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Related Experiment Videos

Cognitive dysfunction and the inherited predisposition to alcoholism.

J B Peterson1, P R Finn, R O Pihl

  • 1Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Journal of Studies on Alcohol
|March 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

Sons of male alcoholics (SOMAs) show cognitive deficits in organizing new information, potentially linked to prefrontal cortex function. Alcohol impacts memory equally in SOMAs and controls, but cognitive issues correlate with stress reactivity in SOMAs.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuropsychology
  • Genetics
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Sons of male alcoholics (SOMAs) exhibit increased risk for alcoholism.
  • Previous studies indicate SOMAs may have cardiovascular hyper-reactivity to stress.
  • Alcohol intoxication can affect cognitive functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate cognitive differences between SOMAs and controls.
  • To examine the effects of alcohol intoxication on cognitive performance in both groups.
  • To explore the relationship between cognitive function, cardiovascular reactivity, and alcohol sensitivity in SOMAs.

Main Methods:

  • Administered a battery of neuropsychological tests to 22 SOMAs and 22 controls.
  • Tested subjects both sober and alcohol-intoxicated.

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  • Correlated current findings with previous cardiovascular and alcohol sensitivity data.

    • Main Results:

    • SOMAs demonstrated cognitive decrements in organizing novel information, linked to prefrontal cortex function.
    • Alcohol impaired delayed memory equally in both SOMAs and controls, associated with temporal cortex function.
    • A significant correlation was found between cognitive impairment, cardiovascular hyper-reactivity, and alcohol's dampening effect in SOMAs.

    Conclusions:

    • SOMAs may possess inherent cognitive vulnerabilities related to novel information processing.
    • Alcohol's impact on memory is consistent across groups, but SOMAs exhibit a unique interplay of cognitive, physiological, and alcohol-related factors.