Alcohol acute effects

Matrila MJ, Aranko K, Seppala T Acute effects of huspirone and alcohol on psychomotor skills. J Clin Psychiatry 43 56-60, 1982 McMahon T, Andersen R, Merten P, et al Protein kinase C epsilon mediates upregu-lation ofN-type calcium channels by ethanol. Mol Pharmacol 37 33-58, 2000 Merry], Reynolds CM, Bailey], et al Prophylactic treatment of alcoholism by lithium carbonate. Lancet 2 481 82, 1976... 

Figure 23.2 A schematic diagram illustrating the ways in which the CNS counters the depressant effects of a drug such as alcohol or an opioid and how this leads to the manifestation of physical dependence when there is abstinence from the drug. These excitatory compensations produce symptoms opposite to the acute effects of the drug...

Foo FI, Lemon J. (1997). Acute effects of kava, alone or in combination with alcohol, on subjective measures of impairment and intoxication and on cognitive performance. Drug Alcohol Rev. 16(2) 147-55. 

The terms acute and chronic are also used to characterize the time delay between exposure and the onset of symptoms. Acute effects are those noticed directly following exposure and are usually easily related to the agent. The chronic or long-term effects of an agent may occur years later and are often very difficult to attribute to a particular cause. The acute effects of alcohol consumption or exposure to the solvent in glue are obvious in the drunkenness produced. The effects of chronic exposure to these compounds, as seen by an alcoholic, are very different specifically, cirrhosis of the liver. The chronic effect of childhood lead exposure... 

Alcohol has a range of effects for some, desirable acute effects unwanted effects on the developing fetus and with long-term consumption, effects on the liver and other organs. In the US, over 2 million people experience alcohol related liver disease. Effects on the liver are dose related the more you consume the greater the effects. Early on there is an accumulation of fat in the liver as a result of the metabolism of alcohol. Some heavy drinkers develop an inflammation (alcoholic hepatitis) of the liver. Metabolites of alcohol, produced by the liver, are toxic to the liver cells. 

The main acute effect is inebriation, which in turn spawns violence, spousal and child abuse, crime, motor vehicle accidents, workplace and home accidents, drowning, suicide, and accidental death. The chronic effects include alcoholism, liver disease, various forms of cancer, brain disorders, cardiovascular disease and other organ system effects, absence from or loss of work, family dysfunction, and malnutrition. 

The acute effects of alcohol consumption are associated with mild nervous system effects such as relaxation and a lessening of inhibitions that many people find desirable. Additional consumption results in sleepiness and motor and reaction time... 

Fillmore, M.T., Rush, C.R., and Hays, L., Acute effects of oral cocaine on inhibitory control of behavior in humans, Drug Alcohol Depend., 67, 157, 2002. 

TLm values obtained for secondary alcohol-based surfactants are also found to obey the known general rules. Macek and Krzeminski(14a) also reported a similar conclusion on acute effects of APE, PAE and SAE to bluegill sunfish by their static bioassays. 

These effects may be exacerbated with concurrent exposure to alcohol. Acute neurotoxic effects probably are due to carbon disulfide, a metabolite of zineb. Animal studies indicate that changes in the thyroid may occur following a single, large dose, but that these changes may be reversible. 

Linnoila M, Seppalla M, Mattila MJ. Acute effect of antipyretic analgesics alone or in combination with alcohol on human psychomotor skills related to driving. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1974 1 477. 

BETA-BLOCKERS ALCOHOL Acute alcohol ingestion may t hypotensive effect. Chronic moderate/heavy drinking 1 hypotensive effect Additive hypotensive effect. Mechanism of opposite effect with chronic intake is uncertain Monitor BP closely as unpredictable responses can occur. Advise patients to drink only in moderation and to avoid large variations in the amount of alcohol drunk... 

POTASSIUM CHANNEL ACTIVATORS ALCOHOL Acute alcohol ingestion may t hypotensive effects. Chronic moderate/heavy drinking 1 hypotensive effect... 

Alcoholics can drink ethanol in amounts large enough (200 g) to inhibit warfarin clearance as an acute effect. However, daily consumption of ethanol for a period of 3 weeks in the form of wine taken with meals in moderate amounts (28 g/day) or even in liberal amounts (56 g/day) had no effect on the hypoprothrombinemia induced by warfarin (256). 

Woolsey RM, Taylor JJ, Nagel JH. Acute effects of topical ethyl alcohol on the sciatic nerve of the mouse. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1972 53(9) 410-14. 

Physical Dependence Therapeutic Uses Acute Effects of Alcohol... 

Acute tolerance to alcohol s effects-the effects of alcohol at time a are greater than the effects at time b... 

In this section we review both the acute and chronic effects of alcohol consumption. We first go over alcohol s many acute physiological, sensory-motor (sensorimotor), and psychological effects. We also di.scuss several topics of special societal concern related to alcohol s acute effects, including aggression, sexual behavior, and driving. 

One point about alcohol s acute effects is that alcohol generally acts on the body as a depressant, and its acute effects are proportional to the magnitude of the BAG. Simply put, as the BAG increases, acute effects increase in number and intensity. However, how humans experience some degree of intoxication and behave under different doses of alcohol may be modified by psychological and situational factors as well as alcohol dose and tolerance to this drug. For some behaviors these nondrug factors may be even more powerful determinants of alcohol s acute effects than drug factors. 

An important acute effect of alcohol is disruption of sleep patterns. Even at lower doses alcohol suppresses REM sleep, which is the stage of the sleep cycle when most dreaming occurs (REM stands tor rapid eye movements, which characterize this stage of sleep). When the dose is low, REM sleep is suppressed only in the first half of the night, but in the second half REM time rebounds and increases. At larger doses of alcohol, REM sleep is suppressed throughout the night. 

Much of the discussion of alcohol s acute effects is based on Becker et al. (1975), Jacobs and Fehr (1987), McKim (2000), and Sobell and Sobell (1981). 

For the last 500 years Shakespeare probably has been the author most frequently cited on the acute effects of alcohol on human sexual response. The specific reference is from Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 2 It [alcohol] provokes and unprovokes it provokes the desire, but it takes away from the performance. It turns out that the results of experimental studies are in part consistent with Shakespeare s observations. 

A reasonable conclusion, about the acute effects of alcohol on male sexual response is that, similar to aggression, the disinhibition theory falls far short of explaining the information that is available. Rather, social and psychological factors seem to be important determinants of sexual response in men at low BACs and often work to increase libido. However, the pharmacology of alcohol begins to dominate at BACs greater than 0.05%, which cause a decrease in arousal and sexual competence. 

The folklore about the acute effects of alcohol on sexual behavior in women is that it promotes promiscuity. For example, Chaucer wrote in The Wife of Bath s Talc in his Canterbury Taler. After wine, I think mostly of venue for just as it s true that cold engenders hail a liquor mouth must have a liquorous tail. Women have no defense against wine as lechers know from experience. ... 

To conclude this section. Table 9.5 provides a summary of the acute effects of alcohol at different BACs. The table succinctly shows how pervasive alcohol s effects are. It is essential to remember, however, that the effects listed for given BACs are what might be observed in the typical drinker. Alcohol s effects arc notorious for their variability among people and in the same person on different drinking occasions. And, as our discussion of alcohol and aggression and sex most clearly illustrated, situational and psychological factors also influence what behaviors occur in people when they drink as well as the effects they perceive alcohol is having on them. 

Typical Acute Effects of Alcohol Associated with Different Ascending Blood Alcohol Concentrations (BACs)... 

Our review of information on alcohol s acute effects highlights that a lot of research has been done on how much alcohol humans drink, why they drink it, and what effects it has on them. As you might have noticed, many of these studies used the survey method to obtain information about humans use of alcohol. Surveys on alcohol almost always ask the research participant to tell the researcher how much alcohol was consumed over some period of time (a day, a week, a month, a year) occurring at different points back from the survey date (yesterday, last week, last month, last year). The first question that most people ask about such retrospective self-reports" of drinking is, How accurate are they "... 

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