Alcohol and Aging

I. Diagnosis and Epidemiology; 1. Alcoholic elderly: prevalence, screening, diagnosis, and prognosis; 2. The epidemiology of alcohol use, problems and dependence in elders: a review; 3. Alcohol and medication in the elderly: complex interactions; 4. Comorbidity in elderly alcoholics; 5. Alcohol-related medical disorders of older heavy drinkers; 6. Cognition, aging, and alcohol; 7. Alcohol, aging and genetics; II. Biology and Biochemistry; 8. Ethanol metabolism and intoxication in the elderly; 9. Alcohol, aging, infections and immunity; 10. Age differences in effects of alcohol on brain membrane structure, neurotransmitters and receptors; 11. The effects of aging on the interaction of ethanol with chemical neurotransmission in the brain; III. Treatment of Alcohol Problems; 12. Older alcolics: entry into treatment; 13. Treatment programs for aging alcoholics; 14. Cognitive therapy with elderly alcoholics; 15. Life context, coping responses, and adaptive outcomes: a stress and coping perspective on late-life problem drinking; 16. Treatment of medically ill alcoholics in the primary care setting; IV. Special Groups; 17. Drinking and problem drinking in older women; 18. Elderly homeless alcoholic careers; 19. Black and white older men: alcohol use and abuse; V. Summary; 20. Alcohol and aging: looking ahead