Effects of a Family History of Alcoholism on Autonomic, Neuroendocrine, and Subjective Reactions to Alcohol

Lance O. Bauer, Rachel Yehuda, Roger E. Meyer, Earl Giller

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The authors evaluated two groups of young nonalcoholic men with (n = 14) and without (n = 25) a family history of alcoholism (FH+ and FH−) in a single laboratory session, During the session, subjects drank either an alcoholic (0.5 ml/kg) or a nonalcoholic beverage. Neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, electrodermal, and self‐report data were collected at multiple time points before and after beverage consumption. The data analysis revealed time‐related changes in plasma cortisol, finger temperature, skin conductance level, and several of the self‐report measures. Beverage‐related changes were seen in finger temperature, plasma glucose, and self‐reported fatigue. The only dependent measure to discriminate FH+ and FH‐ groups was plasma cortisol, which exhibited a more rapid decline over time in the FH+ group. The FH+/FH‐ group difference in plasma cortisol was neither enhanced nor reduced by alcohol. 1992 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)168-176
Number of pages9
JournalThe American Journal on Addictions
Volume1
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1992

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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