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Lower P300 amplitude in eight-year-old offspring of alcoholic fathers with a delinquent history

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the P300 amplitude as a possible vulnerability marker in children of alcoholic (COA) fathers with and without paternal delinquency. Event-related potentials (ERPs) of 122 children aged 8 years (63 boys, 59 girls) were compared depending on father’s alcoholism subtype: 30 COAs without paternal delinquency, 10 COAs with paternal delinquency, and 82 children of non-alcoholic and non-delinquent fathers. ERPs were recorded from Fz, Cz, and Pz, using an auditory oddball paradigm. Sinus tones of 60 dB HL were presented binaurally at 1,000 Hz (standard stimulus) and 2,000 Hz (target stimulus), at a relative frequency ratio of 80:20. Two trial blocks of 250 stimuli each were collected. Results indicated that only COAs with paternal delinquency displayed significant differences from the control group, characterized by reduced P300 amplitude at frontal site and in the second trial block. Thus, the combination of fathers’ alcoholism and delinquency was more likely to relate to attenuated P300 amplitude in the offspring than paternal alcoholism alone. Our results suggest that both alcoholic and delinquent family history appear to play a role in P300 amplitude reduction in the offspring.

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Acknowledgements

The Mannheim Study of Risk Children was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Prof. Dr. Furtado received a one-year postdoctoral fellowship from the FAPESP—The São Paulo State Foundation for Research, Brazil. Dr. Viana received a 6 months postdoctoral fellowship from CAPES. We thank the parents and children for their participation in the study and Ingrid Hösch for her work in the lab.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, P.O. Box 122120, 68072, Mannheim, Germany

    Martin H. Schmidt MD, PhD & Manfred Laucht PhD

  2. Department of Neurology, Psychiatry and Medical Psychology Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. dos Bandeirantes, 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Paula C. Viana-Wackermann MD & Erikson F. Furtado MD

  3. Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24–25, 14476, Golm, Potsdam, Germany

    Günter Esser PhD

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  1. Paula C. Viana-Wackermann MD
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  2. Erikson F. Furtado MD
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  3. Günter Esser PhD
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  4. Martin H. Schmidt MD, PhD
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  5. Manfred Laucht PhD
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Correspondence to Manfred Laucht PhD.

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Viana-Wackermann, P.C., Furtado, E.F., Esser, G. et al. Lower P300 amplitude in eight-year-old offspring of alcoholic fathers with a delinquent history. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 257, 211–216 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-006-0709-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-006-0709-8

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