Cited by 466Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorStress Responses and Cortisol

Enhanced Negative Emotion and Alcohol Craving, and Altered Physiological Responses Following Stress and Cue Exposure in Alcohol Dependent Individuals

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Sinha, Rajita, Fox, Helen C, Hong, Kwangik A, Bergquist, Keri, Bhagwagar, Zubin, Siedlarz, Kristen M·2009·Neuropsychopharmacology

Abstract

Chronic alcohol abuse is associated with changes in stress and reward pathways that could alter vulnerability to emotional stress and alcohol craving. This study examines whether chronic alcohol abuse is associated with altered stress and alcohol craving responses. Treatment-engaged, 28-day abstinent alcohol-dependent individuals (ADs; 6F/22M), and social drinkers (SDs; 10F/18M) were exposed to a brief guided imagery of a personalized stressful, alcohol-related and neutral-relaxing situation, one imagery condition per session, presented in random order across 3 days. Alcohol craving, anxiety and emotion ratings, behavioral distress responses, heart rate, blood pressure, and salivary cortisol measures were assessed. Alcohol patients showed significantly elevated basal heart rate and salivary cortisol levels. Stress and alcohol cue exposure each produced a significantly enhanced and persistent craving state in alcohol patients that was marked by increased anxiety, negative emotion, systolic blood pressure responses, and, in the case of alcohol cue, behavioral distress responses, as compared to SDs. Blunted stress-induced cortisol responses were observed in the AD compared to the SD group. These data are the first to document that stress and cue exposure induce a persistent negative emotion-related alcohol craving state in abstinent alcoholics accompanied by dysregulated HPA and physiological arousal responses. As laboratory models of stress and negative mood-induced alcohol craving are predictive of relapse outcomes, one implication of the current data is that treatments targeting decreases in stress and alcohol cue-induced craving and regulation of stress responses could be of benefit in improving alcohol relapse outcomes.

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Crossref · 10.1038/npp.2008.78

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Authors
Sinha, R., Fox, H. C., Hong, K. A., Bergquist, K., Bhagwagar, Z., & Siedlarz, K. M.
Affiliations
Yale University (US)
Venue
Neuropsychopharmacology
Published
2008-06-18
Volume
34
Issue
5
Pages
1198-1208
ISSN
  • 0893-133X (ISSN-L)
  • 1740-634X
OpenAlex
W2105130852
Cited by
466
References
87
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 38 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 41
FWCI
12.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuropsychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Yale University
  • Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum
  • Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (UL1 RR024139)
  • National Institutes of Health (1ul1rr024925-01)
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R0I-AA13892, R01AA013892)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (K02 DA17232, K02DA017232, PL1DA024859)
  • National Center for Research Resources (UL1-RR024925, UL1-RR24925, RR024139, UL1RR024139)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
Keywords
alcoholism, alcohol craving, negative emotions, stress response, alcohol cue exposure, guided imagery, salivary cortisol, heart rate, blood pressure, HPA axis dysregulation, anxiety, relapse, abstinence, social drinkers
MeSH terms
Adult, Blood Pressure, Cues, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Emotions, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Middle Aged, Saliva, Stress, Psychological, Behavior, Addictive, Alcohol-Related Disorders, Young Adult

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