title: Biphasic alcohol response differs in heavy versus light drinkers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most studies of risk factors for alcohol-related problems have focused on biological family history as a primary risk factor. However, other factors, such as early-age heavy drinking, are also risk factors for sustained or progressive heavy consumption. Little is currently known about the mechanisms underlying binge or heavy drinking.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study examined the acute subjective and objective effects of ethanol in heavy drinkers versus light drinkers. Thirty-four subjects participated in this within-subjects study consisting of three early-evening testing sessions in which subjects consumed a beverage containing either 0.8 or 0.4 g/kg ethanol or placebo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with lighter drinkers, heavy drinkers were more sensitive to the positive stimulant-like effects of ethanol (p < 0.05), especially during the increasing limb of the blood alcohol curve. Heavy drinkers also showed less sedation and cortisol response after alcohol than the light drinkers (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that young adult binge drinkers show a biphasic alcohol response, with heightened sensitivity to stimulant-like alcohol effects and greater tolerance to sedative alcohol effects compared with their light-drinking counterparts.
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Illinois 60637, USA. aking@yoda.bsd.uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Andrea C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Houle
authors.forename: Harriet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Wit
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Holdstock
authors.forename: Alyson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schuster
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D006854:Hydrocortisone