Blunted stress reactivity reveals vulnerability to early life adversity in young adults with a family history of alcoholism.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

People with blunted stress reactivity have poor impulse control and also show increased risk for alcoholism. Exposure to early life adversity (ELA) contributes to blunted reactivity, but individual differences in susceptibility to ELA are not well understood. This study aimed to determine whether exposure to ELA has a greater impact on stress reactivity in young adults with a family history of alcoholism (FH+) compared with young adults with no family history of alcoholism (FH-).

Design

Observational study using linear modeling.

Setting

Oklahoma, USA.

Participants

Seven hundred and nine young adults (398 females) recruited through community advertisement.

Measurements

We obtained heart rates and cortisol levels in subjects while under

SUBMITTER: Lovallo WR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6529292 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature