 GG presented the high-risk genotype combination predicting the high level of AD. In addition, the interaction of FGF19 rs948992 TC × FGF21 rs11665896 TG × FGF23 rs11063118 TT presented the high-risk genotype combination predicting the high level of aggression in AD patients. Our results added evidence linking the combination of rs948992 TC × rs11665896 TG × rs11063118 TT to aggressive behavior in AD patients and pointed out the potential usefulness of the SNPs of FGF19 superfamily as a predictor for the aggression in AD patients.

The Effects of the Lockdown during the COVID-19 Pandemic on Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption Behavior in Germany

BACKGROUND

Similar to other countries, the government of Germany has implemented various restrictions of social life in March 2020 to slow the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. This results in millions of people being isolated for long periods, which may increase feelings of worry and anxiety. As the consumption of alcohol and tobacco is an often used dysfunctional strategy to cope with such feelings, these restrictions might cause an increase of consumption. Already at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that increased alcohol consumption during the lockdown can increase the prevalence of alcohol use disorders in the future. However, up to now little is known about the changes in alcohol-drinking behavior and tobacco smoking in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

To address this theme, we investigated the changes in alcohol and tobacco consumption in the German population aged between 18 and 80 years via an online survey.

RESULTS

In total, 3,245 persons participated in the survey; 35.5% of them reported an increase in drinking during the lockdown (42.9% did not change their drinking behavior, 21.3% drank less, and 0.3% started drinking). The odds of consuming more alcohol during lockdown were associated with middle age, higher subjective stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lower agreement with the importance of the restrictions, and consuming alcohol more than once per week before the lockdown. Also, 45.8% of the participants increased their smoking during the lockdown. The odds of smoking more during lockdown were associated with higher subjective stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that it is important to start campaigns to inform the general population about potential long-term effects of increased alcohol and tobacco consumption and to raise the health-care professionals' awareness of this topic.

Effects of acute alcohol consumption on emotion recognition in high and low trait aggressive drinkers

BACKGROUND

Research suggests that acute alcohol consumption impairs processing of emotional faces. As emotion processing plays a key role in effective social interaction, these impairments may be one mechanism by which alcohol changes social behaviour. This study investigated the effect of individual differences on this relationship by comparing emotion recognition performance after acute alcohol consumption in individuals with high and low trait aggression.

METHODS

Regular non-dependent drinkers, either high or low in trait aggression participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled experiment (N = 88, 50% high trait aggressive). Participants attended two sessions. In one they consumed an alcoholic drink (0.4 g/kg) and in the other they consumed a matched placebo. They then completed two computer-based tasks: one measured global and emotion-specific recognition performance across six primary emotions (anger, sadness, happiness, disgust, fear, surprise), the other measured processing bias of two ambiguously expressive faces (happy-angry/happy-sad).

RESULTS

There was evidence of poorer global emotion recognition after alcohol. In addition, there was evidence of poorer sensitivity to sadness and fear after alcohol. There was also evidence for a reduced bias towards happiness following alcohol and weak evidence for an increased bias towards sadness.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that alcohol impairs global emotion recognition. They also highlight a reduced ability to detect sadness and fearful facial expressions. As sadness and fear are cues of submission and distress (i.e. function to curtail aggression), failure to successfully detect these emotions when intoxicated may increase the likelihood of aggressive responding. This coupled with a reduced bias towards seeing happiness may collectively contribute to aggressive behaviour.

Lifespan risks of growing up in a family with mental illness or substance abuse

Growing up in a family with one member being affected by mental health problems or substance abuse is an adverse childhood experience which can lead to socioeconomic and health-related impairments in later life. Furthermore, the risk of child maltreatment is increased in affected families, which often adds to the individual risk factors. However, the interdependence between the particular risk factors is not well understood. To examine the correlation between mental health problems or substance abuse and child maltreatment within families and long term consequences for affected children, a cross sectional population representative survey in Germany (N = 2,531) has been conducted. The risk of child maltreatment was 5 to 5.6 times higher if mental illness and 4.9 to 6.9 times higher if substance abuse of a family member was reported. Furthermore, the risk of health problems, including obesity, decreased life satisfaction, lower income, low educational achievement, unemployment and living without a partner was increased if participants grew up in a family affected by mental health problems or substance abuse. All associations were mediated significantly by child maltreatment. These results point towards an urgent need for greater awareness for child protection issues in families affected by mental health problems or substance abuse.

Drinking patterns, alcohol-related harm and views on policies: results from a pilot of the International Alcohol Control Study in Canada

INTRODUCTION

We conducted a pilot assessment of the feasibility of implementing the International Alcohol Control (IAC) Study in Ontario, Canada, to allow for future comparisons on the impacts of alcohol control policies with a number of countries.

METHODS

The IAC Study questionnaire was adapted for use in the province of Ontario, and a split-sample approach was used to collect data. Data were collected by computer-assisted telephone interviewing of 500 participants, with half the sample each answering a subset of the adapted IAC Study survey.

RESULTS

Just over half of the sample (53.6%) reported high frequency drinking (once a week or more frequently), while 6.5% reported heavy typical occasion drinking (8 drinks or more per session). Self-reported rates of alcohol-related harms from one's own and others' drinking were relatively low. Attitudes towards alcohol control varied. A substantial majority supported more police spot checks to detect drinking and driving, while restrictions on the number of alcohol outlets and increases in the price of alcohol were generally opposed.

CONCLUSION

This pilot study demonstrated that the IAC Study survey can be implemented in Canada with some modifications. Future research should assess how to improve participation rates and the feasibility of implementing the longitudinal aspect of the IAC Study. This survey provides additional insight into alcohol-related behaviours and attitudes towards alcohol control policies, which can be used to develop appropriate public health responses in the Canadian context.

Health-Risk Behaviours and Injuries among Youth and Young Adults in Chiang Mai, Thailand: A Population-Based Survey

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of health-risk behaviours (alcohol use, tobacco smoking and gambling) and the associations between health-risk behaviours and injuries among youth (15–24 years) and young adults (25–39 years). A multi-stage cluster sampling survey was conducted in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The associations between health-risk behaviours and injuries were analysed using logistic regression and adjusted for potential confounders. Sample weights were applied in all analyses. Six-hundred-and-thirty participants were included. Fifty-three percent of males and 12.3% of females drank in the past three months. Smoking in the past three months was higher among males (38.5%) than females (0.7%). About a quarter of men and a fifth of the women had gambled in the past year. A total of 6.4% of males and 4.8% of females sought medical attention in the past year due to injuries. Compared to those without any of the three health-risk behaviours, the odds ratio for injuries requiring medical attention was 3.81 (95% CI: 1.33 to 10.90, p = 0.013) for those with two health-risk behaviours and 13.8 (95% CI: 4.24 to 45.10, p < 0.001) for those with all three health-risk behaviours. Injury prevention policies may need to incorporate interventions designed to assess multiple health-risk behaviours.

Alcohol and other drugs in suicide in Canada: opportunities to support prevention through enhanced monitoring

The use of alcohol and other drugs has been identified as a significant factor related to suicide through multiple pathways. This paper highlights current understanding of their contributions to suicide in Canada and identifies opportunities for enhancing monitoring and prevention initiatives. Publications from 1998 to 2018 about suicide in Canada and that referred to alcohol or other drugs were identified using PubMed and Google Scholar. A second literature search restricted to articles including results of toxicology testing was conducted by a librarian. We summarised the literature identified on ecological analyses, attributable fractions and deaths, and research including the results of toxicological analyses. Our literature search yielded 5230 publications, and 164 documents were identified for full-text screening. We summarised the findings from 30 articles. Ecological analyses support the association between alcohol sales, annual per capita alcohol consumption and suicide rates. Based on published estimates, approximately a quarter of suicide deaths in Canada are alcohol-attributable, while the estimated attributable fraction for illegal drugs is more variable. Finally, there is a dearth of literature examining the role of acute alcohol and/or drug consumption prior to suicide based on toxicological findings. The proportion of suicide decedents with drugs or alcohol present at the time of death varies widely. While there is evidence on the role of alcohol and drugs in suicide deaths, there is not a large body of research about the acute use of these substances at the time of death among suicide decedents in Canada. Our understanding of the role of alcohol and other drugs in suicide deaths could be enhanced through systematic documentation, which in turn could provide much needed guidance for clinical practice, prevention strategies and policy initiatives.

Alterations of Metabolites in the Frontal Cortex and Amygdala Are Associated With Cognitive Impairment in Alcohol Dependent Patients With Aggressive Behavior

BACKGROUND

Alcohol dependence (AD) patients have a high prevalence of aggressive behavior (AB). The frontal cortex and amygdala contains various neurotransmitter systems and plays an important role in AB, which is also associated with cognitive deficits. However, to date, no study has addressed the association of metabolites in the frontal cortex and amygdala with cognitive deficits in Chinese aggressive behavior-alcohol dependent patients(AB-ADs).

METHODS

We recruited 80 male AD and 40 male healthy controls (HCs), who completed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS), and the proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H MRS) scan using 3.0T Siemens. The ¹H MRS data were automatically fitted with a linear combination model for quantification of metabolite levels of n-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), glutamate (Glu), Choline (Cho) and creatine (Cr). Metabolite levels were reported as ratios to Cr.

RESULTS

The AB-ADs group scored significantly lower than the non-aggression-alcohol dependent patients (NA-ADs) on these two RBANS subscales (immediate memory and attention function indices). The AB-ADs group showed a significant reduction in NAA/CR ratio in the left frontal cortex and Cho/Cr ratio in the left amygdala, and elevation in Glu/Cr ratio in the bilateral amygdala, compared with the NA-ADs group. The NAA/Cr ratio in the left frontal cortex was positively associated with immediate memory (r=0.60, P<0.05), and the Glu/Cr ratio in the right amygdala was negatively associated with delayed memory (r=-0.44,P<0.05) in AB-ADs group.

CONCLUSIONS

Metabolite alterations in the frontal cortex and amygdala may be involved in the pathophysiology of AB in AD and its associated cognitive impairment, especially immediate memory and delayed memory.

Long-Term Drug Misuse Increases the Risk of Cognitive Dysfunctions in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators: Key Intervention Targets for Reducing Dropout and Reoffending

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a major public health problem, with an important mortality rate in women across the world. In this regard, it has been well-established that drug misuse explains (at least in part) an increased risk of IPVAW perpetration. Even though alcohol is the most widely studied drug underlying IPVAW, other drugs, such as cannabis and cocaine also seem to be significant indicators of this type of violence. Nonetheless, little is known about mediators, such as cognitive domains that facilitate proneness to violence after drug consumption. Therefore, the primary objective of the present study was to compare drug misuse patterns and cognitive performance in a carefully selected sample of IPVAW perpetrators (n = 63) and a group of non-violent men (control group; n = 39). Second, we also aimed to study the association between different patterns of drug misuse and cognitive performance and several facets of IPVAW perpetration (i.e., severity of injuries and type of aggression). Our results revealed that IPVAW perpetrators showed considerably higher levels of sustained drug misuse (alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and heroin) for years and worse cognitive performance than controls. Moreover, the highest drug misuse sustained over time was related to the worst cognitive performance and the highest IPVAW severity. Finally, alcohol and cocaine seemed to be related to IPVAW and risk of reoffending. Whereas, cannabis, heroin, and MDMA were related to the existence of a previous criminal record (delinquency without violence). Hence, research in this field would help to develop coadjutant treatments and intervention packages to reduce drug misuse in the initial stages, which in turn would reduce cognitive impairments in IPVAW perpetrators. These expected improvements might produce an increase in treatment adherence and a decrease in the risk of future IPVAW reoffending.

[Children of mentally ill parents : Also a topic in the context of child protection]

BACKGROUND

Severe mental illness in parents increases the risk of neglect, physical and sexual abuse (adverse childhood experiences, ACE) of children.

OBJECTIVE

Presentation of the current situation of child protection issues in psychiatric care in Germany and the derivation of needs and potential solution strategies.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Based on a selective literature search, the needs and the current situation in Germany are presented and potential solution strategies are pointed out. The analysis is supplemented by a descriptive evaluation of specific consultation requests to the medical child protection hotline, which were descriptively evaluated and served as a starting point for the selective literature search.

RESULTS

Despite the well-known comprehensive influence of mental illnesses of parents on their children, psychiatric patients have not yet been systematically registered regarding whether they have to care for underage children. There is a lack of systematic and comprehensive support for families at risk. Of all calls to the project medical child protection hotline, calls from the field of adult psychiatry and psychosomatics make up by far the highest proportion from the field of adult medicine.

CONCLUSION

An increased awareness of child protection issues is necessary in the field of adult psychiatric treatment. Systematic counselling services for acute cases and also networking and structured cooperation with other medical fields, such as child and youth psychiatry, pediatrics and child and youth welfare should be addressed.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Predicts Greater Vagal Autonomic Activity in Drug Users Under Stress

While drug use has been shown to impair cardiac autonomic regulation, exercise might overcome some of the damage. Herein, we describe how individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) have their heart rate variability (HRV) and drug-related behaviors negatively affected in response to a stressor. However, we show how cardiorespiratory fitness may attenuate those impairments in autonomic control. Fifteen individuals with SUD were matched with 15 non-SUD individuals by age, weight, height, and fitness level, and had their HRV responses under stress induced by the Cold Pressor Test (CPT). The SUD group had lower mean of R-R intervals before and after the CPT when compared with the non-SUD group. In addition, in individuals with SUD, higher cardiorespiratory fitness level predicted greater vagal activity before, during, and after CPT. Moreover, for individuals with SUD, days of abstinence predicted greater mean of R-R intervals during recovery from the CPT. Finally, years of drug use negatively predicted mean of R-R intervals during recovery. Thus, our results suggest that chronic drug use impairs cardiac autonomic regulation at rest and after a physical stress. However, cardiorespiratory fitness might attenuate these impairments by increasing vagal autonomic activity.

Quantifying harms to others due to alcohol consumption in Germany: a register-based study

BACKGROUND

The consumption of alcohol increases the risk of drinkers harming others. The extent of alcohol's morbidity and mortality harms to others in Germany in 2014 was estimated for (1) fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) among newborns, (2) road traffic fatalities, and (3) interpersonal violence-related deaths.

METHODS

The incidences of FAS and FASD were estimated by means of a meta-analytical approach, combining data on alcohol use during pregnancy and the risk relationship between alcohol consumption during pregnancy and FAS/FASD. In order to estimate alcohol-attributable road traffic fatalities and interpersonal violence due to the drinking of others, an attributable fraction methodology was applied to cause-of-death statistics for road traffic and interpersonal violence-related deaths.

RESULTS

For 2014, the incidences of FAS and FASD were estimated at 41 children per 10,000 live births (95% CI 24; 63) and 177 children per 10,000 live births (95% CI 135; 320), or 2930 (95% CI 1720; 4500) and 12,650 (95% CI 9650; 23,310) children, respectively. Furthermore, alcohol was estimated to be responsible for 1214 (95% CI 1141; 1287) third-party road traffic fatalities and 55 (95% CI 46; 64) deaths from interpersonal violence, representing 45.1% of all third-party road traffic fatalities and 14.9% of all interpersonal violence deaths.

CONCLUSION

These study's estimates indicate there is a substantial degree of health harm to third parties caused by alcohol in Germany. While more research on harms to others caused by alcohol is needed to provide comprehensive estimates, the results indicate a need for effective prevention.

On the Neurobiological Role of Oxidative Stress in Alcohol-Induced Impulsive, Aggressive and Suicidal Behavior

Objectives: Alcohol abuse is known to result in behavioral impairments (such as increased impulsivity, aggressive, and suicidal behavior), but the neurobiological basis for these behavioral impairments remains unknown. The objective of this review is to propose a neurobiological basis for alcohol-induced aggression, impulsivity, and suicidal behavior. Methods: Search was done by accessing PubMed/Medline, EBSCO, and PsycINFO databases. The search string used was "(Alcohol OR Alcoholism* OR Alcohol Abuse) AND (Behavior* OR Behavioral Impairment or Disorder) AND (Oxidative Stress OR Reactive Oxygen Species)." The electronic databases were searched for titles or abstracts containing these terms in all published articles between January 1, 1960, and May 31, 2019. The search was limited to studies published in English and other languages involving both animal and human subjects. Articles selected included randomized clinical trials (RCTs), observational studies, meta-analyses, and both systemic and narrative reviews, providing both quantitative and qualitative information with a measure of alcohol abuse or alcoholism as an outcome. Exclusion criteria were unpublished data of any form, including conference proceedings and dissertation. New key terms were identified (new term included: "Antioxidants, Neurotransmitters, Dopamine, Serotonin, GABA, Glutamate. Aggression, Impulsivity, Suicidal Behavior, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, limbic system, psychiatric disorders, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression. These new terms were searched with Alcohol or Alcoholism or Alcohol Abuse and Oxidative Stress separately resulting in the identification of over 3000 articles. 196 were included in this article. Results: Multiple lines of evidence indicate that oxidative stress (OS) plays a critical underlying role in alcohol toxicity and behavioral impairments. Conclusions/Importance: People diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety disorder, depression, and those with a personality high in psychoticism as measured by the P Scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, with comorbid alcohol abuse or alcohol use disorder (AUD), may display increased impulsivity, aggression, and suicidal behavior because of the potentiating effect of alcohol-induced OS on their elevated brain oxidative status. Antioxidant therapy should be an integral part of acute alcohol intoxication and AUD treatment. Further research is necessary to fully understand the relationship between OS and alcohol-induced behavioral impairments.

Improving cerebral oxygenation, cognition and autonomic nervous system control of a chronic alcohol abuser through a three-month running program

The abusive use of alcohol has shown to be associated to cerebral damage, impaired cognition, poor autonomic nervous control, impaired cardiovascular health, increased levels of stress and anxiety, depression symptoms and poor quality of life. Aerobic exercise has shown to be an efficient tool to reduce and overcome these issues. In this case report, a patient (forty-four years old, male) under treatment in public psychiatric hospital, classified as having a substance use disorder, underwent a three-month running program. The maximal oxygen consumption increased from 24.2 ml/kg/min to 30.1 ml/kg/min, running time increased from 6 min to 45 min (650%) and distance covered from 765 m to 8700 m (1037.2%). In prefrontal cortex oxygenation, oxyhemoglobin levels improved by 76.1%, deoxyhemoglobin decreased 96.9% and total hemoglobin increased 78.8% during exercise. Reaction time in the cognitive test during rest decreased 23%, and the number of correct answers increased by 266.6%. Parasympathetic cardiac parameters increased in several heart rate variability indices. Thus, we conclude that running exercise performed by an alcoholic patient hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital improves cerebral function, cognition and cardiovascular health.

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The subject improved the maximum consumption of oxygen.

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The subject increased the prefrontal cortex oxygenation, cognition and parasympathetic control.

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The subject decreased the need of intervention.

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First study to show long-term effects of exercise in the brain hemodynamics of an alcoholic

Gender and Country Differences in Alcohol-Aggression Expectancy and Alcohol-Related Intimate Partner Violence

Alcohol use is associated with a higher rate of violent offending among males and a higher rate of violent victimization among females, especially for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Using comparable self-reported data from the GENACIS Project, the present study examines between the United States (n=2,363) and Japan (n=1,660) whether the expected gender difference in alcohol-related IPV is explained by alcohol-aggression expectancy. The results indicate that though males are more likely than females to expect that alcohol would make them more aggressive, alcohol-aggression expectancy has a very little to do with the gender difference in alcohol-related IPV. In both countries, overall, alcohol use of males, irrespective of their alcohol-aggression expectancy, most strongly and directly accounted for the gender difference in alcohol-related IPV.

Effects of oxytocin on aggressive responding in healthy adult men

This study investigated the acute effects of oxytocin (OT) on human aggression using a well-established laboratory measure of state (reactive) aggression to test the hypothesis that OT would decrease the frequency of aggressive responding. In a within-subject design, 17 healthy male volunteers received placebo or 24 IU of intranasal OT. Aggression was measured using the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm at 30 min before and 30, 60, and 90 min after dose. Acute OT did not produce a significant main effect on aggressive behavior. OT attenuated the expected rise in diastolic blood pressure from morning to early afternoon observed under placebo, providing a possible indication of biological activity. Examination of individual differences showed that aggressive responding following OT dosing (but not placebo) was positively correlated with psychometric measures of interpersonal manipulation and anger (Pearson's r=0.57), indicating that higher scores on these antisocial personality traits were related to increased aggressive behavior following OT administration. These preliminary results stand in contrast to previous work on the prosocial effects of OT and highlight the need for further understanding of individual differences in aggression following OT administration. Such individual differences may have implications for the therapeutic use of OT in individuals with psychiatric disorders and dysfunctional social behavior.

Systematic review of Australian policing interventions to reduce alcohol-related violence - A maxillofacial perspective

Alcohol-related violence remains to be a health concern, and the oral and maxillofacial surgeons are routinely exposed to its impact on the victims and the healthcare system. At a community level, various policing interventions have been implemented to address this violent crime in and around licensed premises. Current study sought to examine the effectiveness of these interventions in Australia. Ten eligible studies, that evaluated the impact of 15 Australian policing interventions on reducing alcohol-related violence in the night-time economy, were included in this systematic review. Due to the heterogeneity of the study designs and the insufficiency of the reported data, quantitative meta-analysis of the findings was precluded. Instead, a critical narrative approach was used. Police-recorded assault rate was the primary outcome measured to assess the level of alcohol-related violence, which was influenced by the level of police duties implemented during the intervention period. The overall evidence base to support Australian policing interventions was found to be poor and was limited by the low-quality study design observed in the majority of the included studies. However, there is some evidence to suggest interventions involving proactive policing to be more effective than traditional reactive policing. There was also an increased emphasis on developing policing interventions in collaborative partnerships, demonstrating the synergistic benefits in crime prevention through community partnerships, where communities were encouraged to take ownerships of their own problems and develop targeted responses to alcohol-related violence rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Further research is required to define their effectiveness with the use of more appropriate and robust methodologies.

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The overall quality of studies on Australian policing interventions in and around licensed premises was poor.

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Police-recorded assault rate was found to be an unreliable source to measure the level of alcohol-related violence.

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There lacks evidence to support the effectiveness of Australian policing interventions in reducing alcohol-related violence.

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There were potential benefits for proactive policing in collaborative partnerships with community stakeholders.

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Studies of higher quality designs are urgently required to appropriately assess current Australian policing strategies.

Subjective aggression during alcohol and cannabis intoxication before and after aggression exposure

RATIONALE

Alcohol and cannabis use have been implicated in aggression. Alcohol consumption is known to facilitate aggression, whereas a causal link between cannabis and aggression has not been clearly demonstrated.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the acute effects of alcohol and cannabis on subjective aggression in alcohol and cannabis users, respectively, following aggression exposure. Drug-free controls served as a reference. It was hypothesized that aggression exposure would increase subjective aggression in alcohol users during alcohol intoxication, whereas it was expected to decrease subjective aggression in cannabis users during cannabis intoxication.

METHODS

Heavy alcohol (n = 20) and regular cannabis users (n = 21), and controls (n = 20) were included in a mixed factorial study. Alcohol and cannabis users received single doses of alcohol and placebo or cannabis and placebo, respectively. Subjective aggression was assessed before and after aggression exposure consisting of administrations of the point-subtraction aggression paradigm (PSAP) and the single category implicit association test (SC-IAT). Testosterone and cortisol levels in response to alcohol/cannabis treatment and aggression exposure were recorded as secondary outcome measures.

RESULTS

Subjective aggression significantly increased following aggression exposure in all groups while being sober. Alcohol intoxication increased subjective aggression whereas cannabis decreased the subjective aggression following aggression exposure. Aggressive responses during the PSAP increased following alcohol and decreased following cannabis relative to placebo. Changes in aggressive feeling or response were not correlated to the neuroendocrine response to treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

It is concluded that alcohol facilitates feelings of aggression whereas cannabis diminishes aggressive feelings in heavy alcohol and regular cannabis users, respectively.

Experiencing aggression in clubs: social group and individual level predictors

To examine the social drinking group's influence on the individual's experiences of physical or sexual aggression at clubs, data were collected from 368 groups (N = 986 individuals). Both group and individual level indicators were examined for impact on self-reports of physical and sexual aggression experiences while at the club. Recent aggressive experiences and perpetration, concerns for group safety, one's own plans and assessment of other group members' plans to drink to the point of intoxication, and personal characteristics were examined, using both individual and group indicators. At exit, participants reported experiencing physical aggression (12.3 %) and sexual aggression (12.6 %) at the club. Using generalized linear mixed modeling to account for nested data (club, event, and group), group level indicators predicted both the individual's physical and sexual aggression experiences. Especially for experiences of physical aggression, group effects are notable. Being in a group whose members recently experienced physical aggression increased the risk for the individual. Interestingly, groups that had higher levels of planned intoxication decreased risks of experiencing aggression, while a discrepancy in these intentions among group members increased the risks. Group effects were also noted for experiencing sexual aggression. High levels of prior experiences for sexual aggression in the group increased the risks for the individual during the event. Also, being in a group that is identified as having at least one member who is frequently drunk increases the risk for experiencing sexual aggression. These findings inform prevention strategies for young adults engaged in high-risk behaviors by targeting social drinking groups who frequent clubs.