PSY 330 chapter 9

alcohol myopia

alcohol induces a kind of social and behavioral myopia, or nearsightedness (after drinking people tend to focus more on the here and now and to pay less attention to peripheral people and activities, and to long-term consequences)

alcohol abuse

alcohol use disorder -the habitual misuse of alcohol.

blackout

alcohol-induced blackouts are periods during alcohol use in which the drinking individual appears to function normally but later cannot recall any events that occurred

blood alcohol level (BAL)

also known as BAC -measure of the concentration of alcohol in blood, expressed in grams per 100ml (percentage)

delirium tremens

an alcohol withdrawal syndrome that includes hallucinations and tremors

cirrhosis

an irreversible, frequently deadly liver disorder associated with heavy alcohol use

vodka

another major use for bulk grain neutral spirits is in the production of vodka -simply a mixture of grain neutral spirits and water, adjusted to the desired proof

cordials

another term for liqueur.

ale

broad type of beer -is made using a top-fermenting yeast and slightly warmer temperatures and the shorter fermentation time results in more of the flavor of the malt being retained in the final product

cardiomyopathy

diseased heart muscle that cannot function (contract) adequately.

whiskey (whisky)

distilled from mash of grain: corn,rye, barley, or wheat

brandy

distilled from wine -first type of spirits known to europeans

hops

dried blossoms from only the female hop plant that are added to beer for a pungent flavor

binge drinking

drinking on five or more separate days during the past month

DUI

driving under the influence

ardent

enthusiastic or passionate

"extra"

extra dry -sweet champagnes are labeled

fetal alcohol syndrome

facial and developmental abnormalities associated with the mother's alcohol use during pregnancy 1. growth retardation occurring before and after birth 2. paternal of abnormal features of the face and head 3. CNS abnormality

corn whiskey

80% corn mash, distilled to no more than 80% ABV (160 proof), no ageing requirement but if it is stored in oak, must be no more than 125 proof in used or uncharred wood. Stored for 2 years = straight.

wine

humankind's oldest beverages -been praised as a drink from heaven and condemned as a work of the devil

abstinence violation effect

if alcohol abusers do lose control when they begin drinking it might be because they have come to believe they will lose control if they drink

acute physiological toxicity

in the form of alcohol overdose

Explain the role of the balanced placebo design in understanding alcohol's effects

in this design: half of the study participants are given mixed drinks that contain alcohol while the other half get similar-tasting drinks without alcohol and each of those groups are divided in half with some being told they are getting alcohol (whether they are or not) and other being told they are testing a nonalcoholic drink -by analyzing the behavioral effects seen in the four conditions, it is possible to determine which effects are actually produced by alcohol and which by the belief that one has consumed alcohol (alcohol expectancy effects)

Korsakoff's psychosis

inability to remember recent events or to learn new info

fetal alcohol effect (FAE)

individual developmental abnormalities associated with the mother's alcohol use during pregnancy

acetaldehyde

is converted fairly rapidly by aldehyde dehydrogenase to acetic acid -quite toxic and might cause some of the physiological effects now attributed to alcohol

beer

is made by adding barely malt to other cereal grans such as ground corn or rice -enzymes in the malt change the starches in these grains into sugar then the solids are filtered out before the yeast is added to the mash to start fermentation -hops are added to give flavor

Prohibition

laws prohibiting all sales of alcoholic beverages in the US from 1920-1933

blended whiskey

made from about two-thirds straight whisky and one-third grain neutral spirits

brewpubs

make beer for sale only on the premises

microbreweries

make beer for sale only on the premises

varietals (wine)

named after one variety of grape which by law must make up at least 51% of the grapes used in producing the wine -EX: chardonnay

Champagne

naturally carbonated sparking wines by adding a small amount of sugar as the wine is bottled then keeping the bottle tightly corked

liqueur

or cordials -are similar in some ways to fortified wines

congeners

other alcohols and oils contained in alcoholic beverages

alcohol dehydrogenase

this enzyme converts alcohol into acetaldehyde

primary disease

when you define alcohol as a primary disease it means to recognize that the drinking itself might be the problem and that treatment and prevention should be aimed directly at alcohol abuse/dependence

speakeasy

where people illegally drank during the prohibition

generics (wine)

wines that usually have names taken from european land areas where the original wines were produced -EX: Rhine, Chablis, Burgundy -blended wines

Alcoholics Anonymous

worldwide organization of self-help groups based on alcoholics helping each other achieve and maintain sobriety

Brut

(of sparkling wine) unsweetened; very dry.

prohibition movements in the United States.

-1851-1855: 13 states passed state wide prohibitions laws but by 1868, 9 repealed them -National prohibition party and women's christian temperance union provided the impetus for the second wave of statewide prohibition in 1880s -state probation law did not mean the residents did not drink: they did, both legally and illegally -national prohibition came into effect from 1920-1933 -the law did not result in an alcohol free society -IT WORKED: it did reduce alcohol intake; deaths and alcohol dependence declined sharply in the beginning but still lower -REPEALED: income taxes they were paying because taxes on alcohol had been one of the primary sources of revenue for the federal government; so they wanted the income taxes to be reduced; disrespect of prohibition law encourage a sense of lawlessness; fear of generalized revolt

Describe the impact of alcohol on traffic fatalities.

-60% in 1982 of alcohol-related fatalities -40% by 2004 -it is dose-related -.08 relative risk of being involved in a fatal crash is about 3x as great as for a sober driver -risk of involvement in a a personal injury crash increases with BAC -single vehicle fatalities are more likely to involve alcohol and are at greater proportion occurring during dark hours and on weekend -85% of all the fatally injured drivers who had been drinking were male -these accidents are by people who are not identified as problem drinkers -highest rate of alc involvement traffic fatalities is among 21-24 yr olds

Understand the production and approximate alcohol content of the major beverage types.

-fermentation forms the basis for all alcoholic beverages: certain yeasts act on sugar in the presence of water; yeast recombines the carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen of sugar into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide -when concentration reaches 15 percent, the yeast dies and fermentation ceases -therefore in order to obtain alcohol concentrations above 15 % distillation is necessary -it is a process in which the solution containing alcohol is heated and the vapors are collected and condensed into liquid form again -alcohol has a lower boiling point than water so there is a higher percentage of alcohol in the distillate than there was in the original solution -Beer: 4 % alcohol -Wine: 12% alcohol -Distilled Spirits: 20-25% alcohol

Describe "alcohol myopia," acute alcohol poisoning, and alcohol withdrawal symptoms

-alcohol myopia: alcohol induces a kind of social and behavioral myopia, or nearsightedness (after drinking people tend to focus more on the here and now and to pay less attention to peripheral people and activities, and to long-term consequences) -acute alcohol poisoning: death resulting from this usually is the result of respiratory failure when the medulla is depressed -alcohol withdrawal symptoms: tremors, rapid heart beat, insomnia; hallucinations; delusions; seizure activity

Discuss alcohol exposure vs. malnutrition in the effects of chronic alcohol use on the brain and liver.

-biggest concern is the damage to brain tissue that is seen in chronic alcohol abusers -overall loss of brain tissue -generalized loss of brain tissue is probably a result of direct alcohol toxicity rather than malnutrition and is associated with alcoholic dementia -difficulty swallowing; impaired problem solving, difficulty in manipulating objects -alcohol related organic brain syndrome goes together with wernickes disease -liver: fatty liver which can cause the death of liver cells -alcohol hepatitis: inflammation and impairment of liver function -cirrhosis: usually it takes 10 years of steady drinking; liver cells are replaced by fibrous tissue which changes the structure of the liver and these changes decreased blood flow and result in decreased ability of the liver to function

lager

-broad type of bear -comes from term lagern "to store" -most of the beer sold today in america is lager -made using bottom-fermenting yeasts, cool temps, and slower fermentations

Discuss genetic influences on the risk of developing alcohol dependence.

-considerable evidence supports this idea that alcohol dependence might be inherited -it does tend to run in families but that could be because of cultural influences -from twin studies: inheritance does imply a strong role but not a determinant for alcohol dependence *exact nature and extent of this genetic link is not known

Discuss the role of alcohol in sexual behavior and violence.

-it is linked with risky sexual behavior (early sexual experience; unprotected sex) -and increased likelihood of sexual assault -men with high BACs are unable to attain or maintain an erection and can lead to permanent impotence in men with alcohol abuse -express more sexual arousal after alcohol -violence: correlation between alcohol use and homicides (more likely to occur in situations in which drinking also occurs) -assault and other crimes of violence: reveals correlations with drinking and heavier drinkers are more likely to engage in such behaviors -date rape drug is always with alcohol -suicide: alcohol is involved in about one-third of all suicides (alcohol abuse and depression relationship is strong)

Describe recent alcohol consumption trends

-overall alcohol consumption has been rising through most of the 1970s, peaked in 1981 -beer consumption has declined since 1981 -most obvious change is the decline in consumption of spirits before 1995 -americans now consume just under 3/4s of a gallon of pure alcohol in the form of spirits, 1/3 of a gallon of wine -little over two gallons of pure alc from all three beverage types per person per year (down more than half a gallon from the 1981 peak)

Describe how alcohol is processed by the body.

-some alcohol is absorbed from the stomach but the small intestine is responsible for most absorption -alc taken with or after a meal is absorbed more slowly -water slows the absorption of alcohol but carbonated liquids speed it up

Understand how consumption rate and body size influence BAC and know the legal BAC.

-when taken into the body, alcohol is distributed throughout the body fluids, including the blood -alc does not distribute much into fatty tissues so a lean 180 pound person will have a lower BAC than a 180 pound fat person who drinks the same amount of alc -because the female has a higher proportion of body fat and therefore for a given weight has less volume in which to distribute the alcohol has a higher BAC -major factor determining individual diffs in BAC is the volume of distribution -legal BAC: 0.08 -alcohol is removed by liver at constant rate of .25 to .30 ounce of ethanol per hour; if your rate of intake equals your rate of metabolism, you will maintain a stable BAC but if you drink faster than one drink every two hours, your BAC will climb

blush (wine)

-with the zinfandel grape, which is red, the skins are left in the crushed grapes for a short while, resulting in a wine that is slightly pink

Relate the history and effectiveness of temperance and prohibition movements in the United States.

-writings indicating a negative view of alcohol itself (aimed at distilled spirits) -relationship between drinking and jaundice and madness and epilepsy and damaged morality --> criminal behavior -referred to as a disease and addiction -physicians became the first leaders of the temperance movement: idea that everyone should avoid distilled spirits entirely because they were considered to be toxic and should consume beer and wine in a temperate or moderate manner -temperance societies were formed in many parts of the country -then in the 19th century: waves of immigrants provided the necessary beer-drinking consumers and alcohol problems did not disappear so temperance workers now advocated total abstinence from all alcohol beverages and pressure grew to prohibit the sale altogether -this movement can be credited for strengthening the political power of women's groups (WCTU)

malt liquor

Malt liquor is an American beer style characterized by high alcohol content, thin body, light color, little hop character, and a variety of sweetish flavors and off- flavors.

rye whiskey

Rye whiskey is a type of American whiskey that follows all the same laws as bourbon except one: Rye whiskey must be distilled with a mash of at least 51 percent rye. Its flavor is usually drier when compared to the sweet flavor of bourbon whiskey.

grain neutral spirits

a clear liquid that is essentially tasteless (except for strong alcohol taste) -which might be sold in small quantities as Evercleafr or for use in medicine or research -first beverages made straight from this was gin

alcohol dementia

a global decline of intellect

proof

a measure of a beverage's alcohol content; twice the alcohol percentage

blood alcohol concentration (BAC)

a measure of the concentration of alcohol in blood, expressed in grams per 100ml (percentage)

Discuss the likely role of GABA in alcohol's mechanism of action.

alcohol enhances the inhibitory effects of GABA at the GABA-A receptor -alcohol tends to have widespread inhibitory effects on neurons in the brain

bourbon

a type of whiskey

absorption

absorption of alcohol

disease model

alcohol dependence is a progressive disease characterized by a loss of control over drinking and that the disease can never be cured -idea that the dependent drinker is diff even before the first drink is taken -the only treatment is to arrest the disease by abstaining from drinking

Understand the role of AA in promoting the disease model of alcohol dependence.

central part of AA belief system is that alcohol dependence is a progressive disease characterized by a loss of control over drinking and that the disease can never be cured -idea that the dependent drinker is diff even before the first drink is taken -the only treatment is to arrest the disease by abstaining from drinking -this disease model of alcohol dependence has received support

malt

cereal grains contain starch rather than sugar and before fermentation can begin the starch must be converted to sugar -this is accomplished by making malt which contains enzymes that convert starch into sugar

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

chronic mental impairments produced by heavy alcohol use over a long period of time

Wernicke's disease

chronic mental impairments produced by heavy alcohol use over a long period of time -associated with a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B) -confusion, acacia, and abnormal eye movements

alcohol

comes from an arabic word meaning finely divided spirit -originally referred to that part of the wine collected through distillation -the essence or "spirit" of the wine

fatty liver

fatty acids accumulate in the liver and are stored as small droplets in liver cells

balanced placebo design

half of the study participants are given mixed drinks that contain alcohol while the other half get similar-tasting drinks without alcohol and each of those groups are divided in half with some being told they are getting alcohol (whether they are or not) and other being told they are testing a nonalcoholic drink

"wet" vs. "dry"

political convictions vs health concerns

detoxification

process of allowing the body to rid itself of a large amount of alcohol or another drug -often first step in a treatment program

sherry

sealing the wine in charred oak casks for aging further refined its taste

hangover

symptoms such as upset stomach, fatigue, headache, thirst, depression, anxiety, and general malaise

withdrawal syndrome

the abstinence syndrome that develops is medically more severe and more likely to cause death than withdrawal from opiod drugs in alcohol withdrawal

distillation

the evaporation and condensing of alcohol vapors to produce beverages with higher alcohol content

temperance

the idea that people should drink beer or wine in moderation but drink no hard liquor

alcohol dependence

the physical dependence associated with prolonged heavy use of alcohol is revealed when alcohol intake is stopped

pasteurization

the process of heating milk to a certain temperature to kill germs

fermentation

the production of alcohol from sugars through the action of yeasts

aqua vitae

the water of life