This approach is somewhat consistent with the psychomotor stimulant theory of addictions which posits that the stimulatory and rewarding effects of addictive substances, including alcohol, share a common underlying biological mechanism and that individuals who experience greater alcohol-induced reward are thought to be more likely to develop alcohol problems (Wise & Bozarth, 1987). However, just as alcoholism represents a heterogeneous disorder (discussed in more detail below), family history of alcoholism constitutes a heterogeneous, and rather crude, measure of genetic risk. Newlin and Thompson (1990) note the role of pharmacokinetics and neurobiological and genetic differences, primarily via family history of alcoholism, underlying variation in response to alcohol. Recent developments in the understanding of both the genetic underpinnings of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes underlying subjective responses to alcohol will be reviewed herein.
