Craving for alcohol and dopamine receptor sensitivity in alcohol-dependentmen and control subjects

Detoxified alcohol-dependent men and control subjects were repetitively exp osed by sight and smell to either a neutral cue (tea) or an alcohol-related cue (their favourite alcoholic beverage) to provoke a maximum craving resp onse. Additionally, their dopamine receptor sensitivity was evaluated by me asuring growth hormone (HGH) response to stimulation with the dopamine rece ptor agonist apomorphine (APO). It was hypothesized that the subjects' desi re to drink (craving) is related to their dopaminergic activity. In both gr oups, craving increased in the presence of the alcohol stimulus with signif icantly higher craving scores in alcoholics than in controls. However, in n one of the groups and at no cue exposure did the craving response correlate with the individuals' dopaminergic activity as reflected by HGH release. T herefore, this study cannot add support to the hypothesis that craving for alcohol is associated with dopamine receptor sensitivity in abstinent alcoh olics or healthy control subjects.