Absence of paternal sociopathy in the etiology of severe alcoholism: is there a type III alcoholism?

Twenty-nine pairs of alcoholic siblings who were part of a large scale family study were assessed for presence of clinical characteristics that might distinguish these individuals and their families from those typically ascertained through random selection. It was expected that ascertainment of families through two alcoholic brothers would increase the likelihood of finding families showing evidence of greater clinical severity. Ascertainment through a pair of alcoholic siblings reduces the likelihood of sporadic cases and increases the likelihood that the transmission of the subtype of alcoholism seen is a result of a major genetic effect. Presence of a third major type of alcoholism with features distinct from Cloninger's Type II alcoholism was revealed. Further, it would appear that the form seen in this series of families is more severe and does not require the presence of a sociopathic father, as does the Type II alcoholic.