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M Earleywine

Publications and source records attributed to M Earleywine.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Frontal EEG response to threat, aggressive traits and a family history of alcoholism: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the association between frontal EEG response to threat, a family history of alcoholism (positive history = FHP, negative = FHN), aggressive - antisocial traits and negative affect. METHOD: EEG in 17 FHP men and 17 FHN men was recorded while resting and while awaiting an electric shock. RESULTS: Compared with FHNs, FHPs showed significantly greater threat-induced decreases in frontal alpha, but no change in frontal beta power. FHNs had significant threat-induced increases in frontal beta power. A measure of aggressive traits, the Buss-Durkee Hostility Assault scale, was also significantly associated with greater threat-induced decreases in frontal alpha power and low reactivity to threat on frontal beta power. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that familial risk for alcoholism and aggressive traits may be associated with a paradoxical pattern of both increased reactivity (more alpha suppression) and decreased reactivity (no increase in beta power) to threat in frontal cortical regions. However, these results are preliminary and tentative due to limitations arising from the small sample size and the exploratory nature of this study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Cognitive functioning moderates the relation between hyperactivity and drinking habits.

Previous research reveals an inconsistent link between hyperactivity and drinking (Weiss and Hechtman, 1993). This study sought to investigate whether cognitive functioning moderates the relation between these two variables. One hundred participants completed three measures of drinking habits, two measures of hyperactivity, and four measures of cognitive functioning. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that a three-factor model of hyperactivity, cognitive functioning, and drinking habits provided an excellent fit to the data. Stacked two-group analyses revealed that cognitive functioning moderated the association between hyperactivity and drinking habits. Drinking habits and hyperactivity correlated 0.408 (p < 0.05) for individuals low on cognitive performance; the correlation between these constructs was only 0.120 (NS) for individuals high on cognitive performance. Higher levels of cognitive functioning may buffer individuals from drinking alcohol in accordance with their hyperactive symptoms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Children of alcoholics exhibit attenuated cognitive impairment during an ethanol challenge.

In an attempt to identify markers potentially related to the development of problem drinking, we examined cognitive functioning in children of alcoholics (COAs) and children of nonalcoholics, both while sober and after consuming 0.85 ml/kg of ethanol. Consonant with previous research indicating that COAs exhibit less intense responses to alcohol, we predicted that COAs would experience attenuated cognitive deficits while intoxicated. Male (n = 71) and female (n = 29) college students completed tests of contextual and rote memory recall in a repeated-measures design. Findings indicated that intoxication impaired both memory and attentional capacities, and that COAs exhibited attenuated cognitive deficits relative to children of nonalcoholics. Results were consistent with previous research demonstrating attenuated responses to alcohol in COAs. Potential mechanisms for the pathogenesis of problem drinking are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Concurrent versus simultaneous polydrug use: prevalence, correlates, discriminant validity, and prospective effects on health outcomes.

Few studies have addressed the distinction between concurrent polydrug use (various drugs used on separate occasions) and simultaneous polydrug use (the use of more than 1 drug at the same time). The authors assessed simultaneous polydrug use in a community sample to examine the prevalence of drug combinations, whether simultaneous can be distinguished from concurrent, and the prospective effects of these styles of drug use on subsequent health service utilization, physical symptoms, and psychological distress 4 years later. Marijuana and alcohol were the most common drugs used simultaneously, followed by alcohol and cigarettes. Simultaneous and Concurrent Polydrug Use formed 2 correlated but discriminable constructs. Neither Simultaneous nor Concurrent Polydrug use predicted subsequent Health Service Utilization, Physical Symptoms, or Psychological Distress. Data did reveal unique effects of specific drugs used simultaneously on these outcomes that were larger and more numerous than specific effects of concurrent drug use.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Polydrug use in an inpatient treatment sample of problem drinkers.

Over the past 30 years in the United States, there have been marked secular increases in polydrug use. Alcohol and other substance use disorders are highly comorbid. Yet, little research has characterized patterns of polydrug use in persons with alcohol dependence. In particular, little is known about this population's use of alcohol and other drugs in combination or on the same day, which is termed simultaneous polydrug use (SPU). This research assessed patterns of SPU in 212 problem drinkers who participated in an alcohol treatment outcome study. Subjects were given a Time-Line Follow-Back interview that assessed the use of alcohol and nine other drug classes for each day of the 120 days before treatment entry. A majority of subjects (61%) reported SPU during this assessment interval. Subjects who reported SPU were disproportionately younger, male, and unmarried, compared with those who did not report SPU. The most common alcohol/drug combinations were alcohol with cocaine (60% of subjects who reported SPU), alcohol with marijuana (51% of SPU subjects), and alcohol with sedatives (31% of SPU subjects). The most common three-drug combination was alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana (23% of SPU subjects). Alcohol use and drug use were associated at the event level, significantly more than association predicted by the base rates of the individual behaviors. Time-Line Follow-Back data correlated highly with a questionnaire measure of SPU. Results indicate that polydrug use is an important focus for assessment and intervention in alcohol treatment programs.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Personality and EEG beta in older adults with alcoholic relatives.

Research indicates that biological relatives of alcoholics are more likely to develop alcoholism than individuals without alcoholic relatives. Most research on these groups had focused on individuals who were relatively young (i.e., under 30 years old). In the present study, we evaluated middle-aged and elderly nonalcoholic men and women who did and did not have alcoholic biological relatives to assess factors that might be involved in a later, rather than an earlier, onset of alcoholism. Psychological characteristics were assessed using the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. Biological characteristics were assessed using quantitative measures of the spontaneous electroencephalogram. The psychological measures did not distinguish the groups, but biological measures did. The results indicated that nonalcoholic individuals with alcoholic relatives showed elevated beta as compared with sex- and age-matched control subjects. Factors that might have mediated these findings are discussed, as are the implications of these outcomes.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Distraction does not impair memory during intoxication: support for the attention-allocation model.

OBJECTIVE: This study was developed to offer direct support for the Josephs and Steele attention-allocation model. The model suggests that alcohol consumption limits attentional resources to the most salient environmental cue. METHOD: Forty men participated in a study designed to test the model using measures of memory and attention during ethanol intoxication. Twenty completed memory tests in the presence of a background distractor and 20 completed the tests without a distractor, in two sessions: once while intoxicated (80 mg/dl BAC) and once while sober. RESULTS: A significant Distraction x Intoxication interaction indicated that ethanol-related differences in recall occurred only in the absence of distraction. Distraction impaired subjects only when they were sober. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the Josephs and Steele attention-allocation model. Findings are discussed in broad terms of an individual's cognitive capabilities when intoxicated and in terms of risk for later alcoholism.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Aggressivity, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in boys at high and low risk for substance abuse.

Aggressivity, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are cardinal dimensions of externalizing behavior problems of childhood. They are diagnostic and clinical features of childhood disorders, and are thought to be linked to the subsequent development of adult disorders such as substance abuse (SA). Little is known, however, about the convergent and discriminant validity of these four constructs. We used multiple measures to develop indices of aggressivity, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in a sample of 10- to 12-year-old boys (N = 183) with and without a family history of SA. Data were taken from mother reports, child reports, teacher reports, and laboratory tasks. The study aims were (1) to test the convergent and discriminant validity of aggressivity, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity; (2) to examine whether the data were consistent with a model specifying the four constructs as indicators of one superordinate factor; and (3) to differentiate boys with and without a family history of SA in construct scores. The results supported the convergent and discriminant validity of the four constructs. Although discriminable, the constructs covaried strongly and were consistent with a model specifying them as indicators of a single superordinate factor. Boys with a family history of substance abuse scored higher than control boys on aggressivity, inattention, and impulsivity scores, but the groups did not differ on hyperactivity scores. The results are discussed in terms of the role of childhood behavior problems in vulnerability to SA.

Aggression↗
PubMed1994

Confirming the factor structure of the anticipated biphasic alcohol effects scale.

This study of the Anticipated Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (A-BAES) examined the factor structure of expected stimulant and sedative effects on the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol curve. Subjects reported the effects they anticipated they would experience immediately after drinking four drinks (ascending) and 1 1/2 hr later (descending). The proposed 4-factor model of stimulant and sedative effects on the ascending and descending limbs fit the data significantly better than single-factor, null, limb-only, and effect-only models, suggesting that the A-BAES has a confirmable structure. In addition, anticipated effects varied with limb of the blood alcohol curve, gender, and drinking habits. Anticipated stimulant effects were higher on the ascending than descending limbs; anticipated sedative effects were higher on the descending than ascending limbs. Women and men differed in their anticipated effects of alcohol, even when differences in drinking habits were controlled. Anticipated sedative effects correlated significantly with alcohol consumption, offering further support for the relation between expectancies and drinking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Anticipated biphasic effects of alcohol vary with risk for alcoholism: a preliminary report.

Twenty-five sons of alcoholic fathers and 114 sons of nonalcoholic fathers reported the stimulant and sedative effects they expected alcohol would produce on both the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol curve. High-risk subjects anticipated more stimulation on the ascending limb, and more sedation on the descending limb than low-risk subjects. These results are comparable to some studies of subjective responses to alcohol in high- and low-risk men, and to previous work on risk and anticipated effects. These expectancies may contribute to risk-related differences in responses to alcohol, as well as the development of problem drinking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Compensatory responses to placebo vary with presumed personality "risk" for alcoholism and drinking habits.

Physiological reactions of men who reported intoxication after consuming placebo beer were related to a personality index of presumed "risk" for alcoholism and drinking habits. Presumed personality "risk" varied with decreases in skin conductance. Those at higher "risk" showed a larger compensatory response. Drinking habits varied with decreases in skin temperature. Those who drank more showed larger changes. These results are consistent with work linking risk and compensatory responding, and support compensatory response theory. Nevertheless, these results were found only for a subset of subjects (24 of 81) who reported moderate intoxication after consuming the placebo, limiting generalizability.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Anticipated stimulant and sedative effects of alcohol vary with dosage and limb of the blood alcohol curve.

Anticipations of alcohol's effects reportedly covary with the amount consumed. Alcohol's stimulant and sedative properties also may contribute to alcohol consumption. Anticipations of stimulant and sedative effects have not been investigated extensively. The present study examined the stimulant and sedative effects subjects anticipated experiencing if they were on the ascending or descending limb of the blood alcohol curve after consuming two or four standard drinks. One hundred sixty-six undergraduates reported anticipating greater stimulant effects than sedative effects on the ascending limb of the blood alcohol curve, and greater sedative effects than stimulant effects on the descending limb. Subjects also reported anticipating larger effects with larger doses. Men tended to anticipate smaller effects than women. These results support the notion that specific anticipated effects vary with dosage and the limb of blood alcohol curve, suggesting that the study of anticipated effects of alcohol should employ these variables.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Development and validation of the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale.

Alcohol produces stimulant and sedative effects, and both types of effect are thought to influence drinking practices. This article describes the development and preliminary validation of the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES), a self-report, unipolar adjective rating scale designed to measure both stimulant and sedative effects of alcohol. An initial pool of 12 stimulant and 12 sedative items was derived from previous alcohol effect measures, and from descriptors of intoxication generated by subjects during interviews conducted on both the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol curve. This item pool was administered to a sample of sober college students twice, with a 2-week inter-test interval. Items that were difficult to comprehend, or that had high ratings or low test-retest reliability, were eliminated, resulting in a seven-item stimulant subscale and a seven-item sedative subscale. These subscales showed high internal consistency in a sober state, which was not improved by additional item deletion. The data from this study also provided a basis for revising the instructions for the BAES. The new 14-item instrument was then given to 30 male and 12 female nonalcoholics on the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol curve, after the administration of either 0.75 ml/kg alcohol (males) or 0.65 ml/kg alcohol (females). Internal consistency was high for both BAES subscales on both limbs of the blood alcohol curve (Cronbach's alpha = 0.85 to 0.94), and was not improved by additional item deletion. Factor analyses conducted on both limbs of the blood alcohol curve supported the proposed factor structure of the BAES.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Sensation seeking, stress reactivity, and alcohol dampening discriminate the density of a family history of alcoholism.

Data collected from 95 nonalcoholic men who had either a multigenerational (MFH), unigenerational (UFH), or negative family history (FHN) of alcoholism were subjected to a discriminant function analysis to determine how well a set of variables differentiated between the family history groups. The data-set comprised personality measures (sensation seeking scales, neuroticism, and extroversion), measures of cardiovascular reactivity to unavoidable shock, and measures of the cardiovascular reactivity-dampening effects of alcohol. The discriminant analyses correctly classified 62% of all subjects, 75% of MFH subjects, 47% of UFH subjects, and 63% of FHN subjects. A canonical discriminant function analysis revealed one significant dimension (canonical variable) that differentiated between family history groups. The high density (MFH) family group scored positively on this dimension, while the UFH and FHN groups had negative mean scores on this variable. A MFH of alcoholism was characterized by a pattern of increased sensitivity to the cardiovascular reactivity-dampening effect of alcohol, cardiovascular hyperreactivity to unavoidable shock when sober, and the personality characteristic of experience seeking, which is associated with a desire for novel and unconventional experiences.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Factor structure and correlates of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire.

Cloninger has proposed a model linking personality characteristics to patterns of responses to various stimuli, including alcohol. The model also uses personality characteristics to divide alcoholics into two types. In order to assess the relevant aspects of personality, the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) was developed. This study examined the factor structure and correlates of the questionnaire to shed light on its validity. A confirmatory factor analysis of the TPQ failed to replicate the three proposed factors of novelty seeking, harm avoidance and reward dependence. Alternative models also failed to fit the data. The three factors were correlated with other personality measures theoretically linked to drinking (MacAndrew, Socialization and Sensation-Seeking scales), quantity and frequency measures of alcohol use and a measure of alcohol abuse (the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test). The pattern of correlations provides evidence for the convergent validity of the TPQ. Nevertheless, the failure to replicate the factor structure suggests that the scale requires further revision before the model can be adequately tested.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Sensation seeking explains the relation between behavioral disinhibition and alcohol consumption.

Research using latent variable analysis revealed a strong relation between behavioral disinhibition, as measured by the MacAndrew and Socialization scales, and drinking habits (Earleywine, Finn, & Martin, 1990). Theoretical reasons for this link remain unclear. Each of these constructs could relate to a third variable that could account for the covariation between them. Sensation seeking seemed a likely third variable, given its previously established connection to alcohol consumption. Models of the potential links between these constructs were tested on self-report data provided by college men. LISREL modeling revealed that the relation between behavioral disinhibition and drinking could be accounted for by the relation of each to sensation seeking. The findings are discussed as further support for the connection between specific individual differences and alcohol consumption.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire and the inherited risk for alcoholism.

The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) (Cloninger, 1987c) was administered to four groups of young men. The first group was composed of nonalcoholic sons of male alcoholics with extensive multigenerational family histories of male alcohol abuse. The second was made up of nonalcoholic men with alcoholic fathers. The third group was composed of nonalcoholic men with no family history of alcoholism, taken from the general population. The fourth group contained male undergraduates with no family history of alcoholism. There were no significant differences between the mean scores obtained by members of all four groups on the three major subscales of the TPQ.

Alcoholism↗