Event-related brain potentials in boys at risk for alcoholism

Abstract

Recent neurophysiological findings have demonstrated that abstinent chronic alcoholics manifest deficits in event-related brain potentials. To explore possible biological antecedents of alcoholism the present study examined boys at high risk for alcoholism. Event-related brain potentials were recorded from biological sons of alcoholic fathers and matched control boys. Differences in the P3 component of the potentials were obtained between the high-risk and control subjects.