A biobehavioural model for the inherited predisposition to alcoholism.
Sons of male alcoholics are at increased risk for the development of alcoholism, and are characterized as well by other traits, that may serve as markers for the alcoholic predisposition. These other traits include mild cognitive abnormalities, cardiac hyper-reactivity to signalled electric shock, susceptibility to alcohol-intoxication elimination of that hyper-reactivity, and increased baseline heart-rate while drinking.
Pihl
R O
RO
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Peterson
J B
JB
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009679:Nuclear Family; D010375:Pedigree; D012307:Risk Factors