OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine mood changes in
women with a parental history of alcohol dependence (daughters of
alcoholics) after challenge does of alprazolam and placebo in comparison
with responses in women without a history of parental alcohol dependence.
METHOD: Visual analog scales that assess liability to benzodiazepine abuse
were administered to 12 adult daughters of alcoholics and 11 comparison
subjects after alprazolam challenge. RESULTS: The daughters of alcoholics
had greater pleasant mood responses after a single dose of alprazolam than
did the comparison subjects despite having similar plasma alprazolam
levels. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that the
mood-enhancing effects of alprazolam are greater in daughters of alcoholics
than in subjects without a history of parental alcohol dependence.Abstract Teaser