Cloninger Type 2 Score and Lesch Typology Predict Hospital Readmission of Female and Male Alcohol-Dependent Inpatients During a 24-Month Follow-Up

BackgroundRelapse after detoxification treatment is a common problem in alcohol dependence. However, its prediction still lacks reliability. We here investigated whether the easily accessible clinical Cloninger and Lesch classifications predict alcohol-related hospital readmission following inpatient withdrawal treatment. MethodsIn this bicentric prospective clinical study, 67 female and 84 male alcohol-dependent inpatients were characterized according to the Cloninger items and the Lesch typology. The patients' records were followed for 24months. Because of the well-established sex differences in alcohol dependence, we studied females and males separately. ResultsOverall, 54% of the female patients and 67% of the male patients sustained at least 1 alcohol-related hospital readmission during the follow-up. Readmission was related to a higher Cloninger type 2 score than nonreadmission (females, p=0.007, males p=0.044). In females, the Cloninger type 2 score correlated with the number of readmissions (=0.384, p=0.001) and the days to first readmission (=-0.333, p=0.006). The effects were stronger in patients with age at onset of alcohol dependence over 25years. We found gender dimorphisms concerning the Cloninger items. In female patients, the 4 Lesch subtypes differed in their risk (p=0.010), the number (p=0.040), and the days to first readmission (p=0.031). Lesch type 1 was associated with an increased risk (OR=4.83, p=0.041) and Lesch type 2 with a reduced risk (OR=0.07, p=0.004). In addition, the number of previous inpatient alcohol withdrawals predicted the patients' outcomes (p<0.05). ConclusionsThe Cloninger type 2 score and the Lesch typology are promising tools for the prediction of alcohol-related readmissions. Our findings provide the basis to optimize relapse prevention in alcohol dependence.