ALCOHOLISM AND EMOTIONAL REACTIVITY - MORE HETEROGENEOUS FILM-INDUCEDEMOTIONAL RESPONSE IN NEWLY DETOXIFIED ALCOHOLICS COMPARED TO CONTROLS - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

Alcoholics are thought to be characterized by irregular emotional resp onses, having trouble reaching an optimal level of emotional arousal. They therefore may use alcohol to restore emotional homeostasis. This study investigated whether recently detoxified alcoholics show differe nt emotional responses as compared to controls. Film excerpts were use d to induce emotions in 14 newly detoxified alcoholics (9 men, 5 women ) and matched controls in a standardized laboratory setting. Subjectiv e emotional (questionnaires) and physiological measures were employed. Depression and cognitive deterioration were controlled. Based on subj ective ratings, alcoholics displayed greater variability of emotion; t hey displayed also fewer or no physiological arousal changes. Subjecti ve emotional responses were exceedingly high or low. These differences were not accounted for by depression or cognitive deterioration. We h ypothesize that alcohol could be used to restore an optimal level of e motional arousal. This homeostatic function of alcohol is yet to be cl early assessed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.