A benzodiazepine mood effect scale: Reliability and validity determined for alcohol-dependent subjects and adults with a parental history of alcoholism

The Tufts Addiction Research Center Inventory-Morphine Benzedrine Group (AR CI-MBG) scale was designed to measure benzodiazepine-induced mood elevation . The reliability and validity of the Tufts ARCI-MBG scale were determined in 64 subjects with a history of alcoholism (HA), a positive history of par ental alcoholism, defined as one or both parents meeting DSM-III-R criteria for alcohol dependence (PHP), and matched control subjects. Significant co rrelations were found for within-day Tufts ARCI-MBG scale scores for all gr oups and for between-day scores for PHP and matched control subjects. Inter item reliability was significant for pooled baseline scores. For HA subject s, correlations between mean Tufts ARCI-MBG scale and Drug Liking scores th at were obtained after either alprazolam or diazepam administration were si gnificant. These results suggest that the Tufts ARCI-MBG scale is a reliabl e test that is a valid measure of benzodiazepine-induced mood elevation.