title: Neuropsychological executive functioning in children at elevated risk for alcoholism: findings in early adolescence.
abstract: One component of individual risk for alcoholism may involve cognitive vulnerabilities prodromal to alcoholism onset. This prospective study of 198 boys followed between 3 and 14 years of age evaluated neurocognitive functioning across three groups who varied in familial risk for future alcoholism. Measures of intelligence, reward-response, and a battery of neuropsychological executive and cognitive inhibitory measures were used. Executive functioning weaknesses were greater in families with alcoholism but no antisocial comorbidity. IQ and reward-response weaknesses were associated with familial antisocial alcoholism. Executive function effects were clearest for response inhibition, response speed, and symbol-digit modalities. Results suggest that executive deficits are not part of the highest risk, antisocial pathway to alcoholism but that some executive function weaknesses may contribute to a secondary risk pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. nigg@msu.edu
authors.forename: Joel T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Nigg
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.forename: Maria M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jester
authors.forename: Hiram E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Leon I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Puttler
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Zucker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011930:Reaction Time; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires