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The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
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Alcohol dependence in men: reliability and heritability.

Eivind Ystrom1, Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud, Steven H Aggen

  • 1Department of Adult Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. eivind.ystrom@fhi.no

Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
|June 17, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Life-time history of alcohol dependence (LTH-AD) is moderately reliable and highly heritable. Specific clinical features predict a reliable diagnosis, increasing heritability estimates when accounting for measurement error.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Behavioral Genetics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) life-time history of alcohol dependence (LTH-AD) assessment shows moderate reliability and heritability.
  • Previous studies could not differentiate measurement error from unique environmental effects in LTH-AD heritability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Estimate LTH-AD reliability in a population-based sample.
  • Identify LTH-AD characteristics predicting reliable diagnosis.
  • Investigate LTH-AD heritability as a function of diagnostic confidence.
  • Estimate genetic and environmental influences on LTH-AD, correcting for measurement error.

Main Methods:

  • Interviewed 4,203 male twins twice, approximately one year apart, assessing DSM-IV LTH-AD.
  • Used logistic regression to identify predictors of reliable LTH-AD diagnosis.
  • Employed structural equation models to examine genetic and environmental influences on reliable LTH-AD.

Main Results:

  • LTH-AD diagnosis reliability was moderate (κ = 0.54).
  • Reliability was predicted by symptom count, treatment seeking, episode duration, and time spent obtaining/using/recovering from alcohol.
  • Heritability of LTH-AD increased with diagnostic confidence.
  • Accounting for measurement error, LTH-AD heritability increased from 55% to 71%.

Conclusions:

  • Specific clinical characteristics predict reliably diagnosed LTH-AD.
  • LTH-AD is a moderately reliable disorder with high heritability.