The level of response to alcohol in daughters of alcoholics and controls

Abstract

Background: The low level of response (LR) to alcohol is a genetically influenced characteristic related to the development of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). This phenotype is found in men with a family history (FH) of alcoholism, predicts future AUDs, and has heritabilities as high as 60%. However, despite evidence of genetic influences for AUDs in both sexes, the majority of studies evaluating differences in LR across high-and low-risk groups have been conducted on males, and it is unclear how generalizable these results are to women. Methods: Twenty-five women who are family history positive (FHP) for alcohol dependence were matched with 25 women with no FH of alcoholism (FHN) on factors that may impact LR. Using an alcohol challenge paradigm, data on the reaction to a moderate dose of alcohol were gathered over a period of 3.5 h. Assessments included breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs), the Subjective High Assessment Scale (SHAS), as well as body sway or static ataxia. Results: Family history positives reported lower subjective intoxication than FHNs. In addition, when body sway scores were corrected for skewness, FHPs had significantly lower scores on alcohol-related changes in lateral sway. These differences remained after considering the effects of drinking history and BrAC values. Conclusions: This study evaluated the LR to alcohol in the largest sample of alcohol challenges in matched FHP and FHN women to date. Overall, the findings are consistent with most data from earlier investigations of smaller sized samples of FHP women. The results suggest that, similar to sons of alcoholics, a low LR to alcohol might also be characteristic of daughters of alcoholics.

Alcohol Attenuates Load‐related Activation During a Working Memory Task: Relation to Level of Response to Alcohol

“…To develop 2 groups for comparison, a median split (SHAS median = 4.85) was performed to classify participants as having a low level of response (n = 5; mean 3.51 ± 0.98 SD) versus a high level of response (n = 5; mean 10.57 ± 3.56 SD) to alcohol based on SHAS responses 27 minutes after alcohol administration, just before entering the FMRI scanner (overall mean 7.04 ± 4.46 SD). These values are comparable with previous studies on level of response to similar doses of alcohol using the SHAS, with low-level responders here falling toward the lower end of previously published ranges (e.g., Eng et al, 2005;Schuckit et al, 2000). A repeated-measures multivariate ANOVA, with condition ( placebo or alcohol) and working memory load (2-, 4-, or 6-dot) as within-subjects factors, analyzed the behavioral measures and neural activation patterns in areas that showed a significant condition by working memory load interaction.…”

An Evaluation of the Full Level of Response to Alcohol Model of Heavy Drinking and Problems in COGA Offspring

“…This may refl ect the facts that females weigh less, have less body water, and metabolize alcohol a bit slower than males and, thus, have a higher BAC per drink consumed (Eng et al, 2005). In all models, gender also related to alcohol outcomes either directly or via mediation by PEER.…”

Ethnic Differences in Level of Response to Alcohol Between Chinese Americans and Korean Americans

“…A low level of response to alcohol is more common in both men and women with a first-degree family history of an AUD (Eng et al, 2005;Schuckit and Smith, 1996). This relationship has been found across ethnic groups, including Caucasians, Hispanics, and Native Americans (Ehlers et al, 1999;Schuckit et al, , 2006.…”