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Background Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS) studies have demonstrated abnormal levels of a variety of neurometabolites in inpatients/outpatients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) following acute alcohol withdrawal relative to healthy controls. In contrast, few studies have compared neurometabolite levels between less severe, treatment-naive AUD individuals and light drinkers (LD) or related them to recent alcohol consumption. The present study compared neurometabolite levels between treatment-naive AUD and LD individuals. Methods Twenty treatment-naive individuals with AUD and 20 demographically matched LD completed an 1 H-MRS scan, approximately 2.5 days following their last reported drink. 1 H-MRS data were acquired in dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) using a 2-dimensional J-resolved point-resolved spectroscopy sequence. dACC neurometabolite levels, with a focus on glutamate, glutamine, and GABA, were compared between AUD and LD participants. The associations between metabolite levels and recent drinking were explored. Results AUD participants had significantly lower concentrations of GABA (Cohen's d = 0.79, p = 0.017) and glutamine (Cohen's d = 1.12, p = 0.005), but not glutamate (Cohen's d = 0.05, p = 0.893), relative to LD. As previously reported, AUD participants' glutamate and N-acetylaspartate concentrations were inversely associated with their number of heavy drinking days. In contrast, neither number of drinking (mean p = 0.56) nor heavy drinking (mean p = 0.47) days were associated with metabolite concentrations in LD. Conclusions The present study demonstrated significantly lower levels of prefrontal γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamine in treatment-naive individuals with AUD relative to LD. Whether these findings reflect the neurotoxic consequence and/or neuroadaptive response of alcohol consumption versus a predrinking trait, and therefore a more durable neurochemical disturbance, awaits elucidation from longitudinal studies.

Background: Previous data in both rat and mouse genetic models suggest that there is a genetic relationship between acute alcohol withdrawal responses and innate alcohol drinking behavior. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether acute alcohol withdrawal responses, as measured by acoustic startle and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle, may be genetically related to innate differences in alcohol preference in 2 mouse lines selectively bred for high (HAP1 and HAP2) or low (LAP1 and LAP2) alcohol preference. Line differences in startle responses at baseline, prior to alcohol or saline treatment, were also measured. Methods: Alcohol-naive, male and female HAP1 (n = 35) and LAP1 (n = 32) and HAP2 (n = 43) and LAP2 (n = 40) mice were tested under baseline conditions and during withdrawal from a single injection of 4.0 g/kg alcohol or equal volume of saline at 4, 8, and 12 hours post-injection. Results: On most trial types, baseline startle responses and PPI were greater in both HAP lines than in both LAP lines, and startle responses were greater in males than in females. During acute alcohol withdrawal, both male LAP lines, and LAP1 females, showed reduced startle responses at the 4-hour time point during acute alcohol withdrawal. In contrast, both HAP1 males and females showed a trend toward enhanced startle at 4 hours in withdrawal. No clear differences in PPI during withdrawal were evident. Conclusions: These findings indicate good evidence for a genetic relationship between greater baseline acoustic startle responses and PPI and high alcohol preference. Modest support for a genetic correlation between low alcohol preference and reduced startle responses at 4 hours in withdrawal was found in male mice. The suppression in acoustic startle during acute alcohol withdrawal in male LAP lines but not in male HAP lines suggests that a genetic propensity toward low alcohol preference may be related to greater sensitivity to alcohol as measured by acoustic startle responses during acute alcohol withdrawal.

Transfers from an inner city, social setting alcohol detoxification unit to its parent hospital were examined for a 33 month period. 51 (1.2%) out of 4192 admissions during this period were subsequently transferred to hospital. 21 (43%) were for the management of acute alcohol withdrawal, representing 0.5% of total admissions to the detoxification unit. Analysis of transfers indicates that the unit provides a safe detoxification environment and process.

Summary Platelet function was assessed before and one week after acute alcohol withdrawal in eighteen male alcoholics. Compared to normal male controls, the platelets of the alcoholics were slightly hypoaggregable on admission but became hyperaggregable one week after commencement of alcohol withdrawal therapy. The changes were most noticeable in those patients who were alcoholaemic on admission and when using ADP or adrenaline as aggregating agents. There was no consistent change in platelet counts or in platelet adenine nucleotide levels, both of which were normal.