The inheritance of alcohol sensitivity and of patterns of alcohol use.
Compared to controls, sons of alcoholics have been reported to exhibit decreased sensitivity to a challenge dose of alcohol (e.g. a smaller increase in body-sway: Schuckit, 1985). We reanalyze alcohol challenge data from a general population sample of Australian twin pairs (Martin et al., 1985a, b). By fitting direction-of-causation models, we show that in males differences in body-sway are largely a consequence, not a cause, of differences in alcohol consumption patterns. In females, direction-of-causation could not be resolved.
Heath
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AC
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
Martin
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NG
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001315:Australia; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic
D000431:Ethanol