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Incidence and Characteristics of Spinal Cord Injured Patients with a Family History of Alcoholism
Steven L. Schandler, Michael J. Cohen, Michael Vulpe, Sherry E. Rascoe Frank
Objective: Of the many factors that affect the occurrence of and rehabilitation from spinal cord injury, alcohol use and abuse are particularly prominent. Persons with a family history of alcoholism are at greater risk for alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Preliminary data show a much higher than normal proportion of these persons in the spinal cord injured population. If these data are reliable, they may show that family history of alcoholism is a premorbid or comorbid factor to the occurrence of accidents that result in catastrophic injuries. Our investigation represented an evaluation of this premise. Method: Male volunteer subjects (N = 100) were selected from inpatient and outpatient populations of a Veterans Affairs spinal cord injury service. Subjects received a comprehensive interview and completed two standardized questionnaires and a general information form designed to evaluate their past and present use of alcohol and the use of alcohol by their parents and relatives. Results: The incidence (45%) of spinal cord injured patients with a family history of alcoholism was over four times that found in the general population. Spinal cord injured subjects with a family history of alcoholism reported significantly more problems with alcohol before, at the time of, and after their injury. Conclusions: The data suggest a relationship between the predisposition to alcoholism and accidents that result in catastrophic injury. (J. Stud. Alcohol 56: 522-527, 1995)
