Table 2.

Corticotropin and Cortisol Pulsatile Characteristics as Determined by SBPP Analysis and Mean Corticotropin and Cortisol Concentrations Over 12 hr (2000–0800 hr) and in 3-hr Blocks

	Healthy Controls	Alcohol Dependent	t Stat	df	p Value
Corticotropin pulsatile characteristics
Total probability	13.8 ± 7.0	15.2 ± 3.7	0.514	15	NS
Adjusted input	102.7 ± 47.9	119.6 ± 35.8	0.833	15	NS
Number of inputs	12 ± 5.9	12.7 ± 3.4	0.288	15	NS
Average baseline	17.7 ± 4.3	17.7 ± 3.2	0.001	15	NS
Mean amplitude	9.0 ± 5.1	8.0 ± 2.4	0.501	15	NS
Mean corticotropin concentrations (pg/ml)
2000–0800 hr (total 12 hr)	26.5 ± 7.6	26.0 ± 5.0	0.192	18	NS
2000–2250 hr	19.9 ± 6.2	18.9 ± 6.8	0.349	18	NS
2300–0150 hr	22.1 ± 9.0	18.2 ± 3.4	1.275	18	NS
0200–0450 hr	28.8 ± 7.2	29.7 ± 9.8	0.218	18	NS
0500–0800 hr	35.1 ± 10.9	37.2 ± 7.4	0.511	18	NS
Cortisol pulsatile characteristics
Total probability	17.5 ± 5.0	22.2 ± 4.0	2.034	14	0.061
Adjusted input	49.2 ± 14.0	45.7 ± 13.2	0.508	14	NS
Number of inputs	16.1 ± 4.5	19.0 ± 3.9	1.343	14	NS
Average baseline	2.8 ± 0.8	2.3 ± 1.4	0.903	14	NS
Mean amplitude	2.9 ± 1.0	1.9 ± 0.7	2.224	14	0.043
Mean cortisol concentrations (μg/dl)
2000–0800 hr (total 12 hr)	6.9 ± 1.6	5.7 ± 1.4	2.071	18	0.053
2000–2250 hr	3.4 ± 1.3	2.8 ± 2.3	0.647	18	NS
2300–0150 hr	4.5 ± 2.5	2.9 ± 1.2	1.844	18	0.082
0200–0450 hr	8.2 ± 3.2	6.6 ± 1.9	1.326	18	NS
0500–0800 hr	11.9 ± 2.8	10.3 ± 2.0	1.525	18	NS

See text for description of SBPP measures.