A liquid formulation of sodium oxybate (Alcover(®)), the sodium salt of γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), is approved in Italy and Austria for use in alcohol withdrawal syndrome and for the maintenance of abstinence in alcohol dependence. This article reviews the efficacy and tolerability of sodium oxybate in alcohol withdrawal syndrome and in the maintenance of abstinence in alcohol dependence, as ...

BACKGROUND We previously reported increased current density through L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) (CaV1) channels in inferior colliculus (IC) neurons during alcohol withdrawal. However, the molecular correlate of this increased CaV1 current is currently unknown. METHODS Rats received three daily doses of ethanol every 8 hours for 4 consecutive days; control rats received vehicle. The IC was dis...

CONTEXT Studies suggest that dexmedetomidine-an intravenous central-acting α2-adrenergic agonist that effectively reduces anxiety among critically ill patients-is being used in patients with severe alcohol withdrawal. However, evidence supporting its use is limited, and it is not approved for this indication. OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of dexmedetomidine on severe alcohol withdrawal sympt...

BACKGROUND Alcohol withdrawal protocols involving symptom-triggered administration of benzodiazepine have been established to reduce the duration of treatment and the cumulative benzodiazepine dose (relative to usual care). However, the effects of a protocol combining fixed-schedule and symptom-triggered benzodiazepine dosing are less clear. OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy and safety of a co...

Introduction Although not often recommended, ethanol replacement is still used in hospitals, including ours. Since intravenous ethanol for alcohol withdrawal is mainly used in the intensive care units of our clinic, we reviewed literature to enable better liaison psychiatric consult for patients in this particular setting. Materials and methods We performed a MEDLINE search for pharmacological ...

Acetaldehyde (ACD), the first alcohol metabolite, plays a pivotal role in the rewarding, motivational, and addictive properties of the parental compound. Many studies have investigated the role of ACD in mediating neurochemical and behavioral effects induced by alcohol administration, but very little is known about the modulation of neuropeptide systems following ACD intoxication and withdrawal...

AIMS It was investigated whether the allele A9 of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1; SLC6A3) is associated with alcoholism, delirium tremens (DT), alcohol withdrawal seizures (AWS), or the daily alcohol intake. METHODS A group of 102 healthy subjects and 216 alcoholics, including 97 patients with a history of mild withdrawal symptoms, 65 with a history of AWS and 83 with a history of DT wer...

Periodic brain stimulation, particularly in the limbic system, at stimulus intensities initially too low to produce any behavioural or EEG effects, progressively produces EEG changes, motor automatisms, and eventually convulsions, an effect called kindling. Data are presented and reviewed that suggest that the severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms progressively increases over years of alcohol...

Alcohol withdrawal seizures are one major complication during detoxification treatment of alcohol dependent patients. Anticonvulsive pharmaceutical treatment can be administered but is associated with side-effects like nausea or hyponatriemia. Recent studies have identified different biomarkers that have been associated with the risk of alcohol withdrawal seizures. The aminoacid homocysteine as...

Oxidative stress is enhanced in alcoholic patients. This clinical study aimed to explore the correlation between alcohol withdrawal severity and two oxidative stress markers, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Seventy-six inpatients fulfilled the DSM-IV-TR criteria for alcohol dependence and 19 healthy controls were enrolled. Serum MDA level and SOD activity were measured wit...