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'Loss of control' in alcoholics
Archives of General Psychiatry
|March 1, 1978
Summary
Alcoholics struggle to control their blood alcohol levels (BAL) using internal body cues. This suggests a neurophysiological feedback dysfunction may impair ethanol intake regulation in alcoholism.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Alcoholism is characterized by impaired control over ethanol consumption.
- Interoceptive cues play a role in regulating physiological states, including blood alcohol levels (BAL).
- Understanding the mechanisms of BAL regulation is crucial for addiction treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the ability of alcoholics to regulate their blood alcohol levels (BAL) using primarily interoceptive cues.
- To investigate potential neurophysiological feedback dysfunctions in alcoholics related to ethanol intake regulation.
- To compare BAL regulation in alcoholics versus control subjects under different feedback conditions.
Main Methods:
- Forty male alcoholics and 20 control subjects participated.
- Subjects underwent training to maintain BAL within a designated range.
- Experimental sessions involved 'overfeedback' and 'underfeedback' to assess drinking decisions and BAL regulation.
Main Results:
- Alcoholics demonstrated significantly greater "loss-of-control" in regulating their BAL compared to control subjects.
- The findings suggest alcoholics have difficulty using interoceptive signals for self-regulation of ethanol intake.
- Impaired feedback mechanisms were evident in the alcoholics' responses to over- and underfeedback conditions.
Conclusions:
- Alcoholics exhibit a deficit in regulating blood alcohol levels based on internal cues.
- A neurophysiological feedback dysfunction may underlie the impaired ethanol intake regulation observed in alcoholism.
- These findings support the hypothesis of a biological basis for the loss-of-control phenomenon in alcohol dependence.
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