THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FAMILY HISTORY STATUS IN RELATION TO NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST-PERFORMANCE AND CEREBRAL GLUCOSE-METABOLISM STUDIED WITH POSITRON-EMISSION-TOMOGRAPHY IN OLDER ALCOHOLIC PATIENTS

Patients with severe chronic alcoholism have decreased rates of glucos e metabolism in the medial frontal robe and correlated abnormalities o f neuropsychological functioning. The potential influence of family hi story of alcoholism has not been examined in these patients. In a retr ospective study, we used neuropsychological tests and neuroimaging emp loying [F-18]fluorodeoxyglucose with positron emission tomography to s tudy 48 older subjects who had histories of severe, chronic alcohol de pendence. These patients were divided into two groups: 27 with a first -degree relative with chronic alcoholism and 21 patients without first -degree relative with chronic alcoholism. No differences were found be tween groups on either neuropsychological or neuroimaging tests. These results suggest that a family history of alcoholism does not moderate the damaging effects of severe chronic alcoholism on the functioning of the medial frontal lobe.