Blunted hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis responsivity to stress in persons with a family history of alcoholism.
Abstinent alcoholics show a blunted stress cortisol response that may be a consequence of drinking or a preexisting risk marker. We tested cortisol responses to psychological stress in 186 18-30 year-old, healthy social drinkers having no personal history of alcohol or drug dependence, 91 of whom had one or two alcoholic parents (FH+) and 95 having no family alcoholism for two generations (FH-). We predicted that, similar to alcoholic patients, the FH+ would have reduced stress cortisol responses that would be partially determined by their temperament characteristics, specifically antisocial tendencies as measured by the California Psychological Inventory. On a stress day, subjects performed continuous simulated public speaking and mental arithmetic tasks for 45 min, and on a control day they sat and rested for the same time period. The FH+ who were low in sociability had smaller cortisol responses than FH-, high-sociability persons (t=2.27, p=.02). These two groups were not different in diurnal cortisol secretion patterns or affective responses to the stressors. Persons with a familial risk for alcoholism who have more antisocial tendencies may have altered central nervous system responses to emotionally relevant social challenges. Disrupted cortisol stress responses may serve as a risk marker for the development of substance use disorders.
Sorocco
Kristen H
KH
Behavioral Sciences Laboratories, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, United States. Kristen-sorocco@ouhsc.edu
Lovallo
William R
WR
Vincent
Andrea S
AS
Collins
Frank L
FL
D000293:Adolescent; D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D013694:Temperament / Q000502:physiology
D005819:Genetic Markers