Citation

Wetherill L, Morzorati SL, Foroud T, Windisch K, Darlington T, Zimmerman US, Plawecki MH, O'Connor SJ. Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 2012; 36(6): 1050-1057.

Affiliation

Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics (LW, TF), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana Alcohol Research Center, Indianapolis, Indiana; Department of Psychiatry (SLM, KW, TD, MHP, SJO), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana Alcohol Research Center, Indianapolis, Indiana; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (USZ), University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; and Psychiatry Service (SJO), The Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Indiana Alcohol Research Center, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01642.x

PMID

21933199

PMCID

PMC3288407

Abstract

Background:  The differentiator model predicts that individuals with a positive family history of alcoholism (FHA) or heavy alcohol consumers will feel more sensitive to the effects of alcohol on the ascending phase of the blood alcohol content while feeling less sedated on the descending phase. This study tested whether subjective perceptions are sensitive to the slope of breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) and whether that sensitivity is associated with an FHA and/or recent drinking history (RDH). Methods:  Family-history-positive (FHP, n = 27) and family-history-negative (FHN, n = 27) young adult nondependent drinkers were infused intravenously with alcohol in 2 sessions separated by 1 week. After 20 minutes, one session had an ascending BrAC (+3.0 mg%/min), while the other session had a descending BrAC (-1 mg%/min). The BrAC for both sessions at this point was approximately 60 mg%, referred to as the crossover point. Subjective perceptions of intoxication, high, stimulated, and sedation were sampled frequently and then interpolated to the crossover point. Within-subject differences between ascending and descending responses were examined for associations with FHA and/or RDH. Results:  Recent moderate drinkers reported increased perceptions of feeling intoxicated (p < 0.023) and high (p < 0.023) on the ascending slope compared with the descending slope. In contrast, recent light drinkers felt more intoxicated and high on the descending slope. Conclusions:  Subjective perceptions in young adult social drinkers depend on the slope of the BrAC when examined in association with RDH. These results support the differentiator model hypothesis concerning the ascending slope and suggest that moderate alcohol consumers could be at risk for increased alcohol consumption because they feel more intoxicated and high on the ascending slope. Subjects did not feel less sedated on the descending slope, contrary to the differentiator model but replicating several previous studies.

Language: en