Multiple components of the extended limbic network have been found to be structurally and/or functionally deficient in the offspring of alcohol dependent individuals. Particularly, offspring from multiplex families of alcoholic individuals with minimal prior exposure to alcohol have decreased volume of the orbitofrontal cortex in the right hemisphere (Hill et al. 2009). They also show reduced right amygdala volume compared to control subjects before drinking begins (Hill et al. 2001). Reduced grey matter has been reported for the amygdala and hippocampus in offspring from an Indian population of multigenerational families of alcoholics (Benegal et al. 2007). Since these regions are involved in emotion regulation and inhibition, the documented abnormalities in the offspring of alcoholics may correspond to the behavioral and affective dysfunction often observed in these individuals. Additionally, many of these regions have been found to be abnormal in psychiatric disorders that may share a diathesis for AUD.
