The relationship of spinal cord injury trauma to alcohol misuse: a study of monozygotic twins.
BACKGROUND
Substance misuse frequently is correlated with serious trauma such as spinal cord injury (SCI). Two hypotheses to this effect are (a) substance abuse predates injury and is a risk factor or trigger for serious injury such as SCI; or (b)substance abuse begins postinjury, and alcohol or other drugs are used to ameliorate the physical and emotional distress that result from SCI.


METHODS
To test these two hypotheses, 1 4 pairs of monozygotic twins, in which 1 of each pair had sustained an SCI, were studied. The twin without SCI was used as a control for preinjury substance misuse status for the twin with SCI.


RESULTS
No significant differences between SCI and non-SCI co-twins' substance use patterns were found.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that drinking patterns might not be significantly affected by SCI and that substance misuse might precede injury.
Seltz
Megan
M
Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666, USA.
Radnitz
Cynthia
C
Bauman
William A
WA
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic