갈근의 장기투여가 주정중독 환자의 음주 욕구에 미치는 영향

Effect of Long-term Administration of Radix Puerariae on Alcohol Craving in the Patients with Alcoholism

Effect of chronic administration of Radix puerariae on alcohol craving in alcoholic patients was studied. The subjects were hospitalized male alcoholics recovered from acute intoxication and withdrawal symptoms. They were divided into three groups, each administered with placebo, Radix puerariae 2 grams daily, and Radix puerariae 4 grams daily, respectively for 4 weeks. Alcohol craving was measured at the starting day, 14th and 28th day of the study by means of visual anaologue scale(VAS), Likert scale 1 and Likert scale 2. The results were as follows ； 1) Alcohol craving as measured with all the above scales decreased significantly after 2 and 4 weeks of Radix puerariae administration, in a dose of 4 grams a day. 2) Decrease of alcohol craving as measured with VAS and Likert scale 1 after 4 weeks of Radix puerariae administration in a dose of 4 grams daily was significantly greater than that after 2 weeks of Radix puerariae administration in the same dose. 3) Alcohol craving as measured with VAS and Likert scale 1 decreased significantly after 4 weeks of Radix puerariae administration in a dose of 2 grams a day. 4) Alcohol craving as measured with VAS decreased significantly after 2 weeks of Radix puerariae administration in a dose of 2 grams daily, and it further decreased significantly after 4 weeks of Radix puerariae administration in the same dose. 5) Depression as measured with Beck Depression Inventory improved significantly after 4 weeks of administration of the placebo, Radix puerariae 2 grams and 4 grams daily and also after 2 weeks of administration of the placebo and Radix puerariae 2 grams daily. 6) However, depression measured with Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression did not change after 2 and 4 weeks of administration of the placebo and Radix puerariae. 7) Food intake did not change during 28 days of the experiment in all the three groups. From these results, the authors suggest that chronic administration of Radix puerariae may decrease alcohol craving in patients with alcoholism and the decrease may not be a result of alleviation of depression or of change in nonspecific food intake