COMBINED EFFECTS OF ETHANOL AND STIMULANTS ON BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY

A review of the literature examining behavioral and/or physiological effects of combinations of ethanol and stimulants indicated very few complete, well-designed studies. Stimulants selected were amphetamine, caffeine, and nicotine. For ethanol-amphetamine combinations thirteen animal-behavioral studies, four human-behavioral studies, and eleven studies on lethality and physiology were reviewed. For ethanol-caffeine combinations four animal-behavioral studies, five human-behavioral and three studies on lethality and physiology were reviewed. Only two published ethanol-nicotine combination studies were found. Of studies examined, only eight used multiple doses and dose combinations and, of these, only five examined behavioral parameters. While antagonistic effects were sometimes reported, no antagonism and often potentiation effects also were found, particularly with certain dose combinations. Since current information about ethanol-stimulant interactions is clearly incomplete, attempts to formulate a general model to predict behavioral consequences of ethanol-stimulant combinations must await more complete parametric studies. © 1979.