Spectral analyses of sleep EEG in depressed offspring of fathers with or without a positive history of alcohol abuse or dependence: a pilot study

Dahl, Ronald E; Williamson, Douglas E; Bertocci, Michele A; Stolz, Mary V; Ryan, Neal D; Ehlers, Cindy L

doi:10.1016/j.alcohol.2003.06.001

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Volume 30, Issue 3 , Pages 193-200, July 2003

Spectral analyses of sleep EEG in depressed offspring of fathers with or without a positive history of alcohol abuse or dependence: a pilot study

Ronald E Dahl
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Douglas E Williamson
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-412-624-4526; fax: +1-412-624-0223.
Michele A Bertocci
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Mary V Stolz
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Neal D Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Cindy L Ehlers
- Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, CVN-14, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

Received 10 December 2002; received in revised form 28 May 2003; accepted 4 June 2003.

Editor: T.R. Jerrells

Abstract

The current study was designed to examine the effects of family history of alcohol use disorders on spectral electroencephalographic (EEG) sleep measures obtained in a sample of youth with depression. We evaluated sleep in 32 depressed youth (8–16 years of age) with and without a family history of alcohol use disorders. Eighteen of the participants (10 males and 8 females) reported a positive paternal history of alcohol use disorders and made up the family history positive (FHP) group. Power-spectral analyses revealed that increased power in the 7.50–11.00 Hz band (slow alpha) was associated with boys in the FHP group for the first and second non–rapid eye movement (REM) periods, second REM period, awake during the night, and entire night period. Results also showed increased power in the higher alpha frequencies (11.00–12.25 Hz) for non-REM, REM, and awake periods. A significant increase in spectral power was also observed in boys in the FHP group in the delta frequencies (0.75–4.50 Hz) during the second REM period. These findings are consistent with results from previous studies, demonstrating that EEG alpha power is positively associated with a family history of alcohol use disorders.

Keywords: Alcohol, Depressed adolescents, Spectral analyses, Sleep EEG, Paternal offspring