Studies of Alpha-2-Adrenoceptor Function in Abstinent Alcoholics |
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| Authors: | PAUL GLUE MRCPsych J DOUGLAS SELLMAN FRANZCPsych M GARY NICHOLLS FRACP ROBYN ABBOTT RN PETER R JOYCE FRANZCPsych DAVID J NUTT DM MRCP MRCPsych |
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| Institution: | Clinical Research Unit, Sunnyside Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand;Department of Endocrinology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand;University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom |
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| Abstract: | Hormonal, haemodynamic and subjective psychological responses to the intravenous infusion of clonidine were investigated in nine male alcoholics who had been abstinent for 5 weeks, and were compared with those of nine healthy controls. The growth hormone response to clonidine was significantly blunted in the abstinent alcoholics. Both baseline cortisol levels and the clonidine-induced cortisol decrease were significantly greater in the alcoholics than in controls. Blood pressure, pulse rate and psychological responses to clonidine were similar in both groups. These results indicate that some aspects of alpha-2-adrenoceptor sensitivity are persistently abnormal in alcoholics at least 5 weeks into abstinence. |
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