Although the familial transmission of alcoholism has been well documented, very little is known about the exact mechanisms of transmission and the antecedent behaviors that lead family members to abuse alcohol. The study of persons who are most at risk for alcohol abuse (that is, the children of alcoholics) can provide information helpful for understanding this transmission. This study attempts to characterize the behavioral and CNS developmental patterns in the children of alcoholics. First-degree relatives are also evaluated so as to compare patterns of functioning between the generations of related individuals sharing a common familial and genetic environment. The present research is designed to be a prospective, multivariate, and developmentally relevant study of both the risk and the protective factors associated with alcohol use and abuse among members of families in which at least one biological parent has been alcoholic.
