Autonomic reactivity to mental stressors after single administration of lorazepam in male alcoholics and healthy controls.
Clinically unaffected sons of male alcoholics differ from controls without a family history of alcoholism in two respects: increased autonomic reactivity to aversive as well as non-aversive stimuli and increased attenuation of these responses by alcohol. This pattern of autonomic hyper-reactivity and alcohol-induced stress response dampening (SRD) might be a trait marker of genetic vulnerability and is often interpreted in terms of a diathesis stress model of alcohol dependence. Forty-five alcohol-dependent men (mean age: 39.20 years) and 37 healthy controls (mean age: 35.03 years) participated in a double-blind cross-over study in two experimental sessions each. The benzodiazepine lorazepam was selected as an alcohol substitute. Autonomic reactivity and lorazepam-induced SRD were assessed during incentive and non-incentive reaction time tasks as well as mental arithmetics. Alcohol-dependent men showed elevated resting heart rate levels and increased number of non-specific electrodermal responses. Evidence for autonomic hyper-reactivity was found for a subgroup of alcoholics with a family history of alcoholism.
Demmel
R
R
Psychological Institute I, University of Muenster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Muenster, Germany.
Rist
F
F
Olbrich
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008140:Lorazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000187:drug effects; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D008140:Lorazepam