Event-related brain potentials are different in individuals at high and low risk for developing alcoholism.
Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) from normal drinkers with and without a family history of alcoholism were compared. Three separate groups of 10 subjects each (5 with and 5 without a family history of alcoholism) ingested either a placebo or ethanol at 0.56 or 0.94 g/kg. In each comparison, ERP components elicited in conjunction with subjects' decisions about task-relevant stimuli were of significantly reduced amplitude in individuals with a family history of alcoholism. Additionally, both the latency of the positive component and reaction times to correctly detected targets were significantly later in individuals with a positive history of alcoholism than in those without such a history. These group differences were apparent both with and without a challenge of alcohol. The data suggest that brain functions are different in individuals at high and low risk for the development of alcoholism (i.e., those with and without a family history of alcoholism, respectively).
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006801:Humans; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D012306:Risk
D000431:Ethanol