Autonomic nervous system concomitants of short-term abstinence in alcoholics; Pupillometric studies. II.

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Abstract
Pupillary reactivity was used as an index of autonomic nervous system function in a study of 10 nonalcoholics and 25 alcoholics; 15 of the alcoholics had previously chosen not to drink (nondrinker alcoholics) during a 1 mo. drinking decisions program. At rest, the drinker and nondrinker alcoholics did not differ in rate and amplitude of pupillary contraction in response to light, both of which were weaker than in the nonalcoholics, suggesting deficient parasympathetic outflow. Nondrinker alcoholics showed attenuated pupillary dilation and drinker alcoholics even less dilation in response to darkness, showing more marked sympathetic deficiency than nondrinker alcoholics. An analysis of variance of repeated measurements of the diameter of the dilated pupil of each resting subject after various intervals of darkness indicated highly significant between-intervals (P < .01) and groups .times. intervals (P < .01) differences. Differences in maximum pupillary dilation at rest and at various intervals during stress (cold pressor) and homeostatic recovery also showed significant between-group variation (P < .05), but the interaction of groups .times. intervals was not significant; responses of the nonalcoholics and nondrinker alcoholics did not differ significantly.

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