Acupuncture Reduces Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome and c-Fos Expression in Rat Brain

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (06) ◽  
pp. 887-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Hyun Kim ◽  
Jin Yong Chung ◽  
Young Kyu Kwon ◽  
Kwang Joong Kim ◽  
Chae Ha Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Chronic Administration ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Functional Disorders ◽  
Withdrawal Period ◽  
Ethanol Injection ◽  
Fos Expression ◽  
The Brain

Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely practiced in the treatment of many functional disorders including alcohol abuse. In the present study, the effects of acupuncture on alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) and Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in the striatum and the nucleus accumbens (NAC) of rats were investigated. During 3 days of cessation following chronic administration of ethanol (3 g/kg, i.p. for 3 weeks), rats showed a significant increase in AWS, such as hypermotility, tail rigidity, grooming and tremor, and an increase in FLI in the dopamine terminal areas of the brain. Treatment with acupuncture at zusanli (ST36) or sanyinjiao (SP6) during the withdrawal period inhibited both AWS and FLI of rats undergoing ethanol injection. These results suggest that acupuncture may be useful in the treatment of alcoholism by modulating post-synaptic neural activation in the striatum and NAC.

scholarly journals Seizures in alcohol withdrawal syndrome

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-65
Author(s):  
Magdalena Lasocka ◽  
◽  
Magdalena Konopko ◽  
Anna Basińska-Szafrańska ◽  
Artur Rogowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Cluster Seizures ◽  
Addictive Potential ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Chronic Use

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome develops in individuals with alcohol dependence who discontinue or reduce alcohol intake after long-term or binge drinking. Withdrawal symptoms usually occur 6–8 hours after the last alcohol consumption and peak between 24–72 hours. Typical manifestations include tremor, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, agitation, and excess sweating. Complicated withdrawal syndrome may manifest with seizures (including cluster seizures), status epilepticus, acute psychosis and delirium, when hallucinations are accompanied by disorientation in time, place and situation. About 10–15% of patients develop complicated withdrawal syndrome. The seizures in alcohol withdrawal syndrome are triggered in the brain stem and have a mechanism other than that of classic epileptic seizures. Benzodiazepines, which are more effective than other classes of anticonvulsants (they primarily reduce the frequency of convulsions in the first two days after alcohol discontinuation and significantly reduce the risk of death), are the gold standard for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The Clinical Institute of Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol Scale (CIWA-Ar) is a helpful tool for making decisions on treatment initiation or discontinuation. It should be noted that chronic use of benzodiazepines in the secondary prevention of alcohol withdrawal seizures is not recommended due to the addictive potential of these agents and a more severe course of alcohol withdrawal seizures with benzodiazepine co-dependence.

Sedative/Hypnotic Dependence: Patient Stabilization, Tolerance Testing, and Withdrawal

1986 ◽  
Vol 20 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 532-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Perry ◽  
Bruce Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Physical Dependence ◽  
Chronic Administration ◽  
Clinical Problem ◽  
Drug Of Choice ◽  
Hypnotic Drugs ◽  
Long Acting ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Tolerance Testing

Physical dependence to sedative/hypnotic drugs is not an uncommon clinical problem. The withdrawal syndrome is analogous to alcohol withdrawal, except the duration of the syndrome occurs over a longer period of time with the symptoms being less intense than generally encountered with alcohol. The potential for withdawal reactions is probably greater for the shorter-acting agents than the longer-acting drugs. Potentially dependent sedative/hypnotic users require stabilization of their symptoms initially, followed by tolerance testing. If tolerant, the patients should be withdrawn using either a long-acting sedative/hypnotic (e.g., diazepam) or phenobarbital. Compared to other benzodiazepines and barbiturates, diazepam appears to be the drug of choice for treating dependent patients. Diazepam is rapidly adsorbed and distributed to the brain and therefore useful for stabilization and tolerance testing. It is metabolized on chronic administration to a long-acting metabolite, desmethyldiazepam, which makes the drug ideal for a tapered withdrawal schedule.

Treatment of the Acute Alcohol-Withdrawal Syndrome

1958 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lincoln Godfrey ◽  
Martin D. Kissen ◽  
Thomas M. Downs
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

scholarly journals Should the CIWA-Ar be the standard monitoring strategy for alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the intensive care unit?

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa L. Steel ◽  
Shewit P. Giovanni ◽  
Sarah C. Katsandres ◽  
Shawn M. Cohen ◽  
Kevin B. Stephenson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Alternative Measure ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Verbal Responses

Abstract Background The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-Revised (CIWA-Ar) is commonly used in hospitals to titrate medications for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), but may be difficult to apply to intensive care unit (ICU) patients who are too sick or otherwise unable to communicate. Objectives To evaluate the frequency of CIWA-Ar monitoring among ICU patients with AWS and variation in CIWA-Ar monitoring across patient demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods The study included all adults admitted to an ICU in 2017 after treatment for AWS in the Emergency Department of an academic hospital that standardly uses the CIWA-Ar to assess AWS severity and response to treatment. Demographic and clinical data, including Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) assessments (an alternative measure of agitation/sedation), were obtained via chart review. Associations between patient characteristics and CIWA-Ar monitoring were tested using logistic regression. Results After treatment for AWS, only 56% (n = 54/97) of ICU patients were evaluated using the CIWA-Ar; 94% of patients had a documented RASS assessment (n = 91/97). Patients were significantly less likely to receive CIWA-Ar monitoring if they were intubated or identified as Black. Conclusions CIWA-Ar monitoring was used inconsistently in ICU patients with AWS and completed less often in those who were intubated or identified as Black. These hypothesis-generating findings raise questions about the utility of the CIWA-Ar in ICU settings. Future studies should assess alternative measures for titrating AWS medications in the ICU that do not require verbal responses from patients and further explore the association of race with AWS monitoring.

Serum Concentration of Chlormethiazole and Therapeutic Effect in Acute Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome: An Open Clinical Trial

2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 446-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Ulrich ◽  
Peter Danos ◽  
Bruno Baumann ◽  
Dörthe Müller ◽  
Dörthe Lehmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Serum Concentration ◽  
Therapeutic Effect ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome
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