Reduced dopaminergic function in alcoholics is related to severe dependence

• Published in: Biological psychiatry (1969) Vol. 39; no. 3; pp. 193 - 198
• Main Authors: Schmidt, Lutz G., Dettling, Michael, Graef, Klaus-Jürgen, Heinz, Andreas, Kuhn, Silke, Podschus, Jan, Rommelspacher, Hans
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.02.1996; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Alcoholism; Alcoholism - diagnosis; Alcoholism - physiopathology; Alcoholism - rehabilitation; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Apomorphine; Biological and medical sciences; dependence syndrome; dopamine; Dopamine - physiology; Dopamine Agonists; Female; Follow-Up Studies; growth hormone; Growth Hormone - blood; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; neuroendocrinology; Receptors, Dopamine D2 - physiology; relapse; Temperance; Toxicology; Treatment Outcome; neuroendocrinology; dependence syndrome; apomorphine; relapse; Alcoholism; growth hormone; dopamine; Human; Relapse; Dopamine; Adenohypophyseal hormone; Pathophysiology; STH; Dependence; Neurotransmitter

With a view to the role of dopamine (DA) systems in reward processes and considering recent studies linking specific alleles at the DA-D2 receptor gene locus with alcoholism (especially with severe types) dopaminergic functions were evaluated in 49 alcoholics using growth hormone (GH) response to DA...