Absence of visual and auditory P300 reduction in nondepressed male and female alcoholics

Background: The P300 component of the event-related potential has been exte nsively studied as a possible neurobiological risk marker for the developme nt of alcoholism. Although P300 amplitude reduction has frequently been doc umented in high-risk children, studies of adult alcoholics are inconsistent . Methods: P300 amplitude from 121 adult alcoholics was compared to 68 contro ls utilizing event-related potential paradigms from the auditory and visual modalities. All participants were evaluated clinically with psychiatric in terviews and administered the MMPI. Results: Male alcoholics did not show a reduction in amplitude in either th e auditory or visual modality. Female alcoholics showed reduced P300 amplit ude, but only when a comorbid lifetime diagnosis of depression was present. Similar results were found using current depressed mood (Scale 2 from the MMPI), Conclusions: No differences in P300 amplitude were found between alcoholics and controls unless comorbid depression was present. Therefore, P300 ampli tude reduction seen in children at high-risk for developing alcoholism seem s to represent a neurodevelopmental delay that normalizes by adulthood. Bio l Psychiatry 1999;46: 982-989 (C) 1999 Society of Biological Psychiatry.