Two types of classification in female alcoholism

Abstract

Two types of alcoholism with distinct clinical features and mode of inheritance have been identified in male alcoholics. The relevant studies, however, have given consistent results in men but not in women. The current study tested the hypothesis that the type I and II classification is also valid in women. A sample of 103 hospitalised alcohol-dependent women were given face-toface structured interviews considering four different classification criteria sets devised for differentiation of alcoholism type I and II and type A and B along with SCID I and II. The two types of classification could be replicated with three of the four criteria sets, 73 women being allocated to the larger cluster C1, and 30 women to a smaller cluster C2. Comparing the patients from both clusters with each other, eight variables were identified which excellently discriminate between the groups. The two types of classification for alcoholism could also be found in a female sample. A type II of female alcohol-dependent patient was identified, characterized by parental alcoholism and paternal and patient's tendency for violent behavior. Type I lacks these characteristics. Early identification of the type II female alcoholic may be clinically important.

Genetic Variation of the Ghrelin Signaling System in Females With Severe Alcohol Dependence

“…As paternal alcohol dependence is regarded as one of the strongest risk factors for developing the disease (Knop et al., 2007), this indicates that some of the heritability of alcohol dependence may be mediated via polymorphisms in the ghrelin gene. Further strengthening the theory of ghrelin, being part of the heritability for alcohol dependence, is the finding that a GHSR haplotype was associated with type 2 alcohol dependence, as the type 2 form is thought to depend more on genetic risk factors than the more environmental‐driven type 1 form (Cloninger et al., 1988), which has shown to be applicable also for women (Hallman et al., 2001; Traber et al., 2009). Furthermore, the heritability of the early‐onset type 2 alcohol dependence is shown to be mainly transmitted by paternal alcoholism (Dawson, 2000).…”

“…Women with alcohol dependence show different patterns of alcohol consumption and course of the disease than men do (Dawson and Archer, 1992; Diehl et al., 2007). Moreover, male alcohol dependence has previously been shown to be more heredity driven, while female alcohol dependence has been considered to depend more on environmental factors (van den Bree et al., 1998; Jang et al., 1997; Moscato et al., 1997), although the typical patterns of the environmentally driven, late‐onset type 1, and heredity driven, early‐onset type 2 alcohol dependence have been shown to be applicable to some degree also for women (Hallman et al., 2001; Traber et al., 2009). Regarding the genetic risk factors, several studies have shown gender‐specific associations of genetic markers with alcohol dependence (Göktürk et al., 2008; Hallman et al., 1990).…”

Genetic and environmental influences on psychiatric comorbidity: A systematic review

“…See Traber (Traber et al, 2009) and Babor (Babor et al, 1992) for information on how these proposed forms of alcoholism have been empirically addressed. The link between the dopamine receptor and transporter polymorphisms, such as the TaqIA single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located near the dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) gene, and antisocial alcoholism remains equivocal (Gurling and Cook, 1999; Hoenicka et al, 2007; Munafo, 2006; Munafo et al, 2007; Wang et al, 2007).…”

Low Inherent Sensitivity to the Intoxicating Effects of Ethanol in Rhesus Monkeys with Low CSF Concentrations of the Serotonin Metabolite 5‐Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid

“…Type 2 alcoholism, sometimes referred to as early‐onset alcoholism, characterized by antisocial and impulsive behavior (Bordukalo‐Niksic et al., ), is more common among men and is associated with the severity of father's alcoholism and father's criminality (Cloninger et al., ). Although men exhibit type 2 alcoholism more, type 2 alcoholism is also present among women (Traber et al., ), and in monkeys, type 2‐like alcohol use and its related behaviors are, on average, equally distributed between the sexes. There is evidence that etiologically low central nervous system (CNS) serotonin functioning mediates, at least in part, type 2 alcoholism and alcohol abuse.…”