RIA: Previously Funded Projects

Previously Funded Projects

Research Projects Previously Conducted at RIA The following list includes a selection of some of the previous research conducted at RIA, now concluded or in the final stages of data analysis, going back as far as 1985. These studies demonstrate the breadth and scope of contributions by RIA scientists to the addictions’ field. The researchers can be reached through e-mail from the Principal Investigator page of this site.
Barnes/Farrell	Family and Adolescent Study: A six-wave longitudinal study of family influences on the development of adolescent alcohol misuse has been carried out with funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Respondents in the general population of Western New York were first interviewed in 1989 and were re-interviewed at yearly intervals though 1996. Adolescents were 13-16 years old at wave one and 18-22 years old at wave six. The sample consisted of over 600 adolescents as well as mothers, fathers, and adolescent siblings. Later waves included an adolescent peer who was independently interviewed. Over 10,000 individual interviews were carried out with target adolescents and significant others over the course of six waves of data collection. Numerous presentations and publications have been completed. Key longitudinal analyses using six waves of data show that parenting practices, particularly, support and monitoring, influence the onset of alcohol misuse and the trajectory of alcohol misuse over the course of adolescence. Funded by grants of $3,148,373 from NIAAA, 1989-97.
Barnes/Miller	Sports, Gender, & Adolescent Substance Use: Grace Barnes and Kathleen Miller served as co-principal investigators on this project coordinating the research efforts of a team of collaborating scientists which included Dr. Michael Farrell, professor in UB’s Department of Sociology, Dr. Don Sabo, professor at D’Youville College and Dr. Merrill Melnick, professor at SUNY College at Brockport. Extending previous research by this group, the specific aims of the study included determination of the nature of relationships between sports and other specific extracurricular activities and substance use and other risky adolescent behaviors. Analyses indicated that adolescent sports participation buffers against some health-risk behaviors, such as tobacco use, illicit drug use, and suicidality, while exacerbating other health-risk behaviors, such as problem drinking. The effects of athletic participation also differed by gender: teenage girls involved in sports reported reduced levels of sexual risk-taking, while teenage male athletes reported elevated levels. Additional findings, including gender and racial/ethnic differences in relationships between athletic participation and health risks, were published in a number of journals: International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Sociology of Sport Journal, Substance Use and Misuse, and Journal of Youth and Adolescence. Funded by a grant of $462,000 from NIDA, 2000-2004.
Barnes/Welte	Development of Gambling and Alcohol Use in Youth: The overall aims of this study were to determine the relationships between gambling, alcohol misuse, other substance use, and delinquency, and to examine the factors influencing these problem behaviors among youth. Secondary analyses were carried out using two longitudinal data sets from previously funded NIAAA studies. The “Family and Adolescent Study” was a six-wave longitudinal panel study of 699 adolescents, aged 13-16 in wave one and 18-23 in wave 6. “Drinking and Delinquency in Young Men” was a three-wave longitudinal panel study of substance use and delinquency among 625 males, aged 16-19 in wave one and 19-22 in wave three. Results showed gambling, like alcohol use, is prevalent among youth, with annual gambling rates of 81% and 90% among males in studies one and two respectively, and a 70% prevalence rate among females in study one. Cards and games of skill — e.g., basketball, pool — were the most common forms of gambling. Alcohol misuse among males predicted increased gambling over time or a pattern of stability of high rates of gambling. Higher parental monitoring and lower alcohol misuse were significant in predicting a decreasing pattern of gambling among males in the delinquency study. Alcohol misuse predicted an increasing pattern of gambling for females only when other factors such as high impulsivity or low parental monitoring were present. This study showed that while problem behaviors are related, there are also uncorrelated antecedents predicting distinct types of youthful problem behaviors. Peer delinquency showed numerous significant pathways to youth problem behaviors for both females and males. Gambling, while correlated with other problem behaviors, showed the least commonality with alcohol misuse, drug use, and delinquency outcomes. Research funded by a grant of $308,000 from NIAAA, 2000-2003.
Barnes	Trends in Alcohol Misuse Among Minority Adolescents: The objectives of this project were to examine the trends in alcohol misuse and other problem behaviors among ethnic minority secondary students over the decade spanning the mid 1980s to mid 1990s. Three large, comparable cross-sectional surveys of New York State school students were examined showing the patterns of alcohol use among Native American, West Indian, African American, Hispanic, and white adolescents. The findings showed that a downward trend in alcohol consumption in the 1980s stopped by mid-1990s. These trends were observed in all racial/ethnic groups. Furthermore, alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems actually increased among younger adolescents but not among older adolescents. Implications of this research are that alcohol prevention efforts should be targeted to younger adolescents since early initiation into drinking has been shown to predict the development of alcohol misuse in later adolescence and adulthood. Funded by a grant of $305,741 from NIAAA, 1997-2000.
Bradizza/ Connors/ Stasiewicz/ Maisto	Relapse Among Severely Mentally Ill Alcohol Abusers The aims of this research are to look at factors that predict who continues to drink following alcohol and mental health treatment versus those individuals who are able to maintain abstinence from alcohol. We anticipate that some of the important factors affecting these relationships will include the extent and severity of psychiatric symptoms, how long the alcohol problem has existed, how regularly dual-diagnosis treatment is attended, and the types of coping skills project participants have to deal with difficult situations involving alcohol or other drugs. This four-year study will result in a better understanding of the kinds of factors that are most likely to lead to continued problem drinking among severely mentally ill individuals and in turn, help in the design of treatment programs that better meet the needs of this population. Dr. Clara Bradizza's co-investigators are Drs. Gerard Connors and Paul Stasiewicz of RIA and Stephen Maisto, Syracuse University. Funded by a grant of $1,567,083 from NIAAA, 2002-2007.
Bradizza	Drug Coping Skills Assessment of Dual-Diagnosis Patients: Dr. Bradizza evaluated the drug-specific coping skills of individuals dually-diagnosed with schizophrenia and a drug use disorder. Funded by a grant of $538,368 from NIDA, 1996-2002.
Brewer/Frone	Factors Associated with R.N. Decisions to Work: This Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) award to Principal Investigator Carol Brewer, associate professor in the UB School of Nursing was a collaborative effort with Co-investigators Christine Kovner, School of Nursing, New York University, and Michael Frone, RIA senior research scientist and associate professor in the Department of Psychology. The three-year study examined the relationships of R.N. characteristics, work setting, and labor market regions to R.N. job satisfaction and organizational commitment as well as intention to work and actual work participation. Understanding why R.N.s work, work part-time, or do not work may be useful to government and the private sector in developing reforms that may modify workforce participation and help abate the cycles of shortages which occur regularly. The researchers expanded tools that can be used to examine work behavior of the R.N. population and possibly help in the development of relevant policy. Funded by AHRQ, 2003-2005.
Coffey/Stasiewicz	Emotion and Craving in Alcoholics with Comorbid PTSD: Using an empirically supported behavioral treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), this project examined whether a reduction in negative emotion leads to a reduction in alcohol craving in persons with comorbid PTSD and alcohol dependence (AD). The study was a collaboration across University at Buffalo departments by the Department of Psychiatry’s Scott Coffey, principal investigator and RIA’s Paul Stasiewicz, co-investigator. Funded by NIAAA, 2001-2004.
Collins/Bradizza	40 oz. Views: Alcohol Expectancies for Malt Liquor: This three-year study developed and tested the psychometric properties of a measure of beliefs about the effects of malt liquor. Malt liquor typically is marketed to younger, hip consumers and is sold in large volume containers (e.g. 40 oz) that cannot be resealed, thereby encouraging heavy drinking. Young adults (age 18 to 30 years) who regularly consumed malt liquor were identified by using computer-assisted telephone interviews. Some participated in focus groups designed to identify beliefs about malt liquor and the contexts in which it is consumed. Questionnaires were administered to approximately 600-800 participants. Results to be released soon.Funded by a $468,333 award from NIAAA, 2001-2005.
Collins	Nurses’ Substance Abuse: Stress, Coping, and Self-Efficacy: This study consisted of a survey that assessed nurses’ lifetime and current use of licit (e.g., alcohol) and illicit (e.g., cocaine) substances. Surveys were mailed to 4,000 nurses who were randomly selected from the 25,000 licensed nurses (RNs and LPNs) who resided in Western New York. Initial data was collected in 1990 and the survey was repeated one year later. Results indicated differences between RNs and LPNs. For example, more RNs reported lifetime and current use of alcohol, while more LPNs reported lifetime and current use of cigarettes. More RNs reported lifetime use of opiates and hallucinogens as compared to LPNs. There were differences in lifetime substance use based on work setting and nursing speciality. Age and marital status were related to substance use. Lifetime experiences of negative consequences were rare and few nurses reported dependence on substances other than tobacco and caffeine. Funded by a grant of $776,966 from NIDA, 1990-94.
Collins/Dermen	Restraint and Attributions: Risk Factors in Alcohol Abuse This four-year grant extended Dr. R. Lorraine Collins’ previous program of research (1988-2003) on the drinking behavior of young adults (ages 21 to 30 years) as they moved from being social drinkers to developing drinking problems. The grant involved three studies. The first study examined affect, restraint, and other psychosocial variables involved in alcohol use. The second was a laboratory study in which the researchers induced moods and examined the effects on drinking. The third, an intervention study, examined whether changing individuals' affective states influencde their drinking behavior over time. Funded by a grant of $1,569,584 from NIAAA, 2003-2008.
Connors/Walitzer	Secondary Prevention of Alcohol Problems in Rural Areas: This study evaluated three secondary prevention drinking reduction interventions among problem drinkers in rural areas, both men and women, living in rural areas. RIA scientists assessed changes in alcohol and drug use, alcohol-related behaviors, and psychological and interpersonal functioning as a result of the interventions. Funded by a grant of $1,369,983 from NIAAA, 1997-2003.
Connors/Walitzer	AA Participation, Spirituality and Alcohol Outcome: While researchers have shown greater interest in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) over the past decade, relatively little empirical attention has been placed on spirituality. In recognition of the importance of this topic, this study was conducted to address three primary objectives: (1) to assess the relationship between AA participation to spirituality (defined as sense of life purpose, serenity, and religiosity) over the course of residential treatment for alcoholism and a 6-month posttreatment follow-up period; (2) to assess the role of spirituality as a partial mediator of the demonstrated relationship between AA participation and alcohol outcome; and (3) to examine, in exploratory fashion, several variables (including forgiveness, hope, and the seeking of life purpose) as potential mediators of the proposed relationship between AA participation and spirituality. Data have been gathered, and analyses are ongoing. Funded by a grant of $308,000 from NIAAA, 2000-2003.
Connors	Treatment Research Validation and Extension Program: This project was designed to extend knowledge about factors associated with relapses to drinking after treatment. A specific focus was on replicating and extending the Marlatt conceptual model of relapse. Several articles describing the results of this study were published in a special supplement of the journal Addiction (1996). Investigators from RIA, Brown University, and the University of New Mexico collaborated on this multisite study. Funded by a contract of $689,660 from NIAAA, 1991-2000.
Connors/Walitzer/ Dermen	Enhancing Involvement in Outpatient Alcoholism Treatment: This study evaluated the effectiveness of procedures designed to prepare alcoholics for treatment. The two procedures of interest - a role induction session or a motivational interview session - were compared to a no preparation control condition. The interventions were designed to prevent early dropout and improve treatment outcome. Preliminary results indicate that receiving the motivational interview preparatory session was associated with greater rates of attendance at subsequent individual and group treatment sessions, relative to those not receiving a preparatory session. In addition, clients receiving the motivational preparatory session, relative to those not receiving a preparatory session, had fewer heavy drinking days during a 12-month follow-up period. Funded by a grant of $840,731 from NIAAA, 1994-98.
Connors/Walitzer	Secondary Prevention of Alcohol Problems in Women: In this project, women heavy drinkers without histories of severe physical dependence on alcohol participated in a group-based intervention focusing on reducing alcohol consumption. Some participants were exposed to intervention enhancements: life-skills training and/or post-intervention booster sessions. Participants were monitored for an 18-month period following the intervention. In terms of alcohol use, women responded positively to treatment. Participants showed significant reductions in drinking throughout the 18 months after treatment. The treatment enhancements (life management skills and booster sessions) led to significantly improved drinking outcomes among women who were heavier drinkers at pretreatment. There were no significant effects of the treatment enhancements among women who were lighter drinkers at pretreatment. In addition, participants reported significant decreases in drinking consequences and improvements in several domains of life functioning. Funded by a grant of $917,074 from NIAAA, 1990-95.
Connors/ Rychtarik/Dermen	Project MATCH - Buffalo Clinical Research Unit: Project MATCH was a multisite study of how patients respond to different treatment approaches for alcohol use disorders. Outpatient and aftercare clients participated in one of three 12-week treatments: a 12-session Twelve-Step Facilitation Therapy (TSF), a 12-session Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), or a Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), consisting of 4 sessions spread over 12 weeks. Below are some of the broadest conclusions reached by the Project MATCH Research Group, based on analyses completed to date. The overall outcomes of patients receiving all three of the treatments studied in Project MATCH were quite favorable. Matching (or mismatching) of patients to treatments on the basis of their personal characteristics contributed surprisingly little to the overall effectiveness of treatment. The strongest effects observed for the 12-months posttreatment were for psychiatric severity and anger among outpatients and for severity of dependence among aftercare patients. Although MET was less successful among outpatients during the treatment phase, there were only a few outcome differences after treatment between the 4-session MET and the two 12-session treatments. New analyses and publications have appeared or are in progress. Funded by a grant of $2,410,415 from NIAAA, 1989-1999.
Dermen	Enhancing HIV Prevention Through Drinking Reduction: Dr. Dermen evaluated the impact of two-session motivational interventions that focused on drinking reduction, HIV risk reduction, and their combination among male and female college students. The relationship between drinking and condom use also was assessed. Analyses of baseline data revealed that alcohol use prior to an occurrence of sexual intercourse was correlated with a greater likelihood of condom use during that occurrence. This was true even when analyses controlled for each student's expectations about the effects of alcohol and the length of the student's relationship with his or her intercourse partner. Analyses of one-year post-intervention follow-up data indicated that the alcohol-focused brief interventions reduced alcohol use but had no impact on sexual risk behavior. The HIV-focused interventions reduced the number of sexual partners reported by students. Frequency of sex without using a condom diminished in all conditions, including a control condition in which no intervention was delivered. Thus, although the brief alcohol-focused motivational intervention appeared to be useful for reducing drinking among college students, reducing college students' alcohol use did not appear to be an effective method of increasing HIV-preventive behavior such as condom use. Funded by a grant of $1,442,033 from NIAAA, 1998-2003.
Dermen	Adolescent Alcohol Use and High Risk Sexual Behavior: This study was a third wave of data collection from participants originally interviewed at the University at Buffalo 13 years previous. More than 1,400 African- and European-American young adults were re-interviewed in order to further understanding of the relationship between alcohol use and sexual behavior that increases risk for infection with AIDS and other diseases. M. Lynne Cooper at the University of Missouri was principal investigator of the NIAAA -funded project at all three waves; Kurt Dermen was principal investigator on the subcontract for the data collection effort. Funded by a subcontract of $1,070,386, from the University of Missouri - Columbia, 1999-2004.
Eiden	Pre- and Postnatal Cigarette Exposure and Infant Regulation: This study investigated the impact of pre-and postnatal exposure to cigarettes and associated risk factors on infant regulation. Researchers examined the possibility that early exposure to cigarettes may impact regulation beyond the neonatal period through direct teratological impact, environmental cigarette smoke (ETS), and maternal cigarette use on growth outcomes that may in turn influence infant reactivity and regulation. Average Heart Rate (HR) and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) were assessed at 2-4 weeks of age during sleep. Prenatal cigarette exposure and ETS were both related to HR and RSA and fetal growth did not mediate these associations. However, boys in both exposure groups had higher autonomic arousal than girls (Schuetze & Eiden, in press). Results also indicated that mothers who smoked during pregnancy had higher levels of Maternal Insensitivity (MI) and lower levels of Maternal Warmth (MW) during interactions with their infant even after controlling for demographics and pregnancy alcohol use. Maternal anxiety and hostility mediated the association between smoking and MI and maternal anger mediated the association between smoking and MW. In addition, there was an interaction between infant gender and maternal smoking for MW with pregnancy smokers displaying less warmth to boys during interactions (Schuetze, Eiden, & Dombkowski, in review). Data from assessments at 7 months of infant age are currently being analyzed. This study was a collaborative effort between Principal Investigator Pamela Schuetze, SUNY College at Buffalo, and Co-Investigator Rina Das Eiden, of RIA. Funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2002-2004.
Eiden	Maternal Substance Use, Parenting, Infant Development: Dr. Rina Eiden first completed a cross sectional study that resulted in two papers. The first provided descriptive data about the caregiving environment of substance exposed children (Eiden, Peterson, & Coleman, 1999). The second suggested that exposure to violence is one of the most significant predictors of child behavior problems among these children (Eiden, 1999). Next, a short-term longitudinal study was completed. Mother-infant dyads were recruited at birth and followed for the first year of the infant's life, with assessments at 2, 7, and 13 months. This study resulted in three publications. The first focused on the quality of mother-infant feeding interactions at 2 months and demonstrated that cocaine using mothers were more negative in their interactive style during feeding interactions with their infants. Other risk factors such as a more negative infant temperament, lower gestational age, and maternal use of other substances also contributed to more negative parenting behavior (Eiden, 2001). The second paper examined the association between prenatal substance exposure and infant behavior suggesting that maternal cocaine and other substance use (alcohol and cigarettes) was associated with problems in arousal regulation at 2 and 7 months of age (Eiden, Lewis, Croff, & Young, 2002). The third paper examined the association between maternal substance use and perception of infant cry sounds varying in pitch. Results indicated that substance-using mothers rated cries as less perceptually salient and less likely to elicit active caregiving responses. These results suggest that maternal substance use is associated with altered perceptions of infant distress signals (Schuetze, Zeskind, & Eiden, 2003). The fourth paper examined the development of motor assymetries among cocaine exposed infants. (Schuetze, Croff, & Eiden, 2003). Funded by a grant of $428,466 from the NIDA, 1995-2001.
Frone	Workplace Substance Use: A National Prevalence Study : The use of alcohol and other drugs by employed adults represents an important social policy issue because it can undermine employee health and productivity. Although national data exist regarding the overall level of alcohol and drug use among employed adults in the U.S., much less is known about the prevalence of alcohol and drug use on the job and the physical and social availability of alcohol and drugs at work. This study addressed several key issues. First, the prevalence and distribution of workplace substance use and workplace availability was explored. Second, a model of the relating overall and workplace substance availability to overall and workplace substance use was tested. Third, a “correspondence model” of employee substance use and productivity was tested. Finally, the relationship of exposure to coworkers' on-the-job substance use to the performance and morale of individuals who did not use alcohol or drugs at work was examined. The study methodology included a national telephone survey of a representative sample of 3,500 employed adults. Funded by a grant of $1,399,892 from NIAAA. 2000-2004.
Frone	Work, Alcohol, and School Performance Among Adolescents: Dr. Michael Frone examined the relations among employment, alcohol/other drug use, and academic achievement during adolescence. He also investigated risk and protective factors that may influence these relationships. Funded by a grant of $564,447 from NIAAA, 1994-2000.
Haj-Dahmane	Dopamine Mechanisms and Receptors in Raphe 5-HT Neurons: Dr. Samir Haj-Dahmane used electrophysiological, pharmacological, and immunohistochemical techniques to characterize the cellular mechanism by which D2-like dopamine receptor activation increased the excitability of dorsal Raphe nucleus serotonergic (5-HT) neurons. The results of this research will further our understanding of the functional interaction between the dopamine and serotonergic systems in the dorsal Raphe nucleus, and thus contribute to the identification of novel and effective treatment strategies for psychiatric disorders such as major depression. Funded by a grant of $781,209 from NIMH, 2001-2005.
Haj-Dahmane	Muscarinic Receptors in the Cerebral Cortex and Schizophrenia: Dr. Samir Haj-Dahmane investigated the neurophysiological effects of acetylcholine (an endogenous neurotransmitter) in the cerebral cortex. The results of this study may better our understanding of the cholinergic function in the cerebral cortex and further advance the treatment of mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Funded by a grant of $60,000 from the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD), 1998-2001.
Kristal/Thompson	CNS Opioids and Maternal Behavior Dr. Mark Kristal, of UB’s Department of Psychology, investigated opioid activation at the end of pregnancy and during delivery and its complex effect on maternal behavior. He and Dr. Alexis Thompson, RIA, focused their work on the development of a comprehensive model of the biobehavioral/neurochemical basis of maternal behavior, including the role of opioids in areas of the brain that mediate motivational processes delivery. Initial results strongly support the hypothesis that at delivery, endogenous opioids in the mesolimbic cortical pathway of the brain facilitate the inititation of maternal behavior. In addition, peri-parturitional behaviors, including placentophagia in animals, facilitate activation of opioid neurotransmission in this part of the brain. Funded by NSF to Dr. Kristal, UB Department of Psychology, subaccount to Dr. Thompson, RIA, 2005-2008.
Leonard/ Collins/ Quigley	Alcohol and Bar Violence: This project examined the prevalence and predictors of alcohol-related violence among young adults between the ages of 18-30. Results found that of the 1,400 college students and other young adults who participated in the study, one in three men and one in five women had been the target of physical aggression — ranging from shoving to assault with a weapon. Asked whether in the last year they had been the target of, or had initiated, violence, 44 percent of men in the community, 33 percent of college men, 28 percent of women in the community, and 22 percent of college women said yes. Pushing and shoving were the most common forms of aggression experienced, although 15 percent of the men surveyed said a weapon was used against them. Of the women who identified themselves as targets of physical aggression, 22 percent of the women said the incidents occurred in or outside bars, while 34 percent said the incidents occurred in their own home. In addition, the project reported evidence that drinking on the part of the subject did not predict whether or not an aggressive episode occurred, but it did predict the severity and likelihood of injury. Funded by a grant of $918,856 from NIAAA, 1997-2002.
Leonard	Experimental Study of Alcohol and Marital Aggression: This study examined the marital interactions of 60 maritally aggressive and 75 nonaggressive men and their wives under a baseline condition, and then after the husband had received no alcohol, placebo, or alcohol. These sessions were videotaped and coded with the Marital Interaction Coding System by coders blind to group status and specific condition. Aggressive couples engaged in more negative behavior and more negative reciprocity in the baseline interaction than did nonaggressive couples. The administration of alcohol led husbands, but not wives, to increase their problem solving attempts. Alcohol, but not the placebo, led to increased negativity of both husbands and wives. Funded by a grant of $441,251 from NIAAA, 1990-94.
Leonard	Frequent Heavy Drinking & Marital Violence in Newlyweds: The primary focus of the project was the examination of the impact of heavy drinking on marital violence within a social learning model of alcohol and aggression. Methodologically, it involved assessing newlyweds with respect to drinking patterns, alcohol expectancies, personality characteristics, and relationship characteristics just prior to marriage and relating these variables to reports of physical aggression at a one-year follow-up and subsequently, at a three-year follow-up. The grant had three specific aims: (1) to provide epidemiologic information concerning the incidence, distribution, and characteristics of alcohol-related marital violence within a high-risk population; (2) to evaluate hypotheses arising from a social learning model of alcohol and aggression; and (3) to create a non-clinical pool of potential subjects for longitudinal and experimental studies of alcohol and family violence. This project has advanced our understanding of alcohol and marital violence among newlyweds in a number of important ways. Funded by a grant of $761,740 from NIAAA, 1988-96.
McGillicuddy/ Rychtarik	Skill Training for Parents of Adolescent Drug Abusers: The investigators continued their research on skills parents use to deal with problem situations resulting from their adolescent's use of drugs and alcohol. The study evaluated the relative efficacy of skill training and 12 step facilitation interventions for parents of adolescent substance abusers not in treatment. Funded by a grant of $2,523,437 from NIDA, 1995-2003.
Miller/Barnes	College Sports, Gender, and Substance Use This study had two phases: first, an examination of longitudinal relationships between high school sports participation and substance use and other health-risk behaviors in college-age young adults; and second, the development of comprehensive measures of athletic involvement to be used to examine linkages among high school and college sports, gender, and substance use in college students. This study extended previous research by a collaborative working group comprised of Drs. Miller and Barnes, RIA, Michael Farrell, UB Department of Sociology, Merrill Melnick, SUNY College at Brockport, and Don Sabo, D’Youville College. Funded by a grant of $471,000 from NIDA, 2004-2008.
Nochajski/Stasiewicz	A Harm Reduction Approach to Reducing DWI Recidivism: This study investigated the use of brief harm reduction approaches with convicted DWI offenders. Researchers assessed the relative utility of increasing client motivation for change and reducing future harm related to alcohol and/or drug use, including DWI recidivism. Early results suggest caution for treatment providers when interpreting stage of change for DUI offenders as assessment of individuals’ stage of change differed between stage of change measures. Motivation to change was not significantly associated with drinking-driving and, as individuals developed more self-efficacy, they reported less drinking-driving. Readiness to change and self-efficacy were significantly associated with binge drinking and as a person’s belief in their ability to refuse drinks increased, binge drinking frequency decreased. Finally, significant predictors of drinking-driving included alcohol dependence severity, were low self-efficacy, number of drinking-related negative consequences including a prior DUI arrest, of drinking, and other drug use. Harm reduction efforts might consider these predictors.The 18-month follow-up interviews have recently been completed and the main outcome results are pending. Funded by a grant of $2,561,901 from NIAAA, 1999-2005.
Nochajski/Miller	Indicators of Drinking/Drug Problems and Repeat Offender Status: This three-year grant was funded for the purpose of developing a screening instrument that was to be used in the New York State Drinking Driver Programs. Funded by a grant of $305,353 from the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), 1991-94.
Nochajski/Testa	HCV Transmission: Sex, Violence, Alcohol, and Drug Use: In this study, RIA handled the collection and maintenance of data supplied by the Erie County Health Department about clients' alcohol/drug use, sexual practices, and sexually transmitted diseases. Marcia Russell, of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation and formerly of RIA, was principal investigator on the award. Drs. Tom Nochajski and Maria Testa supervised the subcontract for data collection and maintenance. The project was funded by $297,327 from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 2000-2004.
Nochajski	Reducing DWI Recidivism: This project monitored the Drinking Driver Program screening and referral process including assessing the utility of the screening instrument, development of potential subscales for identification of recidivists, identification of individuals who had problems with substances other than alcohol, and development of subscales in other areas that might have implications for intervention strategies. Funded by a grant of $329,475 from GTSC, 1994-97.
Nochajski	Validation of the RIA Self Inventory for Screening of Drunken/Drugged Drivers: This study focused on validating the RIA Self Inventory (RIASI), with a specific focus on development of the subscales for drinking/drugged-driving recidivism and for problems with drugs other than alcohol. In addition, the grant targeted further assessment of empirically derived subscales that related to current drinking practices, alcohol beliefs, deviance, sensation seeking-impulsivity, and psychiatric distress. Funded by a grant of $48,549 from GTSC, 1997-98.
Parks	Women’s Alcohol Use, Drinking Context, and Victimization: As part of three studies of women bar drinkers, Dr. Kathleen Parks assessed the relationships among women’s alcohol use, drinking context, and risk for victimization. Findings from the first study, a survey of 198 women bar drinkers, suggest that women experience a significant amount of verbal, physical, and sexual victimization associated with the bar setting. Nearly half of the women (46.8%) had experienced moderate physical or sexual assault (e.g., being pushed or grabbed, unwanted sexual touching) and 34.4% had experienced severe physical or sexual assault (e.g., being beaten, raped) during the year before the survey. Women with a history of victimization (during childhood or adolescence), greater depression and hostility, and greater frequency of going to bars were at risk for experiencing more severe bar-related aggression (Parks & Zetes-Zanatta, 1999). The second study involved a 12-week assessment of the relationships among alcohol use, drinking context, and victimization in 46 women from the first study. Results showed that when aggression occurred, women spent less time in the bar, consumed more alcohol and reported feeling more intoxicated (Parks, 2000). These two studies suggest that both the bar environment and women’s alcohol use in bars can increase their risk for bar-related victimization. The third study assessed women’s perceptions of an interaction with a male stranger in a laboratory bar setting after consumption of either one or four drinks. Women who consumed four drinks were more variable in their behavior toward the male stranger than women who consumed one drink. These women were more animated (e.g., greater arm/hand movements, more smiling and frowning) during these interactions, but less receptive to sexual interest from the man (Abbey et al., 2002). This research was funded by a grant of $504,540 from NIAAA, 1997-2003.
Parks	Victimization Experience of Women Who Drink in Bars: The focus of this research was on assessing the relationships among alcohol use, drinking context, and women’s risk for victimization. The research involved two studies of women bar drinkers: a survey of 200 women, and a 12-week study of a sub-sample of 50 women from the original 200. Funded by a grant of $85,300 from Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation, 1996-98.
Quigley	Alcohol and the Activation of Aggressive Thoughts This Scientist Development Award will provide Dr. Brian Quigley with the opportunity to engage in career development activities that advance his knowledge of social cognition and alcohol research. The research will examine the structure of alcohol expectancies regarding aggression and how those expectancies, when combined with intoxication, can influence the activation of aggressive cognitions. The first phase of this study is designed to examine if alcohol expectancies relating to aggression can be conceptualized as cognitive-associative memory networks and to assess the validity of three laboratory procedures for examining this question. The second phase will use procedures validated in the first study to examine the impact of intoxication and alcohol expectancies on the activation of aggressive cognitions. Dr. Quigley’s mentor on this project is Dr. Kenneth Leonard, RIA. Funded by a grant of $387,700 from NIAAA, 2003-2007.
Rychtarik/ McGillicuddy	Coping in Those with Pathological-Gambling Partners: This treatment development project extended the investigators’ prior work on coping in women with alcoholic partners to coping in individuals with a pathological-gambling partner. The project developed and piloted the content of a skill training program designed to assist individuals experiencing psychological stress resulting from problems brought on by their partner's gambling as a first-step in the development of a systematic program of research on coping in families of pathological gamblers. Funded by a grant of $665,476 from NIMH, 1999-2003.
Rychtarik	Skill Training for Women with Alcoholic Partners: Dr. Robert Rychtarik’s study evaluated the relative efficacy of skill training and twelve-step facilitation treatments for women whose alcoholic partner was not in treatment. Funded by a grant of $1,782,100 from NIAAA, 1990-1998.
Rychtarik	Treatment Setting and Aftercare Duration for Alcoholics: This study evaluated the relative efficacy of inpatient, intense outpatient, and standard outpatient treatment for alcoholics and tested two a priori hypotheses about matching clients to treatment settings. Funded by a grant of $787,919 from NIAAA, 1988-96.
Rychtarik	Treatment Setting and Aftercare Duration for Alcoholics: This study evaluated the relative efficacy of inpatient, intense outpatient, and standard outpatient treatment for alcoholics and tested two a priori hypotheses about matching clients to treatment settings. Funded by a grant of $787,919 from NIAAA, 1988-96.
Schuetze/Eiden	Pre- and Postnatal Cigarette Exposure and Infant Regulation: This study investigated the impact of pre-and postnatal exposure to cigarettes and associated risk factors on infant regulation. Regulation during infancy is defined by the ability to modulate autonomic processes by maintaining physiological homeostasis as well as the ability to modulate responsiveness to both nonsocial and social stimuli. Researchers examined the possibility that early exposure to cigarettes may impact regulation beyond the neonatal period through direct teratological impact, environmental cigarette smoke, and maternal cigarette use on growth outcomes that may in turn influence infant reactivity and regulation. Results will be posted at a later date detailing what was learned about the potential for prevention programs to ameliorate regulatory disturbances among children exposed to cigarettes . This study was a collaborative effort between Principal Investigator Pamela Schuetze, SUNY College at Buffalo, and Co-Investigator Rina Das Eiden, of RIA. Funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2002-2004.
Shen	Dopamine Function After Prenatal Ethanol Exposure: Abnormal dopamine neurotransmission is suggested to cause the attention and hyperactivity problems often observed in children with fetal alcohol effect/fetal alcohol syndrome (FAE/FAS). This study investigated how prenatal ethanol exposure influences the postnatal development of dopamine neurotransmission, how dopamine neurotransmission can be normalized by amphetamine-like stimulants, and more about the cellular mechanisms leading to these changes. The results of this study may lead to the development of more appropriate pharmacologic treatments for specific behavioral problems of FAE/FAS. Funded by a grant of $1,162,538 from NIAAA, 1999-2005.
Shen	Chronic Ethanol, Dopamine Electrophysiology and Craving: Dr. Roh-Yu Shen investigated the neurological basis of craving with electrophysiological method. The results obtained further characterize the brain mechanims of craving utlizing electrophysiological, neurochemical, and behavioral techniques. Funded by a grant of $199,362 from NIAAA, 1997-2001.
Stasiewicz	Contextual Control of Craving for Alcohol: Context has long been known to play a vital role in modulating acquired behavior. This project represented a test of the effect of context on alcohol craving and alcohol cue reactivity in treatment-seeking alcoholics. This research has implications for the development of alternative methods of conducting behavioral cue exposure treatments with the potential to enhance the generalization of treatment effects in the alcoholic's natural environment. Funded by a grant of $687,095 from NIAAA, 1999-2004.
Testa/Livingston	Alcohol and Women’s Responses to Sexual Aggression: This study examined the impact of alcohol on women’s ability to recognize and respond to risk of sexual aggression. One of the preliminary results was that alcohol consumption impairs women’s ability to recognize subtle sexual aggression cues and subsequently lowers intentions to engage in resistance strategies. Funded by a grant of $351,876 from NIAAA, 2002-2006.
Testa	Preventing HIV and Sexual Assault: The Role of Alcohol: This Independent Scientist Award funded Dr. Maria Testa’s development as a researcher while investigating the prevention of sexual victimization and sexual risk-taking behavior among women, with a focus on the role of alcohol. Results of her work during this period have the potential to contribute to the development of effective prevention programs for women. Funded by a grant of $357,728 from NIAAA, 1999-2005.
Testa	Alcohol, HIV Risk Behaviors, and Sexual Victimization: This project involved longitudinal examination of the interrelationships among alcohol use, HIV sexual risk behaviors, and sexual victimization. The sample consisted of 1014 women, 18-30 years old, selected through random digit dialing of households in the Buffalo metropolitan area. Funded by a grant of $1,585,322 from NIAAA and the NIH Director's Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH), 1999-2005.
Testa	Alcohol and Sexual Risk Taking Among Women: This Scientist Development Award supported Dr. Maria Testa’s investigation of the relationship between alcohol use, personality factors, and unsafe sexual behaviors. Funded by a grant of $509,823 from NIAAA, 1994-2000.
Testa	Health Beliefs and Alcohol Use in Pregnant Women: This project examined the association between women’s health beliefs regarding the dangers of alcohol during pregnancy and their actual consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. The role of social networks and perceived social support for drinking during pregnancy also were examined. Funded by a grant of $99,996 from NIAAA, 1992-95.
Walitzer/ Connors/ Dermen	Facilitating Involvement in AA During Alcoholism Outpatient Treatment: In this five year project, Dr. Kimberly Walitzer assessed the effectiveness of two strategies designed to facilitate involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous during a 12-session outpatient alcoholism treatment program. The “motivational” strategy focused on enhancement of clients’ motivation towards AA participation. The “directive-confrontive” strategy included AA education, instruction, and attendance contracts. Funded by a grant of $1,442,378 from NIAAA, 1999-2004.
Walitzer/Dermen	Spouse Involvement in the Treatment of Alcohol Problems: Dr. Kimberly Walitzer examined whether the involvement of the drinker’s spouse and the inclusion of marital therapy improves the effectiveness of programs targeted to adults with mild to moderate alcohol problems. Data analysis is ongoing. Funded by a grant of $2,006,786 from NIAAA, 1994-2000.
Welte/ Barnes/ Wieczorek	Co-occurrence of Gambling and Substance Use in the United States: This study was a nationwide telephone Survey of Gambling in the United States (SOGUS) conducted in 1999-2000 with 2,631 U.S. adults. It included a geographic analysis using census data and the distances from the respondent’s home to gambling facilities such as casinos and tracks. It found a prevalence of pathological gambling of between one and two percent, and also found a very strong co-morbidity between gambling and alcohol pathologies. The study also found that respondents living in disadvantaged neighborhoods had a higher than average chance of being pathological gamblers, as did those who lived within 10 miles of a casino. Funded by a grant of $1,194,053 from NIAAA, 1998-2002.
Welte	Hospital Intervention Service (HIS) Program Evaluation: This study evaluated the New York State Hospital Intervention Service. HIS screens hospital patients for alcohol and drug dependence, and if necessary, performs a brief intervention or referral to treatment. Results showed that the HIS reduced the amount of heavy drinking among those with whom it intervened. Funded by a grant of $798,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 1992-95.
Welte/Wieczorek/ Zhang/Barnes	Drinking and Delinquency in Young Men: This project was a three-wave panel study of the relationship between substance abuse and criminal offending. Data analysis is ongoing. The following is an example of the results obtained to date: Among heavy-drinking young men with low intelligence, violent criminal behavior is much more prevalent than would be expected merely from their heavy drinking. Funded by a grant of $1,816,462 from NIAAA, 1991-97.
York/Welte	Gender Comparison of Alcohol Exposure on Drinking Days: This project extended the investigators’ previous research on gender differences in alcohol consumption by focusing upon alcohol intake during discrete drinking episodes. The study documented for the first time the duration of typical drinking episodes, as well as the quantity of consumption, in a national general population survey of 2627 U.S. adults. This information, combined with anthropomorphic data, allowed for the reasoned estimation of the peak blood alcohol levels (BAC) achieved on a typical drinking day. The results found little difference between genders in the estimated peak BAC, which was also found to decrease gradually with advancing age in both genders. The study also quantified the risk of adult drinking problems for individuals who reported taking their first alcoholic drink in early adolescence and supported earlier reports that U.S. women are becoming more like men in their drinking habits. Funded by a grant of $116,250 from NIAAA, 2001-2003.
York	Age-Dependent Acquisition and Loss of Ethanol Tolerance: In this animal model study, the findings include: The discovery that old rats display a greater sensitivity to ethanol impairment of wakefullness, motor performance and body temperature regulation. The observation of a greater capability of young rats to develop “rapid” tolerance and chronic tolerance to ethanol. Funded with a grant of $264,591 from NIAAA, 1990-94.
York	Aging and Musculo-Motor Consequences of Alcohol Abuse: This musculo-motor performance study found the following: Slower simple reaction times in abstinent alcoholics than in controls. A tendency for males, particularly male alcoholics, to sacrifice accuracy for speed in a target-tapping task. The converse was true for female subjects, who tended to move slower but with more accuracy. Altered heart rate control (respiratory sinus arrhythmia) in detoxified alcoholics, with partial recovery after prolonged abstinence. Documentation of inhibitory motor control deficits ( jaw-jerk reflex) in alcoholics. Important similarities and differences between genders in alcohol intake patterns. Earlier age of onset of regular drinking, as well as greater quantities and frequencies of consumption at onset, in alcoholics compared to moderate drinkers. “Residual” effects of previous exposure to alcohol on diastolic blood pressure in abstinent alcoholics. Formulation of a “self-titration” hypothesis of alcohol intake regulation. Only slightly impaired muscle performance in detoxified alcoholics when the comparison control is properly selected and the size of muscle is controlled for. Funded with a grant of $782,069 from NIAAA, 1987-1994.