Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Jun 2006
Cold pressor task reactivity: predictors of alcohol use among alcohol-dependent individuals with and without comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder.
The association between stress and alcohol dependence has been well established. Abnormalities in stress reactivity and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) function may be involved in the mechanistic connection between stress and the initiation, development, and/or maintenance of alcohol dependence. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly co-occurs with alcohol dependence and is characterized by HPA axis abnormalities. This study investigated the relationship between subjective and neuroendocrine stress reactivity to the cold pressor task (CPT) and prospective alcohol use among individuals with alcohol dependence, with and without comorbid PTSD. ⋯ These preliminary findings demonstrate significant differences between the alcohol-only and the alcohol/PTSD group in predictors of relapse. For the alcohol-only group, reactivity to an acute laboratory stressor may be predictive of subsequent alcohol use. This was not true for the alcohol/PTSD group. Although preliminary, the findings may help shed light on the mechanistic relationship between stress reactivity and increased risk for alcohol relapse and dependence in individuals with and without other Axis I comorbidity.