In summary, this represents one of the larger studies to date to evaluate both the role of the menstrual cycle and the role of having a paternal history of alcoholism on the behavioral response to alcohol under controlled laboratory conditions. Despite the large sample of women (n = 45), modest differences in the response to alcohol were observed between the midfollicular and late luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. The present study, in conjunction with previous well-controlled studies (Holdstock and de Wit, 2000; Mumenthaler et al., 2001; see review by Terner and de Wit, 2006), suggests that the administration of alcohol may not vary substantially across the menstrual cycle phase among normal women. However, women should be carefully evaluated to rule out severe premenstrual symptoms, particularly PMDD, since these women show substantial changes in mood and impaired performance during the luteal phase (e.g., Reed et al., 2008). In addition, this study represents the second adequately sized study (the first was by Eng et al., 2005) to directly assess the effects of alcohol in FHP and FHN women, and the first to address the impact of menstrual cycle phase on the response to alcohol in FHP women.
