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Biomedical subjects

D S Svikis

Publications and source records attributed to D S Svikis.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Incongruity between occupational interests and academic skills in drug abusing women.

This study assessed the occupational interests and academic skills of 50 patients of a center for addiction and pregnancy. Patient ratings of 31 occupations showed that a subset of ten occupations (telephone operator, cosmetologist, mail clerk, data entry operator, child care worker, receptionist, office clerk, word processor, billing clerk, secretary) were of interest to significantly more subjects than other occupations (P < or = 0.05). Most of the desired occupations were office jobs requiring basic skills not possessed by most study participants. Although participants had completed a mean (range) of 11 (8-15) years of education, their mean (range) grade levels of reading, spelling and arithmetic were estimated at 6.9 (0.8-12), 6.8 (1-12), and 5.7 (2-11.8) years, respectively. These data suggest that the study participants will need basic skills training to achieve their occupational goals. Importantly, patient ratings also indicated that most participants were interested in receiving the needed training. Overall, the study suggests that provision of basic academic skills training may improve the long-term employment outcomes of these drug abusing women.

Achievement↗
PubMed1994

Family history of alcoholism in women with generalized anxiety disorder who have premenstrual syndrome: patient reports of premenstrual alcohol consumption and symptoms of anxiety.

This study sought to determine whether family history of alcoholism is related to patient reports of premenstrual alcohol consumption and whether family history of alcoholism is related to severity of anxiety-related symptoms, in women who suffer simultaneously from both premenstrual syndrome and generalized anxiety disorder. Fifty-four women with generalized anxiety disorder and prospectively demonstrated premenstrual syndrome were questioned about family history of alcoholism and alcohol consumption patterns across the menstrual cycle. Seventy-six percent of the sample reported having an alcoholic first- or second-degree relative. Furthermore, 74% of those women having a paternal-side family history of alcoholism, but only 22% of those without such a family history, reported increased alcohol consumption premenstrually. Forty-one of these women were assessed by means of psychiatric rating scales during both the premenstrual and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle. During the premenstrual, but not the follicular, phase of the menstrual cycle, women with a paternal-side family history of alcoholism experienced more severe anxiety-related somatic, but not psychic, symptoms of anxiety, than those without such a family history. These findings suggest that family history of alcoholism may be related to premenstrual alcohol consumption patterns and to the severity of premenstrually experienced somatic symptoms of anxiety in women with premenstrual syndrome, and that these women may be self-medicating with alcohol.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Enhanced expression of the inhibitory protein Gi2 alpha and decreased activity of adenylyl cyclase in lymphocytes of abstinent alcoholics.

Ethanol exposure alters signal transduction through the adenylyl cyclase (AC) system. To elucidate the basis for this effect, we investigated the AC system in peripheral lymphocytes from abstinent alcoholic men (n = 22), actively drinking alcoholic men (n = 41), and nonalcoholic control men (n = 16). Immunoblot analysis of lymphocyte membranes from abstinent alcoholics demonstrated a 3.0-fold increase in the level of Gi2 alpha protein (p < 0.05) compared with controls. However, levels of Gs alpha protein were similar in both groups. Abstinent alcoholics had a 2.9-fold increase in Gi2 alpha mRNA (p < 0.001) and a 2.7-fold increase in Gs alpha mRNA (p < 0.03) compared with lymphocytes from control subjects. Actively drinking alcoholics, in contrast, had unaltered Gs alpha protein, Gi2 alpha protein, and Gi2 alpha mRNA levels compared with control subjects, but did have a 1.8-fold increase (p < 0.01) in Gs alpha mRNA. Consistent with enhanced Gi2 alpha expression, lymphocyte membranes from abstinent alcoholics had decreased basal, prostaglandin E1-, guanosine 5'-0-(3-thiotriphosphate)-gamma S-, and forskolin-stimulated AC activity compared with both controls and actively drinking alcoholics (p < 0.05). We conclude that lymphocyte AC is reduced during abstinence from alcohol and enhanced expression of the inhibitory G-protein, Gi2 alpha, may account for this change.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1993

Substance use risk factors for HIV infection.

The focus on reducing needle sharing by IVDUs as an HIV-control strategy is well supported by epidemiologic data. Because of this emphasis, however, the role of other HIV risk factors in drug use is sometimes overlooked. Although needle sharing by IVDUs undoubtedly will continue to be one of the greatest risk factor for HIV infection in drug users, other risk factors in HIV infection also are associated with drug use and may contribute significantly to the spread of HIV infection. It is clear that the role of drug use in AIDS is not limited to needle sharing by IVDUs. HIV infection can be transmitted by any type of needle use. Nonintravenous drugs (e.g., crack) and other risk factors (e.g., unprotected sex) also may play a role in the spread of HIV infection. Because of its dependence potential, crack may come to play a major role in HIV transmission, primarily because of its link to unprotected sexual behavior.

HIV Infections↗
PubMed1992

Sex and age effects on the inheritance of alcohol problems: a twin study.

Male monozygotic cotwins of probands with Alcohol Abuse-Dependence (n = 85) were more likely than male same-sex dizygotic cotwins (n = 96) to report alcohol, drug, and conduct disorder problems. For women, rates of problem behavior did not differ between monozygotic (n = 44) and same-sex dizygotic (n = 43) cotwins. Opposite-sex dizygotic twin data (n = 88) revealed significant cross-sex transmission; alcohol problems were greatest among male cotwins of female probands. For men, proportion of liability variance associated with additive genetic factors was significantly greater when proband had an early (h2 = .73 +/- .18) rather than late (h2 = .30 +/- .26) age of onset. For women, heritability did not vary as a function of proband's age of onset, and the pooled estimate suggested little genetic influence (h2 = .00, SE not computable). Findings suggest that genetic influences may be substantial only in the etiology of early-onset male alcoholism.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Heterogeneity in the inheritance of alcoholism. A study of male and female twins.

Genetic influence on risk for alcoholism was examined in a US treatment sample of 50 monozygotic (MZ) and 64 dizygotic (DZ) male and 31 MZ and 24 DZ female same-sex twin pairs. For the DSM-III composite diagnosis of Alcohol Abuse and/or Dependence, statistically significant MZ/DZ differences in concordance were found with male, but not female, twins. For specific diagnoses, MZ/DZ differences were found in male subjects for both Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependence, while MZ/DZ differences in female subjects were found only for Alcohol Dependence. The male MZ/DZ concordance difference for composite diagnosis but not for Alcohol Dependence could be accounted for statistically by differences in age of onset between MZ and DZ probands. As with alcohol, differences in MZ/DZ concordance were found for DSM-III composite diagnoses of Other Substance Abuse and/or Dependence with male, but not female, twins. Using Epidemiological Catchment Area data to estimate the population base rates of both alcohol and other substance use disorders allowed for heritability analyses that showed genetic factors to have only a modest influence on overall risk in both sexes (heritability estimates of approximately 0.35 for male subjects and 0.24 for female subjects). However, evidence for heterogeneity in the pattern of inheritance was also found, suggesting forms of alcoholism that may be moderately to highly heritable.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Alcohol and secobarbital effects as a function of familial alcoholism: extended intoxication and increased withdrawal effects.

Response differences following administration of alcohol between adult males with a positive (FHP) versus negative (FHN) family history of alcoholism have been demonstrated in previous research and are thought to be related to risk for developing alcoholism. If this is so, the pharmacological breadth of addiction risk conferred by a positive family alcoholism history might be studied by determining whether FHP subjects show different responses than FHN to drug classes other than alcohol. We have previously reported on the acute effects of ethanol as compared with secobarbital in FHP and FHN subjects and found that FHP subjects showed greater sensitivity across a variety of subjective measures than FHN subjects for both drug classes. The data reported here are based on an extended data collection period of 3 to 18 hr postingestion, following completion of the acute laboratory portion of the study. Specifically, in the present study, dose-effect timecourse functions for a variety of physiological (heart rate, blood pressure, and breath alcohol level), subjective (analog mood, drug effect, and withdrawal, Subjective High Assessment Scale (SHAS], and psychomotor measures (Digit Symbol Substitution Test and numeric recall) were examined in FHP and FHN college-aged males for secobarbital (0, 100, 200 mg daily) and ethanol (1 g/kg daily). FHP and FHN subjects were matched on light-to-moderate drinking patterns, anthropometric dimensions, age, years of schooling, and drug use. FHP subjects reported more extended intoxication and greater withdrawal effects following both ethanol and the high dose of secobarbital than did FHN subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Genetic influences in human substance abuse.

The importance of clinical studies to genetic research on substance abuse is discussed. This paper compares the advantages and limitations of methods employed in clinical studies to those employed in animal studies. It stresses the complementary nature of human and animal studies for improving our understanding of genetic influences in substance abuse. Finally, it reviews findings from adoption and twin studies of substance abuse. Whereas much is known about genetic influences in human alcoholism, relatively little is known about genetic influences in other types of drug abuse. This disparity is directly related to the amount of research that has been conducted in the two areas over the past several years.

Adoption↗
PubMed1991

Methodological issues in genetic studies of human substance abuse.

This paper described a number of critical assumptions and methodological issues that influence the interpretation of data from family, twin and adoption studies of substance abuse. Also, using data from a recent study, it examined the role of one methodological issue (method of zygosity determination) and one critical assumption (representativeness of twins as research subjects) to determine the validity of data in twin studies of substance abuse. The accuracy of the questionnaire methods for zygosity determination in alcoholic twins was similar to that previously reported for nonalcoholic twins. Also, alcoholic twins were found to be representative of both nonalcoholic twins and alcoholics in general.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1991

Improving client compliance in outpatient treatment: counselor-targeted interventions.

Earlier research has demonstrated the need for more effective strategies to increase treatment compliance, particularly in drug-free treatment programs. This need is particularly acute given the increased admissions of patients who use multiple drugs. Most efforts in this area have utilized client-targeted interventions to increase participation levels and length of retention. Thus, based on the studies cited in this chapter, counselor-targeted interventions may offer a cost-effective and potent alternative or adjunct to client-targeted interventions that should be the focus of future research.

Counseling↗
PubMed1991

Pregnancy and addiction: outcomes and interventions.

Cocaine use by pregnant women has increased dramatically in recent years, resulting in well-documented consequences for mothers and offspring. However, even a once weekly peer-oriented intervention can have a positive impact on pregnancy outcome for drug-using women.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Alcohol and drug use by college males as a function of family alcoholism history.

Family history of alcoholism increases the risk for development of alcoholism in male offspring. The present questionnaire study examined self-reported alcohol and drug use in 744 college males as a function of DSM-IIIR alcohol dependence diagnoses in first- and/or second-degree biological relatives. Substance use was most prevalent and most frequent in students with both first- and second-degree alcohol-dependent family members, was intermediate in students with only first-degree affected relatives, and was least in students with no affected relatives. Students with both first- and second-degree alcohol-dependent relatives reported: more alcohol, marijuana, sedative, and cocaine ingestion; a younger age at first alcohol intoxication and first marijuana use; experience with less commonly used drugs; and more personal substance-related problems as well as more family mental health care. These data have significant prevention implications for targeting at-risk youth.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Alcohol and secobarbital effects as a function of familial alcoholism: acute psychophysiological effects.

Previous research has demonstrated response differences following administration of alcohol between adult males with a positive (FHP) versus negative (FHN) family history of alcoholism. These response differences are thought to reflect differences in vulnerability to dependence on alcohol. Thus, the role of positive family alcoholism history in increasing risk of addiction to a variety of drug classes might be studied by determining whether FHP subjects show different responses to drug classes other than alcohol. This was done in the present study by determining dose-effect functions for a variety of physiological (heart rate, skin conductance, skin temperature), subjective (analog mood and drug effect, Subjective High Assessment Scale), and psychomotor measures (hand tremor, body sway, Digit Symbol Substitution Test, eye-hand coordination, and numeric recall) in FHP and FHN college-aged males for secobarbital (0, 100, 200 mg by mouth) and ethanol (1 g/kg). FHP and FHN subjects were matched on light-to-moderate drinking patterns, anthropometric dimensions, age, years of schooling, and drug use. At equivalent blood alcohol levels family-history positive subjects reported greater effects of ethanol than did family-history negative subjects on almost all subjective measures. Following the high dose of secobarbital, FHP but not FHN subjects showed elevated subjective effects; these effects were substantially less and were evident in fewer measures than following ethanol. In contrast to effects on the subjective measures, ethanol and secobarbital produced comparable impairment in both groups of subjects for most psychomotor responses. Group differences were not obtained on any physiological measures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Dimensions of alcoholism: a multivariate analysis.

The present study multivariately interrelated demographic and psychometric variables that have been extensively researched in the alcoholism literature. These variables included the essential-reactive continuum, degree of familial alcoholism, subjective distress, antisocial personality features and gender. Data were collected for 76 inpatients (56 male and 20 female) meeting DSM-III criteria for alcohol abuse/dependence. The mean age of the sample was 38.9 years and ranged in age from 18 to 69 years. Three factors with eigenvalues greater than 1 were extracted. Factor 1 was labeled Neuroticism, and measures of depression, anxiety, neuroticism and female gender had the highest loadings. Number of first-degree relatives with alcoholism, essential (early onset and greater severity) alcoholism and greater antisocial propensity had the highest loadings on Factor 2, labeled "Essential-Familial." The Extroversion scale of the Eysenck Personality Inventory and number of second-degree relatives with alcoholism loaded most highly on Factor 3, labeled "Extroversion." Theoretical and clinical implications associated with these dimensions of alcoholism and variously proposed alcoholic subtypes are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Smoking topography and nicotine blood levels.

Frequency and durational components of smoking topography were measured by a portable smoking device while 10 subjects smoked four cigarettes ad libitum in a non-laboratory environment. Nicotine blood levels were measured before and after smoking each cigarette and serial blood samples for determining nicotine metabolic half-life were obtained the following day. Results showed that change in pre- and post-cigarette nicotine levels and metabolic half-life for nicotine were not related to within-cigarette topography measures or nicotine yield of cigarette, but were significantly related to intercigarette interval.

Adult↗