Abstract
Recent research finding suggest that the patterning of familial alcoholism may critically determine ethanol sensitivity and severity of alcohol-related problems in the offspring. The present study examined the effects of familial alcoholism density on psychophysiological responses to ethanol administration in college males. Subjects with a positive family history of alcoholism were classified into affected biological father only (LD-FHP) versus both father and at least one second-degree affected relative (HD-FHP), and were compared to family history negative (FHN) subjects. Subjects received 1 g/kg ethanol or placebo in a double-blind procedure. A battery of subjective, physiological and psychomotor measures was collected once prior to and four times following drink administration. HD-FHP subjects showed significantly greater subjective effects, body sway and skin conductance after alcohol ingestion than either FHN or LD-FHP subjects; in contrast, there was no difference on any measure for LD-FHP versus FHN subjects. Our findings of increased ethanol sensitivity as a function of familial density of alcoholism strongly suggest the importance of carefully defining family history characteristics in all studies examining potential markers or risk factors for alcoholism.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 219-222 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Alcohol |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 1991 |
Keywords
- Alcohol ingestion
- Alcoholism
- Familial density of alcoholism
- Psychophysiological measures
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Biochemistry
- Toxicology
- Neurology
- Behavioral Neuroscience