The objective of this study was to develop new standardized alcohol-associated cues and assess their effects on brain activation with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Pictures of alcoholic and neutral beverages and affectively neutral pictures were presented to 44 abstinent alcoholics and 37 age-matched healthy control subjects. We assessed the skin conductance response, and the elicited arousal and valence. Alcoholics and control subjects did not differ in arousal, valence or skin conductance response evoked by alcohol-associated and affectively neutral stimuli, while nonalcoholic beverages were rated as more unpleasant and arousing by alcoholics compared with control subjects. In the fMRI pilot study, alcohol and abstract pictures were presented to six abstinent alcoholics and induced a significant activation of brain areas associated with visual emotional processes such as the fusiform gyrus, parts of the brain reward system (basal ganglia and orbitofrontal gyrus) and further brain regions in the frontal and parietal cortices associated with the attention network. These observations suggest that standardized pictures of alcoholic beverages can be used to assess brain circuits involved in the processing and evaluation of alcohol cues.

During past years the 5-HT1A C(-1019)G polymorphism has been associated with vulnerability to depression, anxiety-disorder and personality traits related to negative emotionality (e.g. neuroticism). Many of these studies focused on case-control comparisons or associations between genetic markers and personality traits assessed by the use of questionnaires. In contrast, overt behaviour and physiological measures in experimental paradigms, although very promising, have seldom been the focus of studies investigating the role of the 5-HT1A polymorphism for behaviour and psychopathology. To fill this gap, we examined the relationship between the 5-HT1A C(-1019)G polymorphism and reaction times (in a reward/punishment paradigm) as well as electrodermal activity, as a marker of autonomic arousal, in 123 healthy subjects. This paradigm seems very promising, as sensitivity to punishment in particular, is strongly associated to traits related to negative emotionality. Carriers of the GG genotype, which is related to increased expression of 5-HT1A autoreceptors, exhibited increased reaction times when they were able to win money (reward condition). In direct contrast to the reward condition, these subjects show faster reaction times in the punishment condition (losing money). Moreover, GG carriers are characterized by an enhanced electrodermal activity in all experimental conditions (win, lose and verbal feedback). Finally, the reaction-time pattern mentioned was related to higher scores on negative emotionality as revealed by self-reports. These findings demonstrate for the first time that the 5-HT1A polymorphism is related to personality on the level of a triadic approach including behaviour, physiology and self-reports.

This study examined the effect of mothers' exposure to the 1957 A2/Singapore influenza virus in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy on the electrodermal activity of their 15-year-old offspring. The epidemic occurred during cold months of the year. The results show that maternal viral (and cold) exposure during all trimesters of pregnancy produced a lower frequency of nonspecific electrodermal responses and diminished responsivity to 75-db and 90-db tones as compared with the offspring of mothers who were not exposed. However, there was a critical effect of second trimester exposure as indicated by an increase in frequency of nonresponses to orienting tones. The findings are compared with those from an earlier study from Mauritius involving 3-year-old children in which the effects of exposure to the 1968 A2/Hong Kong virus were examined and in which the effect of cold exposure could be examined separately because viral exposure occurred during the hot months.

This study examined the effect of mothers' exposure to the 1957 A2/Singapore influenza virus in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy on the electrodermal activity of their 15-year-old offspring. The epidemic occurred during cold months of the year. The results show that maternal viral (and cold) exposure during all trimesters of pregnancy produced a lower frequency of nonspecific electrodermal responses and diminished responsivity to 75-db and 90-db tones as compared with the offspring of mothers who were not exposed. However, there was a critical effect of second trimester exposure as indicated by an increase in frequency of nonresponses to orienting tones. The findings are compared with those from an earlier study from Mauritius involving 3-year-old children in which the effects of exposure to the 1968 A2/Hong Kong virus were examined and in which the effect of cold exposure could be examined separately because viral exposure occurred during the hot months.