Outstanding questions notwithstanding, the results of this meta-analysis have several substantial implications for models of subjective response to alcohol. Schuckit and colleagues (2010) recently described differences in subjective stimulant response as a risk factor separate from the overall level of response, one of “many interesting and potentially important additional characteristics that might indicate a vulnerability toward later alcoholism” (p. 203). The evidence summarized here illustrates that these authors may have described an important distinction. The low sensitivity to alcohol found among FH+ men (and described by the LLRM) may in fact be a separate risk factor from the increased stimulation and decreased sedation found in heavy drinkers of both genders (and described by the DM). Further research is needed, however, to determine whether they can co-occur in the same individuals and how they might interact with one another.
