Abstract
Eighty-one percent of 339 alcoholics participating in a research program were found to have associated mental disorders. Alcoholics with onset of heavy drinking before 20 years of age had significantly more antisocial personality traits, drug abuse, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, suicide attempts, and paternal alcoholism than alcoholics with onset after age 20 years. Alcoholics with onset before and after 20 years of age also differed significantly from each other for cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of diazepam-binding inhibitor and somatostatin. These results support the notion that age of onset may delineate subgroups of alcoholics with significant clinical and neurochemical differences.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Age Factors
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Alcoholism / cerebrospinal fluid
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Alcoholism / complications*
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Alcoholism / diagnosis
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Antisocial Personality Disorder / complications
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Antisocial Personality Disorder / diagnosis
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Anxiety Disorders / complications
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Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis
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Bipolar Disorder / complications
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Bipolar Disorder / diagnosis
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Diazepam Binding Inhibitor
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Mental Disorders / complications*
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Mental Disorders / diagnosis
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Neuropeptides / cerebrospinal fluid*
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Panic
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Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
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Somatostatin / cerebrospinal fluid
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Substance-Related Disorders / complications
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Substance-Related Disorders / diagnosis
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Suicide, Attempted / statistics & numerical data
Substances
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Diazepam Binding Inhibitor
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Neuropeptides
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Somatostatin