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B W Lex

Publications and source records attributed to B W Lex.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Blood ethanol levels, self-rated ethanol effects and cognitive-perceptual tasks.

Family history of alcoholism influences the acute effects of ethanol in young men. We expanded these findings by concomitantly measuring plasma ethanol levels (BALs), subjective intoxication effects, and task performance in young women. Healthy subjects with no familial alcoholism provided informed consent and received 0.75 ml/kg ethanol or isocaloric placebo (n = 10 per group) under randomized double-blind conditions. Assessments were made at 90, 60 and 30 min before, and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 min after beverage administration. BALs reached 80 mg/dl 45-60 min following ethanol. Dizziness and clumsiness ratings correlated strongly with BAL, but clumsiness and confusion were the strongest effects associated with placebo. Impaired visual selectivity and hand-eye coordination covaried with BAL (p less than 0.05) on written tests. Deficits in abstract instruction and symbol comprehension almost attained statistical significance (p less than 0.06). Compared with previous findings for males, data from the present report suggest that ethanol may have gender-related effects.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Alcohol-induced changes in body sway in women at risk for alcoholism: a pilot study.

Family history of alcoholism appears to influence acute alcohol responses in young men. We report pilot data from a study designed to expand these observations by measuring blood alcohol levels (BALs), subjective intoxication effects, body sway and cognitive-motor task performance in women. Six young women with (FHP) and six without (FHN) alcoholic first degree relatives provided informed consent and were given 0.56 g/kg ethanol under double-blind conditions. Groups were matched for age, drinking history and height-weight ratio. Subjects performed tasks in random order at 90, 60 and 30 min before drinking alcohol, and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 min after drinking alcohol. BALs peaked at 80 mg/dl 30 to 60 min after drinking alcohol. BALs were comparable and disappearance rates were similar for both groups. BALs and intoxication ratings for both FHP and FHN women had highly significant correlations. Alcohol decreased accuracy on an automated version of the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) for both groups, but FHN women made significantly more errors 30 min after alcohol. Significantly greater alcohol effects on body sway were apparent in FHN women 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after alcohol. Compared with previous findings for men, both FHP and FHN women reported less intoxication at similar BALs, but body sway in FHN women was more affected by alcohol. Small sample size limits generalization of these findings but suggests that some effects of familial alcoholism in women are similar to those observed in men.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Marihuana use across the menstrual cycle.

Thirty women completed marihuana use diaries and Form T of the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) every day for three consecutive menstrual cycles. A 99.1% response rate was obtained: 2715 of a possible 2741 diaries were returned. Women reported smoking an average of 1.4 (+/- 2.0) marihuana cigarettes per day (range for individuals: 7.3 [+/- 3.8] to 0.2 [+/- 0.4]). There was no significant covariance between daily marihuana smoking and menstrual cycle phase. The psychological MDQ factors reflecting negative affect, difficulty in concentration, behavior change and arousal also did not vary with menstrual cycle phase. The physiological MDQ factors of pain, autonomic reactions and water retention were significantly increased during the premenstrual and/or menstrual phases of the cycle. MDQ scores during the premenstruum and menstruation were generally very low. These data indicate that in the absence of severe premenstrual dysphoria, changes in drug use are not systematically related to phase of the menstrual cycle.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Marihuana smoking suppresses luteinizing hormone in women.

Smoking a single 1-g marihuana cigarette containing 1.8% delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol induced a 30% suppression of plasma luteinizing hormone levels (P less than .02) in women during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. After marihuana placebo cigarette smoking, no luteinizing hormone suppression was observed in the same women under double-blind conditions. Marihuana may have adverse effects upon reproductive function during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle as a consequence of gonadotropin inhibition.

Cannabis↗
PubMed1984

Effects of acute marijuana smoking on pulse rate and mood states in women.

The effects of marijuana cigarette (1.8% THC) smoking on pulse rate and mood were studied under double-blind placebo-controlled conditions in 28 adult female volunteers during the follicular, luteal, and ovulatory phases of the menstrual cycle. Statistically significant increases in pulse rate, subjective levels of intoxication, and the POMS confusion factor occurred after marijuana smoking. However, no statistically significant differences for any measure were observed following marijuana smoking as a function of menstrual cycle phase. Subjects with a past history of intermittent marijuana use (five or less times weekly) had significantly higher pulse rates, subjective levels of intoxication, and POMS confusion factor scores than did subjects with a past history of regular (six or more times weekly) marijuana use. Persistence of marijuana-induced changes in pulse rate, intoxication, and confusion were also of longer duration for subjects with a past history of intermittent marijuana smoking. The influence of past history of marijuana use on marijuana-induced alterations in pulse rate, intoxication, and mood for females appears to be similar to males. These similarities are not attenuated as a function of the menstrual-cycle phase of females.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Marijuana withdrawal syndrome in a woman.

A withdrawal syndrome occurred in a woman after 21 days of marijuana smoking during a controlled study of the effects of marijuana on hormonal function. The abstinence syndrome began 10 hours after cessation of marijuana smoking and lasted 96 hours.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

A proposed bioanthropological approach linking ritual and opiate addiction.

This paper presents preliminary conjectures about possible neurobiological relationships among seemingly disparate phenomena: religious rituals, native curing therapies, and the pharmacodynamic, psychological, and sociocultural components of opiate addiction. Central to the discussion is an analysis of the function of opiate receptors, the endogenous neurochemical that binds to opiate receptors, and the impact of exogenous opiates on human behavior. Throughout the paper a synthetic but admittedly speculative approach is employed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Concordant alcohol and marihuana use in women.

Alcohol and marihuana use are common among both sexes, but systematic data on drug use patterns by women previously have been unavailable. This report describes the first prospective study of alcohol and marihuana consumption patterns in women, and examines factors that promote or maintain concurrent use. Thirty healthy adult women (mean age = 26.4 years) completed daily questionnaires for 3 consecutive menstrual cycles. Subjects recorded quantities and times of alcohol and marihuana consumption, episodes of sexual activity, and occurrence of unusual life events. Temporal variables significantly affected both alcohol and marihuana consumption. Marihuana use occurred earlier in the day than alcohol use. Significantly greater marihuana consumption and more concordant alcohol and marihuana use occurred on weekends. Older subjects (26 to 30) exhibited more concordant alcohol and marihuana use than younger subjects (21 to 25). Significant differences in alcohol use also distinguished heavy from light marihuana smokers. Neither sexual activity nor unusual events were associated with concordant alcohol and marihuana consumption in all subjects.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alcohol use across the menstrual cycle among marihuana users.

Thirty women completed alcohol, marihuana, and tobacco use diaries and Form T of the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) every day for three consecutive menstrual cycles. A 99.0% response rate was obtained: 2750 of a possible 2778 diaries were returned. Women reported drinking an average of 1.2 (+/- 1.9) alcoholic drinks per day (range for individuals: 2.7 [+/- 1.7] to 0.2 [+/- 0.5]). Frequency of alcohol use was unrelated to menstrual cycle phase. Seven of the 8 MDQ factors were significantly (p less than 0.04 to p less than 0.001) but weakly related to alcohol use: distress and alcohol use were positively related. There was a significant relationship between tobacco and alcohol use in 11 subjects who smoked at least half a pack of tobacco cigarettes per day but not in 10 occasional smokers. Further, heavier drinkers were considerably more likely to smoke tobacco than were more moderate drinkers. These data indicate that in the absence of severe premenstrual distress, menstrual cycle phase is not a good predictor of alcohol use among female social drinkers.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alcohol use, marihuana smoking, and sexual activity in women.

This report describes a prospective study of social drinking, marihuana smoking, and sexual activity by 26 healthy adult women (mean age 26.8 years). Each subject completed daily questionnaires for 3 consecutive menstrual cycles, and recorded menstrual cycle status, quantities and frequencies of alcohol consumption, marihuana smoking, and sexual activity. Consistent patterns of alcohol consumption, marihuana smoking, and sexual activity were reported across all 3 menstrual cycles. Heavy drinkers (mean greater than or equal to 1.80 drinks per day) were more likely to smoke marihuana than moderate drinkers (mean less than or equal to 1.75 drinks per day) and they also smoked significantly more marihuana (p less than 0.05). Neither age nor frequency of sexual activity were related to patterns of alcohol or marihuana consumption.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reasons for alcohol use by female heavy, moderate, and occasional social drinkers.

Subjective and behavioral reasons for drinking alcohol were elicited from 26 female social drinkers for 3 points in time by means of standardized questionnaire items selected from the Alcohol Use Inventory and the Alcoholic Stages Index. The 26 women resided for 35 days on a clinical research unit and could consume alcohol on 21 days. On the first study day subjects recalled subjective and behavioral reasons for drinking for the 21 days immediately prior to admission to the study and the 21 days of greatest alcohol consumption during the previous year. On the day after the end of the alcohol acquisition phase of the study, subjects responded to questions about their reasons for alcohol consumption during 21 days on the research unit. Each subject was classified as a heavy, moderate, or occasional drinker on the basis of observed alcohol intake. The heavy, moderate, and occasional drinkers differed significantly in history of alcohol use, and differences in questionnaire response patterns were reported for all 3 time intervals. In contrast to moderate and occasional drinkers, heavy social drinkers had significantly elevated questionnaire item scores for the 21 days of heaviest alcohol consumption during the past year and for the 21 days immediately prior to the study. However, both heavy drinkers and occasional social drinkers had significantly elevated scores for the 21-day alcohol acquisition phase on the research unit. Scores for moderate social drinkers were similar for each of the 3-time intervals.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Putative type II alcoholism characteristics in female third DUI offenders in Massachusetts: a pilot study.

Women who come to the attention of the courts may exhibit heritable Type II alcoholism. Accumulating evidence indicates that more women report having alcoholic parents, that onset of women's alcohol problems before age 25 predicts greater severity of alcohol problems, that women most frequently acknowledge driving while intoxicated (DUI) as an alcohol-related problem, and that the percent of female arrests for DUI has increased. Alcoholic men have been classified as Type I (onset after age 25 and environmentally influenced) or Type II (onset before age 25 with impulsivity and criminal activity) alcoholics. Alcoholism in daughters of Type I fathers is said to occur after age 25 and to be shaped by environmental conditions, but it has been argued that daughters of Type II alcoholic fathers express their family histories in somatization. We report results from a pilot study that found putative Type II alcoholism characteristics, including early age of onset and inability to curtail drinking, in a sample of 12 incarcerated female third DUI offenders.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prolactin and cortisol levels following acute alcohol challenges in women with and without a family history of alcoholism.

In a pilot study 5 matched pairs of female social drinkers received both 0.56 g/kg alcohol and placebo in a double-blind crossover design. Family history positive (FHP) women had biological fathers who met criteria for alcohol dependence, and FHN women had no relatives who met these criteria. FHP and FHN women had BALs about 70 mg/dl 60 min after alcohol. FHP subjects had significantly lower prolactin levels 40, 60 and 80 min following alcohol, but higher cortisol levels 130 and 150 min following alcohol. No significant differences in hormone levels occurred after placebo.

Adult↗