Pattern reversal visual evoked potentials after alcohol administration among men at risk for alcoholism.
The P100 component of the pattern reversal visual evoked potential was used to compare men at high risk for alcoholism and control subjects before and after a low (0.5 g/kg) dose of ethanol. The high risk and control subjects did not differ in age, self-reported ethanol consumption, or estimates of ethanol metabolism rates, but changes in the occipital P100 latency differentiated them following ethanol administration. The P100 latency changes that distinguished high risk from control subjects were lateralized and provide preliminary evidence that perceptual visual stimulus processing is differentially affected in the two groups following ethanol administration.
Pollock
V E
VE
USC Dept. of Psychiatry, Los Angeles 90033.
Volavka
J
J
Goodwin
D W
DW
Gabrielli
W F
WF
Mednick
S A
SA
Knop
J
J
Schulsinger
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000502:physiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects*; D005556:Form Perception / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000187:drug effects*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000187:drug effects
D000431:Ethanol