Pharmacological treatment for antisocial personality disorder alcoholics: a preliminary study.
A short time ago, we reported that a subgroup of hospitalized alcoholic men with comorbid antisocial personality disorder (ASP) seemed to benefit significantly from antidepressant medication at the end of a 6-month period in a double-blind, random assignment, placebo-controlled study. In a reanalysis of those data, we divided the ASP alcoholic group (n = 29) into those who did (n = 15) and who did not (n = 14) also satisfy DSM-III-R criteria for an additional current mood and/or anxiety disorder and then compared the 6-month outcomes of these two smaller subgroups. Despite the small ns, the results for most drinking outcome measures indicated: (1) that ASP alcoholics with a current mood/anxiety disorder improved significantly more with pharmacological treatment, relative to placebo; and (2) that ASP alcoholics with no current mood/anxiety disorder failed to respond differentially to pharmacological treatment over the 6-month period. These findings suggest a possibly useful and inexpensive approach to the long-term management of a very difficult-to-treat subgroup of men substance abusers.
Penick
E C
EC
Department of Psychiatry, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City 66160-7341, USA.
Powell
B J
BJ
Campbell
J
J
Liskow
B I
BI
Nickel
E J
EJ
Dale
T M
TM
Thomas
H M
HM
Laster
L J
LJ
Noble
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D001971:Bromocriptine; D009661:Nortriptyline