This application requests support for continuation of ongoing studies of the classification, development, inheritance of alcohol abuse in Swedish adoptees. The major goals of the proposed study are (1) to carry out a replication of the Stockholm Adoption Study of the inheritance of alcohol abuse in a independent sample of over 1500 adoptees born in Gothenburg, Sweden from 1917-1965, and (2) to conduct a prospective longitudinal follow-up at age 36 years of children registered for adoption in 1956-57, previously evaluated in infancy and at 11, 15, 18, 23, and 27 years. Tests of explicit hypotheses derived from prior work and a neurobiological learning model of susceptibility to alcoholism will be carried out. Specifically, in the Gothenburg adoption study predictions about the heritable risk of alcohol abuse and related disorders in adoptees will be based on classification of biological parents according to specific subtypes of alcoholism, as well as the postnatal adoptive home environment. Furthermore, in the prospective study, prediction of alcohol abuse will also be based on ratings of childhood personality traits of novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and reward dependence, as well as the other biological and adoptive risk factors. Analyses will be carried out to determine whether childhood personality traits provide additional information about adult risk of alcohol abuse in adopted-away children beyond that provided by alcohol abuse in their parents. Antisocial personality traits (high novelty seeking, low harm avoidance, and low reward dependence) have already been shown to predict early onset alcohol abuse (mostly type 2) by follow-up through age 27. The proposed follow-up to age 36 years would test the prediction that the opposite configuration (anxious traits or high reward dependence, high harm avoidance, and low novelty seeking) personality traits antecede late onset (mostly type 1) alcohol abuse. The studies are expected to provide tests of theoretically specified hypotheses and to clarify prior information about the nosology, natural history, and etiology of alcoholism.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA007982-03
Application #
3111869
Study Section
Biochemistry, Physiology and Medicine Subcommittee (ALCB)
Project Start
1988-07-01
Project End
1993-06-30
Budget Start
1990-07-01
Budget End
1991-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1990
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Washington University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
062761671
City
Saint Louis
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
63130
Cloninger, C R; Bayon, C; Svrakic, D M (1998) Measurement of temperament and character in mood disorders: a model of fundamental states as personality types. J Affect Disord 51:21-32
Sigvardsson, S; Bohman, M; Cloninger, C R (1996) Replication of the Stockholm Adoption Study of alcoholism. Confirmatory cross-fostering analysis. Arch Gen Psychiatry 53:681-7
Bayon, C; Hill, K; Svrakic, D M et al. (1996) Dimensional assessment of personality in an out-patient sample: relations of the systems of Millon and Cloninger. J Psychiatr Res 30:341-52
Cloninger, C R; Sigvardsson, S; Przybeck, T R et al. (1995) Personality antecedents of alcoholism in a national area probability sample. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 245:239-44
Cloninger, C R (1994) The genetic structure of personality and learning: a phylogenetic model. Clin Genet 46:124-37
Cloninger, C R (1994) Turning point in the design of linkage studies of schizophrenia. Am J Med Genet 54:83-92
Cloninger, C R (1994) Temperament and personality. Curr Opin Neurobiol 4:266-73
Svrakic, D M; Whitehead, C; Przybeck, T R et al. (1993) Differential diagnosis of personality disorders by the seven-factor model of temperament and character. Arch Gen Psychiatry 50:991-9
Cloninger, C R; Svrakic, D M; Przybeck, T R (1993) A psychobiological model of temperament and character. Arch Gen Psychiatry 50:975-90
Svrakic, D M; Przybeck, T R; Cloninger, C R (1992) Mood states and personality traits. J Affect Disord 24:217-26

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