[The relationship between the craving for alcohol and relapse of the disease].

The craving for alcohol was studied using 2 Russian and 4 international scales, including ratings of the clinician and self-rating of the patient. Depression and anxiety as well as the content of alcohol in exhaled air were assessed. The data were compared to the scores of the Impulsive Relapse Questionnaire. Eighteen patients were studied. The prolonged conscious or insurmountable or poorly controlled drive for alcohol was rare in patients in the remission. Most of patients do not notice such a drive though it was found with the corresponding scales. The craving for alcohol is more often caused by the environment factors related as to alcohol as well to non-specific stress factors and represents a transient impulsive phenomenon that leads to the relapse of disease.

Sweet liking and family history of alcoholism in hospitalized alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients.

The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that preference for stronger sweet solutions may be associated with the genetic risk for alcoholism. Thirty-two male patients with alcohol dependence admitted for alcoholism in-patient treatment and 25 non-alcoholic control subjects were used in the study. Hedonic response to sweets was evaluated using the sweet preference test. Family history of alcoholism was evaluated using a Russian version of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test modified for the assessment of the alcohol-related behaviour of the subject's biological father. Similar to our previous findings, alcoholics were far more likely to prefer the highest offered sucrose concentration (0.83 M), compared to non-alcoholic controls. Such preference was determined by two factors: positive family history of alcoholism and alcoholic status. Statistically, these factors contributed to the likelihood of preferring sweet solutions independently. Therefore, the effects of these factors may enhance each other. These findings support the hypothesis that preference for a stronger sweet solution is associated with a paternal history of alcohol dependence and may reflect a genetic predisposition to alcoholism.