The Acute Effects of Ethyl Alcohol and Chlorpromazine on Certain Physiological Functions in Alcoholics

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Abstract
A preliminary review of current findings in a research program dealing with physiologic and biochemical studies in alcoholic patients is outlined. A constellation of 10 test procedures is used to measure changes in autonomic nervous system function, endocrine activity, and skeletal muscle activity in: (1) a comparison of active alcoholics, abstaining alcoholics and nonalcoholic controls; (2) in the acute effects of alcohol; and (3) in the acute effects of chlorpromazine. From experimental data collected so far it is tentatively concluded that alcoholics, both active and those abstaining for a period of 2 years or longer, tend to show a physiological and biochemical pattern of activity which differs from normal in the 3 areas examined. Alcohol tends to change these functions in the direction of normal. Chlorpromazine tends to have effects similar to alcohol.