National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Binge drinking is common during adolescence, a period of rapid brain development. In this study, researchers used adolescent nonhuman primates to examine the effects of long-term binge alcohol consumption on brain development. They found that an 11-month period of heavy binge alcohol consumption by nonhuman primates led to a significant and persistent reduction in neurogenesis – the birth and maturation...

The learning and memory disabilities associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are due, in part, to hippocampal damage caused by ethanol exposure during prenatal development. However, the mechanism by which alcohol damages the developing hippocampus remains poorly understood. In the current study, researchers examined how ethanol exposure in neonatal rats – a period that is developmentally equivalent to the...

Many children adversely affected by maternal drinking during pregnancy cannot be identified early in life using current diagnostic criteria for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). In the current study, conducted with pregnant rats, researchers examined whether ethanol-induced alterations in placental gene expression may be useful as diagnostic indicators of maternal drinking during pregnancy and as a prognostic indicators of risk...

Although genetic feedback has been evaluated as an adjunct to smoking cessation interventions, its efficacy for reducing alcohol-related risks is unknown. The current study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a web-based alcohol intervention incorporating genetic feedback and risk information specific to ALDH2 genotype. The ALDH2*2 variant is associated with partial protection against alcohol dependence but confers significantly increased...

It is no surprise that some college-age men and women drink heavily, and can be victims of dating violence as a result. But a recent study by Cynthia Stappenbeck and Kim Fromme at the University of Texas at Austin demonstrates that these behaviors can affect men and women in different ways. The researchers recruited 2,247 incoming freshmen to complete Internet-based...

Brief counseling sessions by physicians can help college students reduce harmful alcohol use, according to a new study supported by NIAAA. Led by Michael F. Fleming, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Wisconsin, the study is part of the ongoing College Health Intervention Projects (CHIPs) study, a randomized, controlled clinical trial conducted in five college health clinics in Wisconsin, Washington...

A new analysis has shown that combined behavioral intervention (CBI), counseling that integrates cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement, and techniques to enhance mutual help group participation, used alone in conjunction with naltrexone, a drug approved to help treat alcoholism, can reduce drinking in alcohol-dependent individuals. In this reanalysis of data from the COMBINE Study—the largest pharmacotherapy trial for alcoholism in the...

Drinking may harm adolescents' ability to concentrate and to understand spatial relationships. A recent study led by Susan Tapert at the University of California, San Diego compared the standardized test scores of 76 12 to 14 year old kids with their scores after about three years. At the three-year follow-up, 36 of the kids had begun drinking at moderate to...

Neurokinin-1 receptors (NK1R) are highly expressed in brain areas involved in stress responses and drug reward. In recent years, mounting research evidence has suggested that they may help regulate important aspects of alcohol use. In a new study, researchers at the NIAAA report that a compound that blocks NK1R suppresses alcohol drinking in mice. NIAAA Clinical Director Markus Heilig, M.D...

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a naturally-occurring brain molecule that helps regulate emotional behavior, stress responses, and other functions. Much research evidence suggests that NPY also plays an important role in regulating alcohol consumption. Scientists led by NIAAA Clinical Director Markus Heilig, M.D., Ph.D., recently investigated the effect of NPY on stress-induced relapse to alcohol use. Relapse prevention is an important...

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Contents A. Legislation, Budget, and Policy B. Director's Activities C. NIAAA Staff and Organization D. Multi-Media Products from NIAAA E. Outreach F. News Media Interactions G. What's Ahead H. NIAAA Program Announcement and Request for Application Information I. NIAAA Research Programs J. Scientific Meetings A. Legislation, Budget, and Policy Budget Update FY 2009 The NIAAA is currently closing out FY...

Summary of the 121th Meeting June 10-11, 2009 The National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) convened for its 121st meeting at 5:30 p.m. on June 10, 2009, at the Fishers Lane Conference Center in Rockville, Maryland, in a closed session. Dr. Abraham Bautista presided over the closed review of grant applications and consideration of MERIT Award nominations...

Summary of the 122nd Meeting September 16-17, 2009 The National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) convened for its 122nd meeting at 5:30 p.m. on September 16, 2009, at the Fishers Lane Conference Center in Rockville, Maryland, in a closed session. Dr. Abraham Bautista presided over the closed review of grant applications and Merit Award nominations. Dr. Kenneth...

Summary of the 124th Meeting June 9-10, 2010 The National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) convened for its 124th meeting at 5:30 p.m. on June 9, 2010, at the Fishers Lane Conference Center in Rockville, Maryland, in closed session for a review of grant applications, review of Merit Award extensions, and Merit Award nominations. Dr. Abraham Bautista...

Tuesday, March 4, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Statement by Enoch Gordis, M.D., Director National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism March 4, 1997 Formal statement before the House Committe on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, Tuesday, March 4, 1997. I am pleased to be here with you today to discuss...

Thursday, March 19, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Statement by Enoch Gordis, M.D., Director National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism March 19, 1998 Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: The FY1999 President's budget request for the NIAAA is $230,243,000, an increase of $17.5 million over the FY 1998 appropriation. Including the estimated allocation for AIDS, total...

Thursday, April 8, 2004

Statement by Ting-Kai Li, M.D., Director National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services I am pleased to present the President's budget request for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) for Fiscal Year 2005, a sum of $441,911,000, which reflects an increase of $13,486,000 over the comparable Fiscal...

Thursday, April 29, 2004

Members of the Committee, thank you for your concern about alcohol, drug, and mental health problems, issues that rank very high in their impact on public health and on the Nation. I thank my distinguished colleagues for their contributions in these areas and for sharing in our discussion today. I am Dr. Ting-Kai Li, Director of the National Institute on...

Thursday, March 19, 1998

Statement by Enoch Gordis, M.D., Director National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services March 19, 1998 Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: The FY1999 President's budget request for the NIAAA is $230,243,000, an increase of $17.5 million over the FY 1998 appropriation. Including the estimated allocation for AIDS, total...