Inferences about the environmental influences of parental alcoholism on risk of childhood disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Conduct Disorder, or Depression, which in turn predict increased offspring risk of alcohol use disorders and associated high-risk behaviors (e.g.: early onset of alcohol use), have been hindered by a failure to recognize (i) the confounding of genetic effects, and genotype x shared environment interaction effects in the twin design, and (ii) the selection for high risk genetic backgrounds, but reduced environmental risk exposures, in adoption study designs. As an alternative, we propose a children-of twins study, that builds upon our prior studies of a cohort of young adult Australian twins characterized by a history of heavy drinking and high rates of alcohol problems, in women as well as men. Comparison of outcomes in children exposed to both high genetic and high environmental risk (twin father is alcohol dependent [AD], or twin mother is AD or alcohol abuser [AB]: 'alcoholic' [ALC]), children exposed to reduced environmental risk but varying degrees of genetic risk (twin parent is unaffected, but parent's MZ, DZ female, or DZ male cotwin is alcoholic: 'high risk'), and children from control families (twin parent, and parent's cotwin, both unaffected), will enable us to identify high risk environmental exposures associated with parental alcoholism that are predictive of offspring outcomes, with statistical control for genetic transmission of risk. Intake, 2-yr and in some cases 4-yr follow-up interviews will be conducted with the children's parents (a projected N=1900 parents reporting about 3350 offspring aged 7 yrs and older, as well as about own and partner's history of alcohol use and comorbid disorders) and with male and female offspring aged 11 yrs and older (N=2260), and will be supplemented by intake interviews with co-parents of these offspring (N=1300). Hypotheses will be tested about the pathways by which alcoholism in the parental generation via genetic transmission and/or increased high-risk environmental exposures, is associated with increased risk of psychopathology and other high-risk outcomes in offspring, taking into consideration pre-conception factors I (mate selection), pre-natal risk-factors (maternal smoking and drinking), and post-natal factors (both factors I associated with the presence of an alcoholic parent in the home, and factors such as socioeconomic disadvantage I associated with parental absence or parental past history of ALC).

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA015210-02
Application #
6954681
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-HOP-M (02))
Program Officer
Ren, Zhaoxia
Project Start
2004-09-30
Project End
2009-08-31
Budget Start
2005-09-01
Budget End
2006-08-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$539,371
Indirect Cost
Name
Washington University
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
068552207
City
Saint Louis
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
63130
Waldron, Mary; Bucholz, Kathleen K; Madden, Pamela A F et al. (2014) Alcohol dependence and reproductive timing in African and European ancestry women: findings in a midwestern twin cohort. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 75:235-40
Waldron, Mary; Grant, Julia D; Bucholz, Kathleen K et al. (2014) Parental separation and early substance involvement: results from children of alcoholic and cannabis dependent twins. Drug Alcohol Depend 134:78-84
Waldron, Mary; Bucholz, Kathleen K; Lynskey, Michael T et al. (2013) Alcoholism and timing of separation in parents: findings in a midwestern birth cohort. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 74:337-48
Waldron, Mary; Madden, Pamela A F; Nelson, Elliot C et al. (2012) The interpretability of family history reports of alcoholism in general community samples: findings in a midwestern U.S. twin birth cohort. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 36:1091-8
Duncan, Alexis E; Agrawal, Arpana; Bucholz, Kathleen K et al. (2011) Deconstructing the architecture of alcohol abuse and dependence symptoms in a community sample of late adolescent and emerging adult women: an item response approach. Drug Alcohol Depend 116:222-7
Pergadia, Michele L; Glowinski, Anne L; Wray, Naomi R et al. (2011) A 3p26-3p25 genetic linkage finding for DSM-IV major depression in heavy smoking families. Am J Psychiatry 168:848-52
Waldron, Mary; Heath, Andrew C; Lynskey, Michael T et al. (2011) Alcoholic marriage: later start, sooner end. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 35:632-42
Waldron, Mary; Heath, Andrew C; Lynskey, Michael T et al. (2009) Smoking and illicit drug use associations with early versus delayed reproduction: findings in a young adult cohort of Australian twins. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 70:786-96
Waldron, Mary; Martin, Nicholas G; Heath, Andrew C (2009) Parental alcoholism and offspring behavior problems: findings in Australian children of twins. Twin Res Hum Genet 12:433-40
Waldron, Mary; Heath, Andrew C; Turkheimer, Eric N et al. (2008) Childhood sexual abuse moderates genetic influences on age at first consensual sexual intercourse in women. Behav Genet 38:1-10

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