[Skin resistance reaction to alcohol-related verbal stimuli in alcoholic adolescents]

In 25 patients with early alcoholism and 28 adolescents with initial experience with alcohol the skin conductance responses were tested under a range of stimuli. In the patients, the orienting responses to alcohol-relevant verbal stimulation were stronger and later extinguished as compared to normals suggesting higher subjective values of these words. The responses were increased in abstinence and directly depended on its duration. Indirect evidence pointed to the relation of psychophysiological indices to the craving to alcohol. The authors inferred that orienting response to alcohol-relevant stimuli can be a tool in the studies of alcoholism.