No abstract

Results highlight the role of psychiatric and substance use disorders in progression from first drink to AD, underscore the continuity of risk associated with CD and indicate that (with the exception of CD) different factors play a role in transition to AD than in initiation of alcohol use. Distinctions between stages are interpreted in a developmental framework.

There may be a genetic susceptibility specific to both suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in men, which is not explained by the inheritance of common psychiatric disorders.

"Maternal alcohol use disorder and offspring ADHD: Disentangling genetic and environmental effects using a children-of-twins design. " Psychological Medicine.36,10. 1461-1471 Maternal alcohol use disorder and offspring ADHD : disentangling genetic and environmental effects using a children-of-twins design

In this sample, the shared genetic risk between MD and both AD and MJD was largely explained by genetic effects on ASPD, which in turn was associated with increased risk of each of the other disorders.

No abstract

This issue completes Volume 11 and contains the author index for the volume.

Objective: To evaluate the possible association between maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) and offspring outcomes of birth weight, pre-term birth, remediation, low scholastic achievement, regular smoking, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct problems (CD) while controlling for similar behaviors in parents. Methods: Using telephone interviews, data were collected, in 2001 and 2004, as a part of two U.S. offspring-of-twins projects. Fathers, who were twins participating in the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, their female spouse and their offspring were interviewed – information on 1342 unique pregnancies in mothers with a history of regular smoking was utilized for these analyses. The association between MSDP and birth weight, pre-term birth, remediation, low scholastic achievement, regular smoking, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder while controlling for similar behaviors in parents, was examined using regression. Results: MSDP was associated with decreased birth weight, low scholastic achievement, regular smoking and ADHD. However, the association between MSDP and offspring ADHD was explained by maternal ADHD. MSDP was also associated with earlier age of offspring initiation of smoking and onset of regular smoking. Conclusions: MSDP may influence certain offspring outcomes via mechanisms that are independent from genetic risk attributable to comorbid conditions. Assisting expecting mothers with their smoking cessation efforts will likely provide widespread health benefits to both mother and offspring.