Background and objectives

The study examined the effects of an alcohol challenge on naturalistic drinking among alcohol-dependent individuals and explored brief motivational interviewing (MI) as a potential intervention for these participants.

Method

Alcohol-dependent individuals (n = 32, eight females) completed the intake assessment, alcohol challenge, one MI session, and 1-month follow-up (87.5% retention) where they completed measures of drinking and motivation for change.

Results

As expected, multilevel mixed models revealed that drinking did not increase post-alcohol challenge. Participants reported a reduction in ambivalence, drinking days, and a trend towards fewer total drinks between the MI and 1-month follow-up.

Conclusions

Consistent with other studies, the alcohol challenge did not worsen alcohol use. Results support further investigation of brief MI for alcohol-dependent participants in alcohol challenges.

Scientific significance

Alcohol administration to alcohol-dependent participants appears to not exacerbate naturalistic drinking. MI may be a feasible intervention for non-treatment seeking alcohol-dependent participants in alcohol challenge studies.

Introduction

Down syndrome (DS), a genetic variant of early onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), lacks a suitable outcome measure for prevention trials targeting pre-dementia stages.

Methods

We used cognitive test data collected in several longitudinal aging studies internationally from 312 participants with DS without dementia to identify composites that were sensitive to change over time. We then conducted additional analyses to provide support for the utility of the composites. The composites were presented to an expert panel to determine the most optimal cognitive battery based on predetermined criteria.

Results

There were common cognitive domains across site composites, which were sensitive to early decline. The final composite consisted of memory, language/executive functioning, selective attention, orientation, and praxis tests.

Discussion

We have identified a composite that is sensitive to early decline and thus may have utility as an outcome measure in trials to prevent or delay symptoms of AD in DS.