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Neurochemical Correlates of Sympathetic Activation during Severe Alcohol Withdrawal
Author(s) -
Hawley Rollin J.,
Nemeroff Charles B.,
Bissette Garth,
Guidotti Alessandro,
Rawlings Robert,
Linnoila Markku
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1994.tb01429.x
Subject(s) - homovanillic acid , medicine , cerebrospinal fluid , endocrinology , neurochemical , alcohol , kindling , norepinephrine , lumbar puncture , chemistry , anesthesia , dopamine , stimulation , receptor , biochemistry , serotonin
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was obtained from 17 patients during acute alcohol withdrawal. Eight of these 17 patients had a second lumbar puncture a mean of 11.9 ± 8.1 ( sd ) days later, when the clinical signs of alcohol withdrawal had subsided. CSF 3‐methoxy‐4‐hydroxyphen‐ylglycol concentrations declined significantly ( p < 0.05) during the course of alcohol withdrawal from 52.0 ± 22.1 ( sd ) to 39.6 ± 12.6 pM/ml. In early withdrawal, there was a significant positive correlation between CSF norepinephrine (NE) and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) concentrations ( r = 0.95, p <0.001). Both NE and CRH concentrations correlated positively with diastolic blood pressure ( r = 0.88, p < 0.001 and r = 0.62, p < 0.05, respectively). In all samples, CSF 5‐hydroxyindole acetic acid concentrations correlated positively with CSF‐homovanillic acid concentrations ( r = 0.83, p < 0.001). These findings indicate significant perturbations of the noradrenergic neuronal system and a change in CRH‐NE interactions during acute alcohol withdrawal.