title: Twenty-four hour ambulatory monitoring of tremor, sweating, skin temperature and locomotor activity in the alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
abstract: An ambulatory monitor has been used to determine the characteristic patterns of tremor, sweating, skin temperature and locomotor activity in subjects undergoing alcohol withdrawal. Twenty-four hour records were obtained from six male subjects who had been consuming an average of 345 g of alcohol per day prior to cessation and from a group of age-matched controls. Consistent with earlier research and clinical observation, tremor, sweating and locomotor activity were elevated in withdrawal subjects. Sweating was greatest in the period from approximately 00.00 h to 06.00 h, as was skin temperature. Tremor and activity levels decreased during this period, but were considerably higher in withdrawal subjects. The data suggest that 24-h monitoring of alcohol withdrawal using objective methods provides a more sensitive assessment technique than the standard clinical approaches. The technique may be of value in other dysautonomic states.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Frewin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Flavel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McGregor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013546:Sweating; D014202:Tremor / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol