Table 2.

Gender distribution, age, verbal IQ and alcohol history of the group of alcoholic patients and their control counterparts. (The two groups were compared in the potentiated startle response (figure 1). SADQ (Stockwell et al. 1983): Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire is a 20-item questionnaire for the assessment of the severity of dependence.)

variables	controls	alcohol patients
gender (M/F)	8/5	8/5
age	45 (27–63)	47 (26–66)
SADQ	1.5 (0–11)	33.8 (9–65)
units of alcohol/week (1 unit=8 g)	13.9 (0–53)	253 (126–354)
starting age of drinking (years)	15.5 (14–17)	17 (14–32)
verbal IQ	111.7	109.9