Effects of a diagnosis or family history of alcoholism on the taste intensity and hedonic value of sucrose.

Given inconsistent findings in published studies, we examined whether a personal lifetime history of alcohol dependence (AD) or a parental history of alcoholism affected preference for sweet solutions. Ninety-three alcohol-dependent subjects rated the intensity and hedonic value of five different sucrose solutions, which was compared with similar data from 122 subjects screened to exclude alcohol dependence. The effect of a family history of alcoholism (FH) was examined in the AD group. Neither the diagnosis of AD nor a family history of alcoholism was associated with ratings of sweetness intensity or sweet preference. These findings do not support the hypothesis that sucrose preference is positively associated with either a personal lifetime history of AD or a family history of alcoholism.