A study of event-related potential-P3 characteristics in children of alcoholics

Auditory P3 characteristics were studied in children (aged 8-14 years) of male alcoholics without psychiatric problems and children of normal parents employing an oddball auditory paradigm. All the children of alcoholics were from families with multiple cases of alcoholism (each child had an average of 4.3 first- and second-degree relatives including the father, meeting criteria for alcoholism). Subjects were presented with high and low pitched tones with global probabilities of 25% and 75% of total trials, respectively. The amplitude of P3 component was significantly reduced in high-risk children (p < 0.001). Implications of the findings, including the role of P3 as biologi cal marker of risk for alcoholism, are discussed.