title: Assessment of GABAA benzodiazepine receptor (GBzR) sensitivity in patients with alcohol dependence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to measure GABAA benzodiazepine receptor (GBzR) sensitivity in alcohol-dependent patients and compare with matched non-dependent drinkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine abstinent alcohol-dependent male patients, age matched with nine male non-dependent social drinkers, received an intravenous infusion of midazolam. Objective (saccadic eye movement slowing) and subjective (visual analogue scales) measurements were recorded at 15-min intervals for 2 h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in objective or subjective measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our hypothesis that patients with alcohol dependence would have less slowing of their eye movements in response to this challenge, reflecting reduced GBzR sensitivity, was not confirmed. The reasons for this could mean that GBzR function returns to normal with abstinence, or that this paradigm is unable to measure the subtle subtype-specific changes in GBzR sensitivity that occur following dependent alcohol use.
authors.affiliation: Psychopharmacology Unit, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lingford-Hughes
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nutt
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Potokar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008874:Midazolam / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D012438:Saccades / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013695:Temperance
chemical_list: D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D008874:Midazolam