Bj. Powell et al., A DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY OF NORTRIPTYLINE AND BROMOCRIPTINE IN MALE ALCOHOLICS SUBTYPED BY COMORBID PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDERS, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 19(2), 1995, pp. 462-468
This double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-month follow-up treatment stu
dy investigated the efficacy of bromocriptine and nortriptyline in att
enuating drinking behavior and psychiatric symptoms in 216 male alcoho
lic patients subtyped by comorbid psychiatric disorder(s). Three well-
defined subtypes were examined: alcoholism only, alcoholism + affectiv
e/anxiety disorder, and alcoholism + antisocial personality disorder.
It was hypothesized that both medications would relieve negative affec
tive symptoms associated with alcohol use and would be particularly ef
fective for the affective/anxiety subgroup. Contrary to our prediction
s, the only significant effects found were with the antisocial persona
lity disorder patients who were receiving nortriptyline. One interpret
ation of the results was that nortriptyline may have reduced impulsive
drinking in the antisocial personality disorder subgroup by actions o
n serotonergic neurotransmission.