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ABSTRACT Problem drinkers account for a large proportion of those convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI). Nevertheless, specific rates of problem drinking among D WI offenders have been shown to [...]

Polymorphisms of the [mu]-opioid receptor (OPRM1) and dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) genes are associated with subjective responses to alcohol and urge to drink under laboratory conditions. This study examined these associations in the natural environment using ecological momentary assessment. Participants were non-treatment-seeking heavy drinkers (n = 112, 52% female, 61% alcohol dependent) who enrolled in a study of naltrexone effects on craving and drinking in the natural environment. Data were culled from 5 consecutive days of drinking reports prior to medication randomization. Analyses revealed that, alter drinking, carriers of the Asp40 allele of the OPRM1 gene reported higher overall levels of vigor and lower levels negative mood, as compared to homozygotes for the Asn40 variant. Carriers of the long allele (i.e., [greater than or equal to] 7 tandem repeats) of the DRD4 endorsed greater urge to drink than homozygotes for the short allele. Effects of OPRMI and DRD4 variable-number-of-tandem-repeats genotypes appear to be alcohol dose-dependent. Specifically, carriers of the DRD4-L allele reported slight decreases in urge to drink at higher levels of estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC), and Asp40 carriers reported decreases in vigor and increases in negative mood as eBAC rose, as compared to carriers of the major allele for each gene. Self-reported vigor and urge to drink were positively associated with alcohol consumption within the same drinking episode. This study extends findings on subjective intoxication, urge to drink, and their genetic bases from controlled laboratory to naturalistic settings. Keywords: OPRM1, DRD4, urge to drink, alcohol, EMA DOI: 10.1037/a0017550

It may be a common pattern for alcohol dependent individuals to exhibit periods of abstinence of three or more months. Of a total of 1,853 alcohol dependent subjects, 56% reported at least one period of nondrinking lasting 3 months or longer. Some predictors of periodic abstinence could be related to a greater life stability, while others could indicate more severe drinking difficulties, with a greater awareness of alcohol problems. A association between life stability and the probability of a long-term dry period of five or more years was also seen. Alcoholics Anonymous attendance improved abstinence., ABSTRACT. Objective: Data from both laboratory experiments and retrospective histories of alcoholics indicate alternations between periods of abstinence and heavy drinking are common in the course of alcoholism. This article [...]

Nearly 14 million Americans abuse alcohol (Grant et al. 1994) and an estimated 100,000 deaths each year stem from alcohol abuse and dependence (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [...]