Habituation of electrodermal reactivity to visual alcohol stimuli in alcoholics.
This study address the question of cued reactivity in alcoholics. Twenty alcoholic in-patients and 20 control subjects were presented with repeated exposures to a alcohol-related (A) and a neutral (B) slide, in either an ABA or BAB sequence. Skin Conductance Level (SCL) and Skin Conductance Responses (SCR) were recorded. Alcohol-dependent subjects showed increased SCR compared to the control subjects. This was, however, independent of whether the presented stimuli were alcohol-related or neutral. Thus, the results did not support the hypothesis of cued reactivity, but point to a nonspecific hyper-reactivity in alcohol-dependent subjects. The results are discussed in relation to risk-factors for alcoholism and relapse.
Stormark
K M
KM
Hjellestad Clinic, Norway.
Laberg
J C
JC
Bjerland
T
T
Hugdahl
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged