title: Familial alcoholism and ERPs: differences in probability sensitivity?
abstract: Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from sons (age 11-14) of families that were positive (FH+) and negative (FH-) for alcoholism in response to circles, triangles and squares presented in four colors with a single central digit. A button was pressed for successive presentations of identical stimuli (target probability = 0.2). Reduced late positivity in FH+ boys has been previously reported. This positivity was shown to increase with the number of features that match target requirements. FH- boys responded more quickly, but no less accurately, than FH- boys, and were characterized by reduced ERP stimulus selectivity. That is, FH+ boys not only produced less P3 than FH- boys in response to targets, but generally produced more late positivity than FH- boys in response to nontargets. The pattern of group differences was most consistent with FH+ boys exhibiting both reduced ERP effects of target features in general, and a specific insensitivity to matching digits. It is hypothesized that these effects result from reduced sensitivity to information about the frequency with which categories of events occur, and that this may be characteristic of those at high risk for alcoholism.
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Research Centre, University of California, Los Angeles 90024-1759.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Noble
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004585:Electrooculography; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires