Impaired serum cortisol stress response is a predictor of early relapse.
OBJECTIVE
to investigate a possible association of cortisol stress response during early abstention with relapse.


METHODS
Thirty-six alcohol-dependent males, half of them with a comorbid anxiety disorder, and 15 healthy controls were exposed to a standardized psychosocial stress test. Thirty-one of the patients were assessed for relapse 6 weeks after discharge.


RESULTS
The relapsers showed almost no cortisol responses in the stress test. Comorbid anxiety disorder influenced neither stress response nor relapse.


CONCLUSIONS
During early abstention from alcohol, reduced stress-responsivity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis seems to be connected to early relapse.
Junghanns
K
K
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Luebeck, Germany.
Backhaus
J
J
Tietz
U
U
Lange
W
W
Bernzen
J
J
Wetterling
T
T
Rink
L
L
Driessen
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D019540:Area Under Curve; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012008:Recurrence; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D013695:Temperance
D006854:Hydrocortisone