Welcome to the Collaborative Studies on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) website. COGA is the most comprehensive research project ever to be conducted on the inherited aspects of alcohol use disorder (AUD).
COGA has the goal of identifying genes that influence an individual’s risk of developing alcohol problems, and understanding how that risk unfolds across the lifespan. These discoveries are used to develop more tailored and effective strategies to prevent and to treat alcohol problems.
Signs of Alcohol Problems
- Drinking more than you intended
- Trying to cut down, but find you can’t
- Spending a lot of time drinking or recovering from alcohol
- Craving alcohol when you can’t get it
- Drinking interfering with your home life, work, or school
- Continuing to drink even though it’s causing problems with family or friends
- Giving up important activities to drink
- Getting into situations where you could get hurt (driving drunk, unsafe sex, etc)
- Continuing to drink even though it’s making you depressed or causing health problems
- Needing more alcohol to get the same effect
- Trouble sleeping, shakiness, irritability, anxiety, depression, etc as the alcohol wears off
Genetics & Alcohol
Learn about how genes and environment come together to contribute to alcohol problems.
News
Learn more about new findings surrounding genetics and alcohol.
Genome-wide Association Analyses Identify 95 Risk Loci And Provide Insights Into The Neurobiology Of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing a traumatic event. It’s characterized by symptoms like intrusive thoughts, heightened arousal, avoiding reminders of the trauma, and negative changes in mood and thinking. For some individuals, these symptoms persist long after the traumatic experience has ended, significantly impacting their quality [...]The Collaborative Study On The Genetics Of Alcoholism: Genetics
This review presents a comprehensive evaluation of genetic methodologies and findings stemming from the family-centered Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). COGA’s primary objective was to identify genes influencing the susceptibility to alcohol use disorder (AUD) and its related complications. Notably, COGA was an early adopter of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) while also [...]Alcohol Use Disorder, Psychiatric Comorbidities, Marriage and Divorce in a High-risk Sample
Previous studies demonstrate the associations between alcohol use disorders (AUD) and marital outcomes in general population samples, and the associations between AUD and marital outcomes have tangible costs, because a body of work shows links between marriage with better health and well-being. This study made use of data from the Collaborative Study on the [...]
Alcohol Use Across Time
Different things impact alcohol use.
Click the title to learn more about alcohol use across time.
Alcohol & Genetics
Intensity of response to alcohol is one genetically influenced pathway to problems.
Click the title to learn more about alcohol and genetics.
Nature & Nurture
Genes and environment are important for AUD development.
Click the title to learn more about these factors play a role in AUD.
