Citation

Gurling HM, Oppenheim BE, Murray RM. Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. (Roma) 1984; 33(2): 333-339.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1984, Mendel Institute)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

6540966

Abstract

A study of 74 twin pairs with alcoholic probands from the Maudsley Hospital is reported. Pairwise concordance for alcoholism as categorised by the SADS-L Research Diagnostic Criteria is similar in MZ twins (29%, 8/22) and DZ twins (33%, 13/39). Concordance for all diagnoses other than alcoholism is however significantly greater in MZ twins (48%, 13/27) than DZ twins (21%, 8/39, P less than 0.001). Concordance in MZ and DZ twins for all diagnoses other than alcoholism, including depression, did not coincide with concordance for alcoholism. Data on criminality revealed that 21% (32/148) of the twin sample had non-alcohol, non-traffic offences on record at the UK Home Office. Of the 32 with criminal records, 28 were alcoholic probands and pairwise concordance for criminality was found in only 1 MZ and 2 DZ pairs.

Language: en