OBJECTIVE: To explore dopaminergic mechanisms in alcohol dependence, the
authors measured plasma homovanillic acid (HVA) in recently detoxified
alcohol-dependent men. METHOD: Plasma HVA was measured in 83 male patients
with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence who had maintained documented
abstinence for at least 3 weeks and in 69 healthy male comparison subjects.
RESULTS: The alcoholic patients as a group had significantly lower levels
of plasma HVA than the comparison subjects. This difference was not
influenced by any other measured covariate, including a family history of
alcohol dependence. CONCLUSIONS: These results imply that factors such as
alcohol dependence should be taken into account in future studies of plasma
HVA.
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