Stress and alcohol: the moderating effect of chronic stress on the acute stress--intoxication relationship.
OBJECTIVE
The present study evaluated whether chronic stress levels moderated the impact of laboratory stressors on subjective and behavioral responses to alcohol.


METHODS
Healthy volunteers (N = 60; 30 male) completed measures of background stress levels (e.g., major life events). In addition, subjects were exposed to two laboratory stressors (i.e., cold pressor or film stressor task) or a control condition after consuming a 0.7 g/kg dose of alcohol.


RESULTS
Regression analyses showed that the combination of high background stress levels and exposure to a lab stressor reduced two measures of perceived intoxication (i.e., Sensation Scale, Visual Analog Intoxication Scale).


CONCLUSIONS
These data are consistent with a biobehavioral model of alcohol use where acute and chronic stressors are associated with a diminished response to alcohol. The possible mechanisms that may underlie this sobering effect include stress-related cognitive deficits and situation specific tolerance associated with high chronic stress levels.
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology*; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*
D000431:Ethanol