NEUROPHYSIOLOGY IN CHILDREN AT HIGH RISK FOR ALCOHOLISM

在过去的二十年里，家庭研究，双胞胎研究和收养研究 已经提供了令人信服的证据，证明遗传因素的存在， 酗酒的倾向 这些研究令人信服地 表明酗酒父亲的男性后代处于高风险（HR） 与低风险（LR）个体相比， 父亲不酗酒的孩子 在过去的十年里，我们的实验室，作为 以及其他研究人员，已经观察到一些神经生理学的 人力资源实验对象的异常 绝大多数研究都指出， 事件相关电位P3分量的振幅。 (ERP)在HR男性中显著降低。 此外，我们还观察到， 企业资源规划各组成部分的其他不足之处涉及具体的 信息处理任务。 最近来自遗传流行病学研究的令人信服的证据表明， 酗酒父亲的女儿和酗酒父亲的儿子有同样的风险， 父亲. 这一新的科学证据引导我们调查一个以前 被忽视的人口，即：酗酒父亲的女儿。 我们提出 使用一些标准的ERP范式在HR男性中进行测试，并引入一种新的 一套ERP范式测试特定的神经生理学假设。 最后，我们计划开发数据分析程序，如小波 分析，特别是ERP分析。 高血压女性潜在神经电损伤的鉴定 与男性相似的风险将提供新的见解， 新的表型描述符在遗传分析中具有很大的实用性， 预防举措。

In the last two decades family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies have provided compelling evidence for the presence of genetic factors in the predisposition toward alcoholism. These studies have convincingly demonstrated that male offspring of alcoholic fathers are at high risk (HR) to develop alcoholism in contrast to low risk (LR) individuals, such as sons of nonalcoholic fathers. For the past ten years, our laboratory, as well as other investigators, have observed a number of neurophysiological anomalies in HR subjects. The great majority of the studies have noted that the amplitude of the P3 component of the event-related potential. (ERP) is significantly reduced in HR males. In addition, we have observed other deficits in various components of the ERP related to specific information processing tasks. Recent convincing evidence from genetic epidemiological studies demonstrate that daughters of alcoholic fathers are at equal risk as sons of alcoholic fathers. This new scientific evidence leads us to investigate a previously neglected population, namely: daughters of alcoholic fathers. We propose to use a few standard ERP paradigms tested in HR males, and introduce a new set of ERP paradigms testing for specific neurophysiological hypotheses. Finally, we plan to develop data analytic procedures such as wavelet analysis, as applied specifically to ERP analysis. The identification of potential neuroelectric deficits in females at high risk similar to those in males would provide novel insight in establishing new phenotypic descriptors of great utility in genetic analysis and prevention initiatives.