IngentaConnect Sweet liking and family history of alcoholism in hospitalized alc...

Authors: M.V. Tsoi¹; E.E. Zvartau¹; N.G. Neznanov¹; E. Khalitov¹; A.B. Kampov-Polevoy²

Source: Alcohol and Alcoholism, Volume 36, Number 2, 1 March 2001 , pp. 165-170(6)

Abstract:

— The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that preference for stronger sweet solutions may be associated with the genetic risk for alcoholism. Thirty-two male patients with alcohol dependence admitted for alcoholism in-patient treatment and 25 non-alcoholic control subjects were used in the study. Hedonic response to sweets was evaluated using the sweet preference test. Family history of alcoholism was evaluated using a Russian version of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test modified for the assessment of the alcohol-related behaviour of the subject's biological father. Similar to our previous findings, alcoholics were far more likely to prefer the highest offered sucrose concentration (0.83 M), compared to non-alcoholic controls. Such preference was determined by two factors: positive family history of alcoholism and alcoholic status. Statistically, these factors contributed to the likelihood of preferring sweet solutions independently. Therefore, the effects of these factors may enhance each other. These findings support the hypothesis that preference for a stronger sweet solution is associated with a paternal history of alcohol dependence and may reflect a genetic predisposition to alcoholism.

Document Type: Original article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Psychopharmacology, St Petersburg Pavlov State Medical University, St Petersburg, Russia and 2: Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, USA,

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Sweet liking and family history of alcoholism in hospitalized alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients