Environmental Factors – Page 2

Association Of Parental Divorce, Discord, And Polygenic Risk With Children’s Alcohol Initiation And Lifetime Risk For Alcohol Use Disorder

Posted on July 27, 2023 (July 25, 2023) by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

Researchers conducted a study to understand how parental divorce and discord, along with genetic factors, influence alcohol-related outcomes in children. They analyzed data from European and African ancestry participants and found that genetic risk for alcohol problems interacts with parental divorce and discord, affecting the age of alcohol initiation and the risk of alcohol use […]

Associations Between Cannabis Use, Polygenic Liability for Schizophrenia, and Cannabis-related Experiences in a Sample of Cannabis Users

Posted on July 20, 2023 (July 18, 2023) by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

Researchers investigate the relationship between genetic risk for schizophrenia and cannabis-related experiences. A study using a sample of 4,832 individuals from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) who had a history of alcohol use disorders was conducted. The participants’ cannabis involvement, including cannabis use disorder (CUD), was measured, and their polygenic risk […]

Influence of Parental Alcohol Dependence Symptoms and Parenting on Adolescent Risky Drinking and Conduct Problems: A Family Systems Perspective

Posted on June 19, 2023 (June 28, 2023) by Ricki Arvesen

This study examined how parental alcohol dependence symptoms and parenting behaviors can influence teenagers’ risky drinking and conduct problems using a family-based approach. By understanding the impact of both parents’ alcohol problems and their parenting styles, we can gain insights into the factors that contribute to adolescent risk behaviors and behavior problems. The study showed […]

Positive Parenting, Brain Development, and Teen Alcohol Use

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Ricki Arvesen

A recent COGA prospective study led by Dr. Gayathri Pandey and colleagues, was covered in Psychology Today by Dr. Dona Matthews. The study investigated whether parents’ closeness to their children aged 12 to 17 had an impact on the teens’ binge drinking behavior. They found that young people at risk of alcohol abuse were less likely to be […]

Sensation Seeking and Social Support Partially Mediate Polygenic Influences on Adult Alcohol Use Disorder Symptoms

Posted on January 19, 2023 (January 19, 2023) by Ricki Arvesen

Genetic predispositions play an important role in the development of alcohol use disorders (AUD). Understanding the psychosocial mechanisms through which genetic risk unfolds to influence AUD is critical for identifying modifiable targets and developing prevention and intervention efforts. In this study, we examined the role of sensation seeking and social support from family and friends […]

Binge and High-Intensity Drinking – Laboratory Assessment and Underlying Risk Factors

Posted on January 10, 2023 (January 10, 2023) by Ricki Arvesen

Some patterns of alcohol consumption are riskier than others. How rapid consumption of alcohol contributes to the increased risk of alcohol use disorder is unclear. We developed an experiment in which participants specific control over how quickly their breath alcohol concentration changes and tested for relationships to risky drinking patterns. How fast participants reached the […]

The Role of Adolescent Social Relationships in Promoting Alcohol Resistance: Interrupting the Intergenerational Transmission of Alcohol Misuse

Posted on January 10, 2023 (January 10, 2023) by Ricki Arvesen

Genes play an important role in whether someone develops alcohol use disorder or engages in other risky alcohol behaviors, but not all individuals who are at-risk due to genetic factors go on to misuse alcohol. Yet, little is known about what the “active ingredients” are for promoting resistance to alcohol misuse. In this study, we […]

The Role of Parental Genotype in the Intergenerational Transmission of Externalizing Behavior: Evidence for Genetic Nurturance

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Ricki Arvesen

In this analysis, we examined the pathways by which genetic risk associated with externalizing is transmitted in families. We used phenotypic and genetic data from parents and offspring to test the genetic and environmental pathways contributing to adolescent externalizing behavior. Genetic liability for externalizing problems was operationalized in the form of polygenic scores. In addition […]

Genetic Nurture Effects for Alcohol Use Disorder

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Ricki Arvesen

Genetic factors play an important role in the intergenerational transmission of alcohol use disorder. Typically, when we think about how genetic risk is passed from generation to generation, we think about the genotypes that children inherit from their parents. Yet, this represents only one potential way that genetic risk may be transmitted in families. This […]

How Do Our Genes Influence Risk for Alcohol Problems?

Posted on November 29, 2022 (November 29, 2022) by Ricki Arvesen

Some people are more at risk for developing alcohol problems than others and part of the reason lies in our genes. Researchers are working on finding the specific genes associated with alcohol problems, and then mapping the complex pathways by which these genes influence alcohol use outcomes and interact with the environment. Check out Translational […]