Objective: Aim of this study was to investigate the changes in novelty seeking and its subscales during 12 month follow-up among alcohol dependents. Methods: Participants were 102 consecutively admitted male alcohol dependents, who were available for a second evaluation at the end of 12 months. Patients were investigated with the Novelty Seeking (NS) dimension of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Results: Among alcohol dependent inpatients 61.8% (n=63) were considered to be relapsed. Sociodemographic variables did not differ between relapse and remission groups. Mean scores of NS and subscales did not differ between groups at the baseline evaluation, whereas they were higher in relapsed group at one year follow-up (other than Exploratory excitability-NS1- subscale). In the remission group, mean scores of NS and subscales decreased at one year follow-up (other than NS1 subscale), whereas in the relapsed group, mean scores of Impulsiveness (NS2) subscale and NS increased during follow-up period. Conclusion: Among alcohol dependent men, temperament dimension NS and subscales, which are suggested to be genetically determined, decreases during abstinence, whereas increases with relapse to alcohol use. Only exception is the NS1, which suggest that it might be the main trait NS subscale related with the occurrence of alcohol dependence, whereas other three subscales, particularly NS2 seems to have bidirectional causal relationship with alcohol use disorders.
Key words: Alcohol dependence, novelty seeking, temperament
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