Key result
Aggressive sons of male alcoholics exhibit the highest heart rate response to alcohol intoxication.
Why the study?
The heart rate response to alcohol intoxication in sons of male alcoholics may be confounded by aggression, obscuring interpretation of increased sensitivity to alcohol reward.
Does family history of alcoholism and aggressiveness affect the heart rate response to alcohol intoxication?
Observational
Does family history of alcoholism and aggressiveness affect the heart rate response to alcohol intoxication?
The high comorbidity between alcohol misuse and aggression in sons of male alcoholics may be related to an increased sensitivity to alcohol-induced reward, as reflected by an increased heart rate response.
May flag reward sensitivity in high-risk youth; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
Some sons of male alcoholics (SOMAs) are characterized by an increased heart rate (HR) response to alcohol intoxication, which is thought to reflect increased sensitivity to alcohol-induced reward. Such a response has also been related to increased physical aggression. However, the confounding effect of aggression in SOMAs may be obscuring the interpretation of these findings. The HR response to alcohol was therefore assessed in 4 groups: high/low aggressive SOMAs and high/low aggressive non-SOMAs. Results indicate that aggressive SOMAs had the highest intoxicated HR response and that they reported the most alcohol consumption. This suggests that in some cases the high comorbidity between alcohol misuse and aggression is related to an increased sensitivity to alcohol-induced reward.
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Assaad et al. (2003) conducted an observational in Family history of alcoholism and aggressiveness. High aggressiveness and family history of alcoholism vs. Low aggressiveness and/or no family history of alcoholism was evaluated on Heart rate response to alcohol intoxication. Aggressive sons of male alcoholics exhibited the highest heart rate response to alcohol intoxication and reported the most alcohol consumption compared to other groups.
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