Biomedical subjects

Kevin G Lynch

Publications and source records attributed to Kevin G Lynch.

41 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder symptomatology in adolescents with alcohol use disorder.

This study tested the hypothesis that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder (CD) comorbidity is associated with substance use and deviance severity in 395 adolescents with alcohol use disorder. Thirty percent of the adolescents had high ADHD symptom counts, and 73% had 3 or more CD symptoms. ADHD-CD was associated with nonalcohol substance use disorder, drinking levels, and CD severity, but in general substance use was not uniquely elevated or problematic among the comorbid cases. In general, CD and CD severity were more important. The findings did not differ between boys and girls, revealing that in a treatment sample of adolescents, ADHD-CD comorbidity may need to be assessed and treated, but it is not broadly indicative of severity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin levels reflect heavy drinking in alcohol-dependent women seeking treatment.

BACKGROUND: Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is a biochemical marker that has been shown to be sensitive in detecting heavy drinking in men, but studies examining CDT in women have been inconsistent because of small sample sizes and failure to consider hormonal status. In healthy female subjects, CDT levels are significantly higher in premenopausal women with higher estradiol (E2) levels (>30 pg/ml) and those taking exogenous estrogens (oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy) compared with men and postmenopausal women. This study examined the relationship between drinking behavior and CDT levels in a large sample of alcohol-dependent women and contrasted findings in a comparison group of alcohol-dependent men. The study also examined the extent that E2 levels mediated the relationship between CDT levels and heavy drinking in the alcohol-dependent women. METHODS: This study examined the association between CDT level at treatment entry and alcohol consumption the month before initiating treatment in 96 women with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of alcohol dependence, as compared with similar data in 123 male alcoholics. To explore the relationship between E2 and CDT, E2 was measured in women at the time of CDT sampling. Linear regression was used to examine whether patterns of alcohol consumption in the 28 days before the CDT blood sampling predicted the CDT level in women and men presenting for treatment for alcohol dependence. RESULTS: CDT levels were higher in women than men and were related to quantitative alcohol consumption (total standard drinks, percentage of days drinking, percentage of days of heavy drinking) in the month before initiating treatment, irrespective of E2 levels in women. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that in a larger sample of female alcoholics, the amount of alcohol consumed predicted CDT, similar to what has been reported in male alcoholics. The E2 status did not seem to mediate these results.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Family functioning and peer affiliation in children of fathers with antisocial personality disorder and substance dependence: associations with problem behaviors.

OBJECTIVE: Family functioning and peer influences are theoretically linked to child psychopathology. This study quantified the functional status of families with fathers with substance dependence with or without comorbid antisocial personality disorder and evaluated the peer environments of preadolescent offspring. The authors examined associations between the child's psychopathology, paternal substance dependence/antisocial personality disorder status, and measures of family and peer environments. METHOD: Families with the presence or absence of paternal substance dependence were subdivided into those with and without paternal antisocial personality disorder. Grouped families were contrasted on measures of family functioning, the child's peer affiliation, and the child's problem behaviors. Regression analysis determined the influence of these factors on the child's psychopathology. RESULTS: Families with paternal substance dependence functioned worse than normal comparison families. However, families with paternal substance dependence and antisocial personality disorder (N=34) did not differ markedly from those with substance dependence without antisocial personality disorder (N=84). The children of fathers with both substance dependence and antisocial personality disorder had greater affiliation with deviant peers than those with substance dependence without antisocial personality disorder and comparison families (N=104). CONCLUSIONS: Children of fathers with substance dependence and antisocial personality disorder demonstrated higher externalizing and internalizing psychopathology than those with substance dependence but not antisocial personality disorder and those without either condition. Paternal substance dependence/antisocial personality disorder status and the child's affiliation with deviant peers were most robustly associated with the child's psychopathology. Research is needed to develop interventions that effectively address parental risk and healthy peer relations.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗

PubMed2002

Childhood abuse as a risk factor for suicidal behavior in borderline personality disorder.

A childhood history of sexual or physical abuse is highly prevalent in borderline personality disorder (BPD) and is associated with self-destructive behavior in clinical and nonclinical samples. Viewing BPD as a "high risk" disorder, we asked if childhood abuse was a risk factor for adult suicidal behavior or if it was related to other known risk factors for suicide in BPD. A semistructured Abuse History was obtained in 61 criteria-defined BPD patients, who were characterized by structured interviews and self-reports for Axis I disorders, Suicide History, BPD severity, hopelessness, impulsivity, impulsive-aggression, and antisocial traits. Occurrence and severity of childhood sexual abuse, but not physical abuse, predicted adult suicidal behavior independent of other known risk factors. The odds of a sexually abused patient attempting suicide in adulthood was over 10 times that of a patient who was never sexually abused. Given a history of childhood sexual abuse, the risk of adult suicidal behavior in BPD was increased by antisocial traits, severity of BPD, hopelessness, or comorbid major depressive episode (MDE).

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Psychiatric and substance use disorders as risk factors for attempted suicide among adolescents: a case control study.

The objective of this research was to test substance-related and non-substance-related psychiatric disorders as predictors of attempted suicide among adolescents. Ninety-six psychiatrically disordered suicide attempters were matched one-to-one to 96 psychiatrically disordered non-attempters on age, race, gender, and the presence/absence of major depression. Conditional logistic regression was used to test psychiatric risk factors for their power to predict attempted suicide among adolescents. Bipolar disorder, cocaine use disorders, and conduct disorder were found to be predictive of attempted suicide in univariate testing. Bipolar disorder, inhalant use disorders, cocaine use disorders, and hallucinogen use disorders were found to be predictive of attempted suicide, after adjusting for all other covariates. Loglinear analyses revealed high odds ratios associated with the comorbidities of alcohol use disorder with conduct disorder and drug use disorders with conduct disorder in both groups. Higher rates of cocaine use disorder/conduct disorder, hallucinogen use disorder/conduct disorder, and alcohol use disorder/ conduct disorder were found among suicide attempters. Evaluation of these particular comorbid conditions should be part of the adolescent suicide risk assessment.

Adolescent↗