- Email: [email protected]
The Sidney Cohen Lectureship in Drug Abuse Medicine
Journal of Substance Abuse Trea#nent, VoL 4, pp. 145-149, 1987 Printed in the tibiA. All rights reserved.
The Sidney Cohen Lectureship in Drug Abuse Medicine EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION THE SIDNEY COHEN LECTURESHIP in Drug Abuse Medicine, in conjunction with the National Drug Abuse Medicine Award, was established in 1984 by the Institute for the Studies o f Destructive Behaviors and the Suicide Prevention Center of Los Angeles, in association with the South California Physicians Council on Drug Abuse. The award and lectureship were named after Sidney Cohen, MD, who was honored as the first recipient o f the award and gave the first lecture which was published in Volume l, Number 3 of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. The second lectureship, "Brain Chemistry and the Addictions" was presented by Dr. Avram Goldstein and published in Volume 3, Number 3 of JSAT. On February 20, 1987, Dr. Ernest P. Noble presented the third Sidney Cohen Lectureship in Drug
Abuse Medicine. Dr. Noble is the Pike Professor of Alcohol Studies and DireOor of the Alcohol Research Center o f the U.C.L.A. School of Medicine Neuropsychiatric Institute in Los Angeles, California. He received his PhD in Biochemistry from Oregon State University and his MD degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr. Noble's distinguished academic and service career has included several university appointments, and from 1976-1978 he served as Director o f ~he National lnstit,ate on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The Journal o f Substance Abuse Treatment is honored to publish Dr. Noble's paper, "Alcohol, Brain, and Society," presented February 20, 1987 in Los Angeles, Califonda.
John Imhof, M S W Editor-in-Chief
Alcohol, Brain, and Society ERNEST P. NOBLE, PhD, MD Alcohol Research Center. the Department of Psychiatry and BiobchavioralSciences and the Brain Research Institute, Universityof California, Los Angeles, CA
ALCOHOL, OR MORE PRECISELYethanol, is among the simplest organic molecules found in nature. Yet, this deceptive simplicity belies its extreme complexity of action upon the brain. Taken acutely, it causes an initial euphorogenic effect followed by depression of brain function. When consumed in sufficient quantities and over a prolonged period o f time, tolerance to this drug develops. In some individuals alcohol depen-
This work was support by a generous gift from The Seaver Institute. T h a n k s are due to to the many excellent scientific colleagues and volunteers who participated in these studies. Dr. Noble is the T h o m a s P. and Katherine K. Pike Professor of Alcohol Studies. Requests for reprints should be sent to Ernest P. Noble, Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, C A 90024.
145
dence develops, a phenomenon manifested by withdrawal reactions upon cessation or reduced intake of the drug. Besides its addictive liability, alcohol also has inherent toxic properties which are revealed in heavy users by damaged cellular and organ ~ystems including the brain. However, the effects of alcohol on humans are not invariant given the heterogeneous nature of our population and our unique biochemical individu',dity. A variety o f factors enhance or mitigate alcohol's effects dependent not only upon nature but also nurture. Given the multiplicity and complexity of ethanol's action on the body, it is not surprising that for a long time alcoholism researchers were in a veritable dark jungle. They kept stumbling into gullies and ditches, bumped their heads into trees or fell into swamps. Then almost suddenly, a few years ago, islands of light began to shine. In this brief presentation, I would like
The Sidney Cohen Lectureship in Drug Abuse Medicine EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION THE SIDNEY COHEN LECTURESHIP in Drug Abuse Medicine, in conjunction with the National Drug Abuse Medicine Award, was established in 1984 by the Institute for the Studies o f Destructive Behaviors and the Suicide Prevention Center of Los Angeles, in association with the South California Physicians Council on Drug Abuse. The award and lectureship were named after Sidney Cohen, MD, who was honored as the first recipient o f the award and gave the first lecture which was published in Volume l, Number 3 of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. The second lectureship, "Brain Chemistry and the Addictions" was presented by Dr. Avram Goldstein and published in Volume 3, Number 3 of JSAT. On February 20, 1987, Dr. Ernest P. Noble presented the third Sidney Cohen Lectureship in Drug
Abuse Medicine. Dr. Noble is the Pike Professor of Alcohol Studies and DireOor of the Alcohol Research Center o f the U.C.L.A. School of Medicine Neuropsychiatric Institute in Los Angeles, California. He received his PhD in Biochemistry from Oregon State University and his MD degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr. Noble's distinguished academic and service career has included several university appointments, and from 1976-1978 he served as Director o f ~he National lnstit,ate on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The Journal o f Substance Abuse Treatment is honored to publish Dr. Noble's paper, "Alcohol, Brain, and Society," presented February 20, 1987 in Los Angeles, Califonda.
John Imhof, M S W Editor-in-Chief
Alcohol, Brain, and Society ERNEST P. NOBLE, PhD, MD Alcohol Research Center. the Department of Psychiatry and BiobchavioralSciences and the Brain Research Institute, Universityof California, Los Angeles, CA
ALCOHOL, OR MORE PRECISELYethanol, is among the simplest organic molecules found in nature. Yet, this deceptive simplicity belies its extreme complexity of action upon the brain. Taken acutely, it causes an initial euphorogenic effect followed by depression of brain function. When consumed in sufficient quantities and over a prolonged period o f time, tolerance to this drug develops. In some individuals alcohol depen-
This work was support by a generous gift from The Seaver Institute. T h a n k s are due to to the many excellent scientific colleagues and volunteers who participated in these studies. Dr. Noble is the T h o m a s P. and Katherine K. Pike Professor of Alcohol Studies. Requests for reprints should be sent to Ernest P. Noble, Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, C A 90024.
145
dence develops, a phenomenon manifested by withdrawal reactions upon cessation or reduced intake of the drug. Besides its addictive liability, alcohol also has inherent toxic properties which are revealed in heavy users by damaged cellular and organ ~ystems including the brain. However, the effects of alcohol on humans are not invariant given the heterogeneous nature of our population and our unique biochemical individu',dity. A variety o f factors enhance or mitigate alcohol's effects dependent not only upon nature but also nurture. Given the multiplicity and complexity of ethanol's action on the body, it is not surprising that for a long time alcoholism researchers were in a veritable dark jungle. They kept stumbling into gullies and ditches, bumped their heads into trees or fell into swamps. Then almost suddenly, a few years ago, islands of light began to shine. In this brief presentation, I would like