P 300 Wave in Patients with Alcoholism and Their First-Degree Relatives

Alcohol induced brain dysfunction in patients with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome is well documented. Studies on first degree relatives of patients who has no significant history of alcoholism displaying similar electrophysiological finding as patients shows varying results. Thus, this study evaluated the performance of patients with alcoholism, their non-alcoholic first-degree biological relatives and normal controls in electophysiological measure of P 300 to assess heritability of this trait. Thirty patients with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome, 30 first-degree relatives of these concerned patients and 30 normal controls were evaluated. Result shows that patients and their first-degree relatives showed longer latency and low amplitude in P 300 wave in midline-frontal vertex (Fz), central vertex (Cz) and parietal vertex (Pz) site compared to normal controls. Comparable result found in patients with positive family history of alcoholism and patients with negative family history of Alcoholism. Findings suggests that deficit in brain electrical activity (P 300) is a premorbid condition in patient with alcoholism which is also shared by the non-alcoholic relatives.