Childhood Emotional Abuse Dramatically Strong Among Male Alcohol-Dependent Individuals

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130205162522.htm

Feb. 5, 2013 — Individuals who drink excessively or are alcohol dependent (AD) have reduced central serotonergic neurotransmission, which can have an impact on planning, judgment, self-control, and emotional regulation. Childhood maltreatment has also been found to have a negative impact on central serotonergic neurotransmission. A new evaluation of the impact of childhood maltreatment on central serotonergic dysfunction in AD individuals has found that self-reported childhood emotional abuse is associated with a 90-percent reduction in central serotonergic neurotransmission in male AD individuals.

Results will be published in the May 2013 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.

"We know that reduced central serotonergic neurotransmission may also be involved in anxiety and depressive disorders, impulsivity, and sleep disorders," said Kristina J. Berglund, associate professor at the University of Gothenburg as well as corresponding author for the study. "It is not known how long these behavioral effects last, but it is possible that reduced central serotonergic neurotransmission may recover after several years of abstinence from alcohol."

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