Biomedical subjects
D W Goodwin
Publications and source records attributed to D W Goodwin.
Childhood antecedents of antisocial behavior: parental alcoholism and physical abusiveness.
Hierarchical logistic regression was used to assess the independent and interactive effects of paternal alcoholism and physical child abuse on antisocial behavior in young adult men. Men with alcoholic fathers (N = 131) did not report or exhibit more antisocial behavior than comparison subjects (N = 70). Men with physical abuse histories, however, reported more aggressive and antisocial behaviors during a clinical interview and were rated by a clinical interviewer as more likely to act out aggression. Arrest records did not distinguish the groups. There was no evidence that paternal alcoholism and childhood victimization interacted to increase the risk of antisocial behavior.
Pattern reversal visual evoked potentials after alcohol administration among men at risk for alcoholism.
The P100 component of the pattern reversal visual evoked potential was used to compare men at high risk for alcoholism and control subjects before and after a low (0.5 g/kg) dose of ethanol. The high risk and control subjects did not differ in age, self-reported ethanol consumption, or estimates of ethanol metabolism rates, but changes in the occipital P100 latency differentiated them following ethanol administration. The P100 latency changes that distinguished high risk from control subjects were lateralized and provide preliminary evidence that perceptual visual stimulus processing is differentially affected in the two groups following ethanol administration.
EEG identification of subgroups of men at risk for alcoholism?
Biological sons of male alcoholics constitute one group at high risk (HR) for the development of alcoholism, and were the subjects of this study. A low dose of alcohol (0.5 g/kg) was administered to HR and control subjects. On the basis of changes in the electroencephalographic (EEG) mean alpha frequency that occurred following alcohol administration, two HR subgroups were identified. Measures obtained after alcohol administration, comprising self-ratings and an observer's assessment, distinguished the HR subgroups and control subjects; measures of visuomotor performance did not. The findings are discussed in relation to two current etiological theories bearing on the development of alcoholism: a biopsychological perspective and an initial tolerance for alcohol effects.
Pattern reversal visual evoked potential among men at risk for alcoholism.
The biological sons of male alcoholics, deemed to be at high risk (HR) for the development of alcoholism, were compared to control males, aged 18 to 21, using measures of the visual evoked potential elicited by checkerboard pattern reversal. Overall, the HR and control groups were not distinguished on the basis of visual evoked potential measures acquired from the occipital scalp region; however, when comparisons were restricted to right-handed subjects, the HR subjects showed more symmetry in a positive component with approximate latency of 242 ms compared with control subjects. The results are discussed in relation to hemispheric differences and alcoholism.
Antihistamine blockade of alcohol-induced flushing in orientals.
The so-called Oriental flushing reaction associated with ingestion of small amounts of alcohol was antagonized by combined antihistamine administration. In stage one of the study, the flushing reaction to low doses of alcohol was produced in Orientals. Most subjects experienced a cutaneous flush, an increase in skin temperature, a decrease in blood pressure, an increase in pulse rate and subjective symptoms such as dizziness, sleepiness, anxiety, headache, generalized weakness and nausea. Before the administration of alcohol, one-half of the subjects were given 50 mg of diphenhydramine (H1 receptor antagonist) and 300 mg of cimetidine (H2 receptor antagonist). The second half received placebo tablets. The clearest difference between the antihistamine group and placebo group was in the skin flushing reaction. The antihistamine group showed a significant reduction in the skin flush. The antihistamine also neutralized the systolic hypotension induced by the administration of alcohol. The possible importance of histamine in the expression of sensitivity to alcohol is considered. The relevance to genetic susceptibility for development of alcoholism is discussed.
Histamine receptor antagonism of intolerance to alcohol in the Oriental population.
The Oriental flushing reaction is an adverse response to alcohol that appears to be genetically determined. In this study, the Oriental flushing reaction that was produced with ingestion of small amounts of alcohol was antagonized by antihistamine administration. A group of 17 subjects was tested. Each subject received placebo, diphenhydramine 50 mg (H-1 receptor antagonist), and cimetidine 300 mg (H-2 receptor antagonist) singularly and in combination. Alcohol was then administered orally. Most subjects given placebo experienced the typical flushing reaction that included a cutaneous flush, increase in skin temperature, decrease in blood pressure, increase in pulse rate and subjective symptoms such as dizziness, sleepiness, anxiety, headache, generalized weakness, and nausea. The flush, temperature and systolic hypotension were significantly blocked by the combined antihistamine administration. Cimetidine given alone blocked the flush, temperature increase, and systolic hypotension significantly more than diphenhydramine but less than the combined antihistamines. Diphenhydramine was similar to placebo in its effect on the flushing reaction. The role of histamine in the expression of tolerance to alcohol is not known. Antihistamine antagonism of the adverse flushing reaction suggests that histamine receptors may participate in the intolerance to ethanol in Orientals. Histamine may be an important protective factor in the low prevalence of alcoholism in Orientals.
Sex of parent and offspring in the transmission of alcoholism. A meta-analysis.
Familial studies of alcoholism were reviewed to evaluate the role of sex of parent and offspring in alcoholism transmission. Data from 32 familial alcoholism studies were evaluated by meta-analysis. The results indicated that both male and female alcoholic patients more frequently come from homes in which their father, rather than their mother, is alcoholic, even when sex differences in alcoholism prevalence rates are taken into account. Although female offspring of alcoholic mothers show alcoholism rates that are elevated relative to those expected in the general population, male offspring of alcoholic mothers do not.
Pharmacological treatment of alcohol intoxication, withdrawal and dependence: a critical review.
This review critically examines the literature of the past 10 years relating to the use of drugs in treating alcohol intoxication, withdrawal and dependence. Emphasis is given to those studies that have current and potential future clinical relevance. Although research regarding the pharmacological treatment of alcohol disorders still suffers from methodological flaws and lukewarm acceptance, the recognition of this area as a legitimate and fruitful field of study is increasingly apparent.
Medical management of the depressed alcoholic patient.
Since the advent of modern psychopharmacology in the 1950s, use of medications in the treatment of many psychiatric disorders has become commonplace. Alcohol use is also widespread. As alcohol can interact with a wide variety of medications to alter drug effects, understanding the interactions between it and psychiatric medicines is important to the efficacious treatment of the depressed alcoholic with these drugs. This article briefly outlines the effects of alcohol and the mechanisms of its interactions with psychiatric medications. The most commonly used classes of psychiatric medicines, including antidepressants, CNS depressants, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, psychostimulants, and lithium carbonate, are reviewed as to their potential interactions with alcohol. Clinical implications of these interactions are discussed.
Combined antihistamine antagonism of the flushing reaction to alcohol.
The so-called Oriental flushing reaction associated with ingestion of small amounts of alcohol was antagonized by combined antihistamine administration. In stage one of the study, the flushing reaction to low doses of alcohol was produced in Orientals. Most subjects experienced a cutaneous flush, increase in skin temperature, decrease in blood pressure, increase in pulse rate and subjective symptoms such as dizziness, sleepiness, anxiety, headache, generalized weakness and nausea. One half of the group of subjects was then given diphenhydramine, 50 mg (H1 receptor antagonist) and cimetidine, 300 mg (H2 receptor antagonist) and the second half received placebo tablets before the administration of alcohol. The clearest difference between the antihistamine group and placebo group was in the skin flushing reaction. The antihistamine group showed a statistically significant reduction in the skin flush. The antihistamines also neutralized the systolic hypotension induced by the administration of alcohol.
Genetic influences in alcoholism.
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Anxiolytics and memory: a comparison of lorazepam and alprazolam.
Thirty healthy male volunteers participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to investigate whether mild anterograde memory impairment is found after lorazepam has been taken for 5 days. The study compares the amnestic properties of lorazepam and alprazolam on immediate and delayed recall of word lists under the same conditions. Results suggest that individuals who take benzodiazepines will perform less well on an anterograde memory delayed recall task completed after dosing on the sixth day of treatment, but no similar difference will be found in performance on a similar task completed just before dosing on the sixth day. In addition, results suggest there is no significant difference between alprazolam and lorazepam on anterograde memory task effect. The chronic use of lorazepam 1 mg and alprazolam 0.5 mg had no effect on immediate recall of word lists, on the long-term recall of a word list already committed to memory, or on hand-eye coordination as measured in a standard way.
Adoption studies of alcoholism.
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A prospective study of young men at high risk for alcoholism. Social and psychological characteristics.
In a prospective longitudinal study of alcoholism, we applied the high-risk method using a Danish birth cohort (9125 consecutive deliveries, 1959 to 1961). From the cohort, 134 sons of alcoholic fathers (high-risk group) and 70 matched controls without parental alcoholism were selected for study. Extensive data were collected in a multidisciplinary etiologic approach. We report the social and psychological characteristics from a "premorbid" assessment when the subjects were 19 to 20 years old. The high-risk group reported more disrupted familial conditions during childhood than the control group. Both groups had a drinking pattern similar to that of the general Danish population at the same age. No alcoholic subjects were found. The high-risk group was characterized by poor verbal ability and impulsive behavior. We plan a follow-up examination of the sample.
Individual differences in state-dependent retrieval effects of alcohol intoxication.
Individual differences in susceptibility to the state-dependent retrieval (SDR) effects from alcohol in twelve subjects was tested on repeated occasions. There was a threefold variability in frequency of SDR among the subjects. A significant positive correlation between frequency of SDR and history of blackouts and heavy drinking was found.
Genetic factors in the development of alcoholism.
The main approaches to studying the genetics of alcoholism have been twin and adoption studies. Twin studies have demonstrated differences between monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs in regard to alcohol use, but tend to be contradictory with regard to alcoholism. Most adoption studies suggest a genetic predisposition to alcoholism in some individuals.