Publication Cover
Chronobiology International
The Journal of Biological and Medical Rhythm Research
Volume 20, 2003 - Issue 6
96
Views
29
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original

Temporal Pattern in Consumption of the First Drink of the Day in Alcohol‐Dependent Persons

, &
Pages 1093-1102 | Received 01 Apr 2003, Accepted 22 Jul 2003, Published online: 07 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

Loss of control over drinking and the craving for alcohol are cardinal signs of alcohol dependence. Our clinical practice indicates that these cravings do not occur randomly during the day, but at the same times each day for the same patient. To validate this hypothesis that alcohol‐dependent patients have a circadian rhythmic craving in their desire for their first drink of the day, we asked 217 persons diagnosed as alcohol‐dependent according to DSM‐IV criteria to complete a questionnaire that surveyed whether this craving occurred at a fixed time each day. Of the respondents, 82% reported it did; 87% of them could state the time of day they consumed their first daily drink; and 80% reported that the time of their first drink of the day did not vary much from one day to the next. The most frequent time of consuming the first drink of alcohol was between 09:00 and 11:00 h, and it was independent of the subjects' sleep–wake routine (the delay between the hours of wake‐up and the time of the first urge for alcohol was 3:45 ± 3:30 h) and lunch or dinner time. This rhythmicity seems to be a pertinent criterion for alcohol dependence syndrome.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.