This thesis encompasses studies that examine autonomic reactivity and neuropsychological function in preadolescent boys who are at-risk for developing alcoholism and conduct disorder. The literature suggests an association between cognitive impairments and behavioural undercontrol, and that autonomic hyperreactivity may facilitate the use of alcohol to dampen stress. Thus, either factor may contribute to early alcohol use. In the first study, preadolescent sons of male multigenerational alcoholics were found to be cardiovascularly reactive during cognitive stress, and impaired on tests of executive function. Furthermore, reactivity was correlated with anxiety, and executive function deficits with conduct problems. In the second study, reactivity during a laboratory aggression task was monitored and cognitive functions (attentional or memory processes and executive functions) were assessed among aggressive boys rated as disruptive, or anxious-disruptive. During the aggression task, anxious-disruptive boys, unlike disruptive boys or controls, moderated their aggression when their opponent engaged in retaliatory behaviour. Anxious-disruptive boys were more highly aroused throughout the task, and the neuropsychological assessment found they were impaired on tests of executive function, independent of attention and memory. In the third study, anxious-disruptive boys exhibited greater cardiovascular, electrodermal, and muscle tension reactivity than disruptive or control boys during cognitive stress, while disruptive boys were electrodermally underaroused. These studies suggest it is possible to delineate specific neuropsychological profiles among at-risk youth, using either a behavioural genetics model, or selecting for personality traits. There were consistent autonomic reactivity patterns across tasks among groups defined by similar behavioural profiles. Thus, while cognitive impairments and hyperreactivity may comprise a vulnerability among sons of alcoholics, thes
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.29038 |
| Date | January 1995 |
| Creators | Harden, Philip W. (Philip Walter) |
| Contributors | Pihl, R. O. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Psychology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001480801, proquestno: NN08108, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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