Concurrent Use of Alcohol and Crack Cocaine is Associated with High Levels of Anger and Liability to Aggression.

Objective: To evaluate aggressiveness in individuals receiving treatment for alcohol and crack cocaine use, both alone and in combination with one another, in order to compare them to control subjects with no history of drug problems, using the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory. Method: The sample consisted of 67 men aged 18-65 years, divided into four groups: alcohol (n = 13); crack cocaine (n = 25); crack cocaine + alcohol (n = 16) and controls (n = 13). Participants completed the following instruments: socioeconomic questionnaire, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory. Results: Individuals with alcohol dependence alone, or comorbid with crack cocaine dependence, showed elevated levels of aggression and anger, though these varied according to the drug of abuse. Concurrent users of alcohol and crack cocaine had the highest levels of aggression, followed by isolated alcohol users, suggesting an association between alcohol consumption and aggression. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that alcohol and aggression levels may be associated with violent behavior. Concurrent use of alcohol and crack cocaine was related to higher levels of aggression, which may be associated with more severe alterations in behavior and impulse control.

Altos níveis de impulsividade e consumo de álcool na adolescência / High levels of impulsivity and alcohol consumption in adolescence

Resumo O objetivo desse estudo foi verificar se os adolescentes que experimentaram álcool apresentavam menor controle inibitório e maior impulsividade do que aqueles que nunca beberam. A amostra foi coletada em seis escolas públicas e privadas de Porto Alegre e fizeram parte deste estudo 122 adolescentes entre 13 e 16 anos, de ambos os sexos. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: Questionário do início do uso de drogas, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS, adaptada para a faixa etária, que mede impulsividade e possui 3 subescalas que são: motora, desatenção e não-planejamento), Go/NoGo Task (tarefa computadorizada que avalia controle inibitório através de número de erros) e Five Digits Test (instrumento que avalia controle inibitório através de duas medidas, flexibilidade e inibição). Foi realizada uma comparação entre dois grupos, adolescentes que já consumiram álcool e os que ainda não haviam consumido. Os dois grupos foram comparados por testes t de Student para as variáveis impulsividade e controle inibitório. Houve diferença estatisticamente significativa na impulsividade em todas as sub-escalas da BIS, mas não houve diferença nas variáveis de controle inibitório. A literatura relata que comportamentos impulsivos na adolescência ocorrem por falta de maturação completa da região pré-frontal e isso pode estar associado com o consumo de álcool precoce, o qual explicaria a maior impulsividade dos adolescentes que já utilizaram álcool.

Abstract The aim of this study was verify if adolescents who tried alcohol beverage showed less inhibitory control and higher impulsivity compared with those who never drank. The sample was collected in six public and private schools in Porto Alegre and were tested 122 adolescents age between 13 and 16 years, from both sexes. The instruments used were: Questionnaire about early drug use, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (adapted for age group which measure impulsiveness and is divides in three subscales, motor, attentional and non-planning), Go/NoGo task (computerized task which evaluate inhibitory control through number of errors) and Five Digits Test (test that evaluate inhibitory control through two measures, flexibility and inhibition). A comparison was made between two groups, adolescents who already consumed alcohol and those who did not. The groups were compared with Student's t test in impulsiveness and inhibitory control variables. There were significant differences in impulsivity variables in all subscales of the BIS, but there were no significant differences in other inhibitory control variables. The literature reports that impulsive behaviors during adolescence occur for lack of full maturation of the prefrontal region and this may be associated with early alcohol consumption, what can explain the higher scores of impulsivity in the adolescents that already used alcohol found in this study.