Hyperactivity and the risk for alcoholism.

Thirty-two young adult sons of alcoholic fathers and 32 controls filled out a questionnaire regarding childhood and adult symptoms of hyperactivity. There were no significant family group differences on any of the 48 childhood items or on three scales constructed from those questions. The two groups differed significantly on only 3 of the 56 items regarding adult or residual hyperactivity and on only one of seven possible adult scales, with alcoholics' sons tending to report more evidence of a hot temper and a self-perception of a short attention span. Using DSM-III criteria, the authors found that 2 (6%) of the alcoholics' sons and 4 (12%) of the controls fulfilled criteria for attention deficit disorder (ADD) with hyperactivity in childhood and that none met the criteria for ADD, residual type, in adulthood. For the studied men, the findings do not indicate an elevated risk for ADD in the sons of alcoholics.