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Family History of Alcoholism Does Not Predict Neuropsychological Performance in Alcoholics
Author(s) -
Reed Robert,
Grant Igor,
Adams Kenneth M
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1987.tb01322.x
Subject(s) - neuropsychology , family history , psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medicine , cognition
We examined the relationship of history of alcoholism in first‐degree relatives to neuropsychological performance of alcoholics abstinent from several weeks to several years. Eighty‐four men were assigned to four groups based on “strength” of family history of alcoholism. The groups were: (1) “strong history,” a parent plus another first‐degree relative positive; (2) “moderate,” parent only positive; (3) “weak,” nonparent first‐degree relative only positive; and (4) “negative,” no first‐degree relative positive. There were no significant between‐group differences in NP performance. In other analyses there were no NP differences between alcoholics classified positive or negative purely on basis of paternal alcoholism, and no differences between subjects who had multigenerational versus unigenerational versus negative familial histories of alcoholism. It is concluded that genetic loading for alcoholism does not significantly affect the NP status of abstinent alcoholic groups equated for education, drinking history, and medical risk.