Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T15:36:51.207Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The influence of alcohol oral intake on the effects of 35% CO2 challenge. A study in healthy volunteers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2014

Fiammetta Cosci ,
Koen Schruers ,
Carlo Faravelli  and
Eric Griez
Fiammetta Cosci
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e Psichiatriche, Viale Morgagni, Firenze, Italy
Koen Schruers
Affiliation:
Maastricht University, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Carlo Faravelli
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e Psichiatriche, Viale Morgagni, Firenze, Italy
Eric Griez*
Affiliation:
Maastricht University, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht, the Netherlands
*
Prof Dr Eric Griez, Maastricht University, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, PO Box 616, 6200 mD Maastricht, the Netherlands. Tel: +31 43 3685332; Fax: +31 43 3685331; E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

Alcohol use disorders and panic disorder co-occur at a rate that exceeds chance significantly. The underlying mechanism of alcoholism associated with anxiety has rarely been examined using experimental methodologies. The present study in healthy volunteers tested whether alcohol consumption reduces anxiety associated with a panic-challenge procedure (35% CO2 challenge).

Methods:

The study design was placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized. Eight healthy volunteers were enrolled; all subjects had an alcohol and a placebo oral intake according to a crossover design. After each consumption the subjects underwent the 35% CO2 challenge and a series of anxiety symptom assessments.

Results:

After the alcohol intake, the subjects presented a significant reduction in the anxiety state associated with the challenge procedure. The Panic Symptom List score is significantly lower after alcohol intake (P = 0.032), as compared with the placebo, and the Visual Analogue Anxiety Scale shows a trend to be lower after alcohol intake (P = 0.111).

Conclusions:

Moderate doses of alcohol acutely decrease the response to a 35% CO2 challenge in healthy volunteers. These results lend support to the pharmacological anxiolytic effect of alcohol and suggest that this property may reinforce the drinking behaviour among those with high levels of anxiety.

Keywords

alcoholhealthy subjectspanicprovocation
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 16 , Issue 2 , April 2004 , pp. 107 - 109
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 Blackwell Munksgaard

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Himle, JA, Hill, EM. Alcohol abuse and the anxiety disorders: evidence from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Survey. J Anxiety Disord 1991;5: 237–245. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kessler, RC, Crum, RM, Warner, LA, Nelson, CB, Schunlenberg, J, Anthony, LC. Lifetime co-occurence of DSM IIIR alcohol abuse and dependence with other psychiatric disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch General Psychiatry 1997;54: 313–321. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quitkin, FM, Rifkin, A, Kaplan, J, Klein, DF. Phobic anxiety syndrome complicated by drug dependence and addiction. Arch General Psychiatry 1972;27: 159–162. CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maier, W, Minges, J, Lichtermann, D. Alcoholism and panic disorder. co-occurence and co-transmission in families. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 1993; 243(3–4):205–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liljequist, S, Engel, JA. The effects of GABA and benzodiazepine receptor antagonists on the anti- conflict actions of diazepam or ethanol. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1984;21(4):521–525.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
St Clair, HR. Recognizing Alcoholism and Its Effects. A Mini-Guide. Basel: Karger AG, 1991. Google Scholar
Dager, SR, Cowley, DS, Dunner, DL. Biological markers in panic states: lactate-induced panic and mitral valve prolapse. Biol Psychiatry 1987;22: 339–359.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Griez, E, De Loof, C, Pols, H, Zandbergen, J, Lousberg, H. Specific sensitivity of patients with panic attacks to carbon dioxide inhalation. Psychiatry Res 1990;31: 193–199.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Verburg, K, Perna, G, Griez, EJL. A case study of the 35% CO2 challenge. In: Griez, EJL, Faravelli, C, Nutt, D, Zohar, J, eds. Anxiety Disorders. An Introduction to Clinical Management and Research. Chichester, UK: John Wiley, 2001: 341–357.Google Scholar
George, DT, Nutt, DJ, Waxman, RP, Linnoila, M. Panic response to lactate administration in alcoholic and nonalcoholic patients with panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry 1989;146: 1161–1165.Google ScholarPubMed
Cowley, DS, Jensen, CF, Johannessen, D, Parker, L, Dager, SR, Walker, RD 1989 Response to sodium lactate infusion in alcoholics with panic attacks. Am J Psychiatry 1994;146: 1479–1483.Google ScholarPubMed
Kushner, MG, Mackenzie, TB, Fiszdon, Jet al. The effects of alcohol consumption on laboratory-induced panic and state anxiety. Arch General Psychiatry 1996; 53: 264–270. CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sheehan, DV, Lecrubier, Y, Sheenan, KHet al. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) the development and validation of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10. J Clin Psychiatry 1998;59(20):22–33.Google ScholarPubMed
Jones, BM. Circadian variation in the effect of alcohol on cognitive performance. Q J Study Alcohol 1974;35: 1212–1219. Google Scholar
Jones, BM, Jones, MK. Alcohol effects in women during the menstrual cycle. Ann NY Acad Sci 1976;273: 576–587.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fisher, HR, Simpson, RI, Kupur, BM. Calculation of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) by sex, weight, number of drinks and time. Can J Public Health 1987;78: 300–304.Google Scholar
Watson, PE, Watson, ID, Batt, RD. Prediction of blood alcohol concentration in human subjects. J Stud Alcohol 1981;42: 547–556.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Centraal Bureau Voor de Statistiek. http://www.cbs.nl. Centraal Bureau Voor de Statistiek, 2001. Google Scholar
Levenson, RW, Oyama, ON, Meek, PS. Greater reinforcement from alcohol for those at risk: parental risk, personality risk, and sex. J Abnormal Psychol 1987; 96: 242–253. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deboer, MC, Schippers, GM, Vanderstaak, CPF. The effect of alcohol, expectancy, and alcohol beliefs on anxiety and self-disclosure in women: do beliefs moderate alcohol effects? Addict Behav 1994;53: 541–545. Google Scholar
Spielberger, CD, Gorsuch, RL, Lusene, RE. STAI Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1970. Google Scholar
Zung, WWK. A rating instrument for anxiety disorders. Psychosomatics 1971;12: 371–377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
American Psychiatric Association (APA). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edn. Washington, DC: APA. Google ScholarPubMed
Hull, J. A Self-awareness model of the causes and effects of alcohol consumption. J Abnorm Psychol 1981;90: 586–600.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kissin, B. Alcoolismo e abuso di alcool. In: Bennett, JC, Plum, F, eds. Cecil Trattato Di Medicina Interna, 20tesima Edizione. Roma: Verduci, 1997: 55. Google Scholar
Tagawa, M, Kano, M, Okamura, Net al. Relationship between effects of alcohol on psychomotor performance and blood alcohol concentrations. Jpn J Pharmacol 2000;83(3):253–260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Howland, J, Rohsenow, DJ, Cote, J, Gomez, B, Mangione, TW, Laramie, AK. Effects of low-dose alcohol exposure on simulated merchant ship piloting by maritime cadets. Accid Anal Prev 2001;33(2):257–265.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed