1. Of 96 alcoholics admitted for detoxification, 48% were hypertensive (systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure greater than 90 mmHg). 2. Elevation of both systolic and diastolic blood pressures was related to the severity of alcohol-withdrawal symptoms. 3. After these symptoms had abated only 9% of patients remained hypertensive. 4. Blood pressure remained norma...

Cardiac function was evaluated by noninvasive techniques in 50 patients hospitalized during acute alcohol withdrawal treatment. All patients had ingested large amounts of alcohol for at least five years, but discontinued alcohol intake 24 to 72 hours prior to admission. There was no clinical history of heart disease in any of the patients. Our study employed 12-lead electrocardiograms (daily) a...

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is an acute condition secondary to total or partial reduction of alcohol consumption, characterized by self limited signs and symptoms and different degrees of severity. It can be complicated by several clinical and/or other psychiatric related problems. The objective of this article is to review the most important psychiatric complications to alcohol withdrawal synd...

AIMS This study aims to investigate sleep quality and the subjective dream experience in alcohol-dependent patients during withdrawal and abstinence compared with healthy controls. METHODS Thirty-seven patients with alcohol dependency and 35 healthy control subjects were asked to fill in several questionnaires and to give information about their subjective sleep and dream experiences. Twelve ...

This study explored the relationship between group norms for drinking and two indicators of student performance. Based on data from 96 undergraduate students (mean age 22 years) living in 21 student houses, the multilevel hypotheses that (a) house alcohol climate is associated with student alcohol consumption, (b) student alcohol consumption is associated with student withdrawal behavior (i.e.,...

Alcohol withdrawal is a clinical state characterized by symptoms such as tremors, tachycardia, sweating, nausea and vomiting, headache, malaise, insomnia, grand mal convulsions amongst others. Patients typically present acutely with history of recent cessation or reduction heavy alcohol use after long period repeated, persistent use. It may feature perceptual disturbances illusions hallucinatio...

Alcohol addiction is a worldwide problem. It has mainly two components: dependence and withdrawal. Characteristic properties of most anti-addictive compounds include anti-anxiety, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, and nootropic actions. Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis. Convolvulaceae), known ethnopharmacologically as brain tonic, possess all the properties mentioned above. Here, we screen s...

Symptoms of withdrawal from chronic alcohol use are a driving force for relapse in alcohol dependence. Thus, uncovering molecular targets to lessen their severity is key to breaking the cycle of dependence. Using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we tested whether one highly conserved ethanol target, the large-conductance, calcium-activated potassium channel (known as the BK channel or Slo1)...