Search

Introduction and Aims.Aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of relapse with impulsivity, novelty seeking (NS) and craving during 12 month follow up after inpatient treatment in male alcohol dependents. Design and Methods.Among 156 consecutively admitted male alcohol dependents, 102 were examined by face to face interview 12 months after discharge from hospital. Patients were investigated with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, version 11 (BIS-11), the NS dimension of the Temperament and Character Inventory, the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS) and Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test at the end of 12 months. Results.Among 102 alcohol-dependent inpatients 61.8% (n = 63) were considered as relapsed to alcohol use during 12 month follow up. Sociodemographic variables did not differ between relapsed and non-relapsed groups. Mean scores of BIS-11 and NS and subscales of these scales were higher in relapsed group than non-relapsed group. BIS-11 and NS and their subscales were positively correlated with each other. PACS was also positively correlated with these scales and their subscales. Only exception was ‘exploratory excitability’ (NS1) subscale of NS, which did not differ between groups and did not correlate with PACS or BIS-11. Extravagance (NS3) and BIS-11 non-planning impulsiveness (NPI) scores were associated with craving in Stepwise Linear Regression model. Only NS3 showed an association with relapse in the first Forward Wald logistic regression model. When severity of craving was included in the second model, as an independent variable, it was also associated with relapse additional to NS3. Discussion and Conclusions.Both impulsivity and NS seem to be related with craving and relapse. Particularly, NS3 may be related with relapse both directly and indirectly via craving, whereas NPI may be related with relapse only indirectly via craving. Thus severity of craving may be a final pathway to relapse in these relationships of NS3 and NPI with relapse. These findings suggest that impulsivity, NS and craving are important variables to predict outcome and also for the treatment plan.[Evren C, Durkaya M, Evren B, Dalbudak E, Cetin R. Relationship of relapse with impulsivity, novelty seeking and craving in male alcohol-dependent inpatients. Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:81–90]

Aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of relapse with impulsivity, novelty seeking (NS) and craving during 12 month follow up after inpatient treatment in male alcohol dependents.Among 156 consecutively admitted male alcohol dependents, 102 were examined by face to face interview 12 months after discharge from hospital. Patients were investigated with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, version 11 (BIS-11), the NS dimension of the Temperament and Character Inventory, the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS) and Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test at the end of 12 months.Among 102 alcohol-dependent inpatients 61.8% (n = 63) were considered as relapsed to alcohol use during 12 month follow up. Sociodemographic variables did not differ between relapsed and non-relapsed groups. Mean scores of BIS-11 and NS and subscales of these scales were higher in relapsed group than non-relapsed group. BIS-11 and NS and their subscales were positively correlated with each other. PACS was also positively correlated with these scales and their subscales. Only exception was 'exploratory excitability' (NS1) subscale of NS, which did not differ between groups and did not correlate with PACS or BIS-11. Extravagance (NS3) and BIS-11 non-planning impulsiveness (NPI) scores were associated with craving in Stepwise Linear Regression model. Only NS3 showed an association with relapse in the first Forward Wald logistic regression model. When severity of craving was included in the second model, as an independent variable, it was also associated with relapse additional to NS3.Both impulsivity and NS seem to be related with craving and relapse. Particularly, NS3 may be related with relapse both directly and indirectly via craving, whereas NPI may be related with relapse only indirectly via craving. Thus severity of craving may be a final pathway to relapse in these relationships of NS3 and NPI with relapse. These findings suggest that impulsivity, NS and craving are important variables to predict outcome and also for the treatment plan.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of life quality with alexithymia, temperament and character dimensions of personality.Participants were 156 consecutively admitted male alcohol dependents. Patients were investigated with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Temperament and Character Inventory, the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item health survey.Among alcohol-dependent inpatients 30.1% were considered as alexithymic. Severity of alcohol related problems was higher in alexithymic group, whereas quality of life (QoL) was lower. Alexithymia, novelty seeking (NS) and harm avoidance (HA) were negatively, reward dependence, self-directedness and cooperativeness were positively correlated with QoL scores. 'Difficulty in identifying feelings' (DIF) factor of alexithymia and HA were the determinants of physical dimension of Life Quality in Linear Regression model, whereas DIF, HA and NS were the predictors of mental dimension score.Among alcohol-dependent men, DIF factor of alexithymia and personality dimensions, particularly HA and NS are associated with impairment of QoL. Direction of this relationship and factors that may mediate this relationship is unclear.