Background This study was designed to assess whether nonalcoholic offspring from families
with a high density of alcohol-dependent individuals have altered endogenous central
nervous system opioid activity. Naloxone hydrochloride stimulates plasma cortisol by
blocking opioidergic input on the corticotropin-releasing factor neuron, thereby providing a
noninvasive method for measuring hypothalamic opioid tone. Methods Forty-eight
nonalcoholic subjects aged 18 to 25 years were enrolled in a protocol to measure …