Early Subjective Response and Acquired Tolerance as Predictors of Alcohol Use and Related Problems in a Clinical Sample. (24th January 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Corbin, William R.; Scott, Caitlin; Leeman, Robert F.; Fucito, Lisa M.; Toll, Benjamin A.; O'Malley, Stephanie S.
• Is Part Of: Alcoholism. Volume 37:Number 3(2013:Mar.)
• Page Start: 490
• Page End: 497
• Publication Date: 2013-01-24
• Subjects: Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Alcoolisme; Electronic journals; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 616.861005
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01956.x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0145-6008

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="acer1956-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="acer1956-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Previous studies have demonstrated that a low subjective response (SR) to alcohol is a risk factor for alcohol use disorders (AUDs), and a recent study suggests that acquired tolerance can be differentiated from initial SR and is also significantly associated with drinking problems. Because the prior study of SR and tolerance focused on a sample of moderate drinkers, the goal of the current study was to examine relations between early SR, acquired tolerance, alcohol use, and alcohol‐related problems in a sample of young adults with clinically significant alcohol problems.</p> </sec> <sec id="acer1956-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>The current study examined associations between early SR and acquired tolerance and both drinking behavior and alcohol‐related problems within a sample of 113 heavy drinking young adults (66.1% male) volunteering for a clinical trial of naltrexone in combination with brief motivational counseling.</p> </sec> <sec id="acer1956-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Consistent with the 1 prior study examining simultaneous effects of early SR and tolerance, both early SR and acquired tolerance were positively associated with typical drinking behavior, although tolerance was a much stronger predictor within this clinical sample. In contrast to the prior study, early SR was inversely associated with risk for alcohol‐related problems, and tolerance was not a significant predictor of problems.</p> </sec> <sec id="acer1956-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>The results suggested that, controlling for weekly drinking, a low early SR protected against acute negative consequences within a sample of heavy drinkers who had acquired significant tolerance to alcohol effects. It is possible that this protective effect may eventually shift to a risk factor by allowing individuals with a low SR to persist in a pattern of hazardous drinking.</p> </sec> </abstract>