[Types of alcoholic abstinence and the dexamethasone test]

The study covered 54 males with stage II alcoholism with various types of the abstinence syndrome in the state of acute abstinence (the first day of alcohol discontinuation) and 10 healthy males. The baseline cortisol levels were radioimmunoassayed and the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was performed. The baseline levels of cortisol were elevated in all 4 types of the abstinence syndrome, being significantly higher in the dysphoric type. An abnormal DST was observed in 25 patients (46.3%) and was significantly more frequent in the depressive and schizothymovegetative types of the abstinence syndrome as against the asthenovegetative and dysphoric types and control. Psychometric examination revealed certain differences in the degree of abstinence symptoms and some clinical characteristics of the disease between patients with a pathologic and a normal DST.