title: Alcohol-induced blackouts and maternal family history of problematic alcohol use.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Consequences of heavy drinking include alcohol-induced blackouts, which are periods of amnesia for all or part of a drinking event. One risk factor for blackouts is family history of problematic alcohol use (FH+); however, research rarely distinguishes maternal from paternal FH+. The objective of this study was to examine whether maternal or paternal FH+ better predicts likelihood of experiencing blackouts than a general measure of overall FH+, and whether gender moderates this association.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N=1164; 65.4% are female) were first-time college freshmen (age range=17-19) who participated in a 6-year, 10-assessment, longitudinal study in the United States. Alcohol-induced blackouts, the dependent measure, were dichotomized (yes/no) based on endorsement of memory problems after drinking using a single item during Years 4-6. FH+, captured at baseline, was coded if participants self-reported that their mother, father, or any of their four grandparents were a possible or definite problem drinker.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 773 (66.4%) participants reported experiencing blackouts during Years 4-6. Women were more likely to report blackouts than men; however, compared with women with a maternal FH+, men with a maternal FH+ were more than twice as likely to report blackouts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Men appear to be more susceptible than women to the effects of a maternal FH+. Genetic and environmental explanations for this finding are discussed. In sum, these findings are an important step toward understanding a significant yet understudied negative consequence of heavy alcohol use.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, 108 E. Dean Keeton - A8000, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
authors.forename: Elise N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, 108 E. Dean Keeton - A8000, Austin, TX 78712, United States. Electronic address: fromme@utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fromme
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D020268:Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Alcohol; Blackout; Family history; Gender; Memory