The low LR, or low sensitivity, focuses more on depressant effects of alcohol, but extends beyond sedation. This is indicated by items used to measure alcohol-induced subjective feelings in our own work (e.g., feeling high, intoxicated, or drunk) and through the first of four questions in a retrospective measure of alcohol sensitivity (i.e., standard drinks needed to first feel any alcohol effect) (Schuckit et al., 1997; Schuckit and Gold, 1988). Low LR goes beyond subjective feelings and also measures dampened alcohol-related changes in hormones, electrophysiologic measures, and patterns of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Paulus et al., 2012; Schuckit et al., 2016b; Tapert et al., 2004). Enhanced alcohol stimulation might also relate to cortisol responses to alcohol. Low LR and enhanced stimulation with alcohol have sometimes been observed in the same individuals (e.g., King et al., 2011; Roche et al., 2014; Schuckit et al., 2002), although it is possible that factors that contribute to a low LR and to more intense stimulation might not be identical.
