Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
05:12
Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Volume intake and craving in alcohol withdrawal
Thomas Hillemacher1, Kristina Bayerlein, Julia Wilhelm
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany. thomas.hillemacher@psych.imed.uni-erlangen.de
Alcohol and Alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire)
|November 5, 2005
Summary
Daily alcohol volume intake, not ethanol content, is linked to craving in men during alcohol withdrawal. This suggests volume-regulating mechanisms may play a role in alcohol dependence.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Addiction Medicine
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Alcohol craving is a key factor in alcohol use disorder.
- Previous research suggests beer consumption, unlike wine or spirits, is linked to craving.
- The role of total beverage volume versus ethanol content in craving requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between daily volume intake of alcoholic beverages and craving in male patients undergoing alcohol withdrawal.
- To determine if total beverage volume or daily ethanol intake is more strongly associated with craving.
Main Methods:
- 158 male patients undergoing alcohol withdrawal were assessed.
- Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) was used to measure craving.
- Daily volume intake was calculated irrespective of alcohol percentage; Lesch's typology was used for subgroup analysis.
Main Results:
- A significant correlation was found between daily alcohol volume intake and OCDS scores (r = 0.33; P < 0.001).
- General linear models revealed a significant association between total beverage volume intake and craving (P = 0.012), but not daily ethanol intake.
- Lesch Type 2 (anxiety model) patients showed a particularly significant association between volume intake and craving (P = 0.001).
Conclusions:
- The study supports the hypothesis that the volume of alcohol consumed is associated with craving.
- Findings suggest that pathophysiological changes in volume-regulating mechanisms may contribute to the neurobiology of alcohol craving.
- This association appears particularly relevant in male patients with Lesch Type 2 classification during alcohol withdrawal.
More Related Videos
08:45Modeling Alcohol Consumption in Rodents Using Two-Bottle Choice Home Cage Drinking and Microstructural Analysis
Published on: November 8, 2024
07:31Murine Drinking Models in the Development of Pharmacotherapies for Alcoholism: Drinking in the Dark and Two-bottle Choice
Published on: January 7, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:27CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Ethanol, a clear colorless alcohol, has been consumed by humans for millennia, but its effects on the body are far from benign. At lower doses, it induces decreased inhibitions and loquaciousness, leading to its social appeal. However, it can cause severe consequences at higher doses, such as coma and respiratory depression, due to its zero-order elimination kinetics. Chronic ethanol abuse wreaks havoc on multiple organ systems, particularly the CNS and the liver. Abrupt cessation of ethanol...
01:17Drug Dependence
Medications are typically administered to achieve therapeutic effects. Some drugs can modify an individual's mood and perception, frequently resulting in various enjoyable experiences. However, this can result in drug dependency, a condition marked by continuous drug use despite potential negative consequences. Drug dependency primarily falls into two categories: psychological and physical dependence. Psychological dependence occurs when the pleasurable feelings induced by the drug...
01:25Primary Motives: Hunger and Thirst
Hunger and thirst are fundamental physiological drives crucial for maintaining homeostasis and ensuring the survival of both humans and animals. These drives are regulated through complex interactions between the brain, hormones, and sensory receptors.
Hunger arises when the brain detects changes in the body's nutrient levels, including glucose, lipids, amino acids, and hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. The hypothalamus plays a central role in hunger regulation. The lateral hypothalamus acts...
Hunger arises when the brain detects changes in the body's nutrient levels, including glucose, lipids, amino acids, and hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. The hypothalamus plays a central role in hunger regulation. The lateral hypothalamus acts...
01:29Disorder of Water Balance
Water balance disorders are medical conditions that occur when there is a deviation from the body's water volume or osmolarity, disrupting normal homeostasis and leading todehydration, hypotonic hydration, hyperhydration, edema, or water intoxication.
Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when the body loses fluids (particularly water).
Causes:
The major causes of dehydration include excessive sweating, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and diuresis.
Signs and Symptoms:
Symptoms primarily include intense...
Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when the body loses fluids (particularly water).
Causes:
The major causes of dehydration include excessive sweating, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and diuresis.
Signs and Symptoms:
Symptoms primarily include intense...
01:24Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
01:30Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by a cyclical pattern of binge-and-purge eating pattern. It generally involves an episode of binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, excessive exercise, laxative use, or fasting, to prevent weight gain. Despite often maintaining a normal weight, individuals with bulimia are intensely preoccupied with their body image and harbor an overwhelming fear of gaining weight. This can contribute to the...