Genetics – Page 3

Alcohol Reverses The Effects Of KCNJ6 (GIRK2) Noncoding Variants On Excitability Of Human Glutamatergic Neurons

Posted on September 7, 2023 (September 3, 2023) by Emily Balcke

Researchers focused on variations within the KCNJ6 gene, which encodes the GIRK2 protein responsible for regulating cell excitability, including responses to alcohol. To investigate this further, the study utilizes a human neuron model system, including individuals with the ERO-associated allelic variant in KCNJ6 and diagnosed alcohol dependence, as well as those without the variant and unaffected […]

Do Personality Characteristics Predict Future Alcohol Problems After Considering Current Demography, Substance Use, And Alcohol Response?

Posted on August 25, 2023 (August 25, 2023) by Emily Balcke

Certain personality traits have been identified as predictors of future alcohol-related issues. However, these traits are also connected to various demographic and substance-related factors and few studies have investigated whether personality traits continue to predict alcohol problems when accounting for current demographic and substance-related factors. This study followed 414 non-alcohol use disorder (AUD) drinkers […]

Genomic Risk For Post-traumatic Stress Disorder In Families Densely Affected With Alcohol Use Disorders

Posted on August 17, 2023 (August 15, 2023) by Emily Balcke

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that occurs after experiencing a traumatic event. Although many people are exposed to trauma, only a small percentage develop PTSD. Studies that look at the entire genome (genome-wide association studies or GWAS) have found specific genetic signs related to PTSD in both civilian and military groups. However, studies […]

Upregulated GIRK2 Counteracts Ethanol-induced Changes In Excitability And Respiration In Human Neurons

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Emily Balcke

This research identified specific genetic variations in the KCNJ6 gene linked to changes in brain activity measured through electroencephalogram (EEG) frontal theta event-related oscillations (θ-EROs) during cognitive tasks. These variations are associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and are considered to be a sign of susceptibility to AUD. The KCNJ6 gene encodes the GIRK2 protein, […]

Predicting Alcohol-related Memory Problems In Older Adults: A Machine Learning Study With Multi-domain Features

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Emily Balcke

Researchers aimed to understand memory problems in older adults with a history of alcohol use disorder (AUD) using a machine learning approach. Comparisons were made between a group of 94 adults aged 50-81 with alcohol-induced memory problems (Memory group) to a matched Control group without memory issues. The Random Forests model identified specific features from […]

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 Emily Balcke

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 Emily Balcke

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 […]

Genetic Influences Vary by Age And Sex: Trajectories of The Association of Cholinergic System Variants and Theta Band Event Related Oscillations

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Emily Balcke

Researchers aimed to investigate how genetic variants related to the cholinergic system are associated with theta band event-related oscillations (EROs) in the brains of adolescents and young adults. The researchers analyzed data from 2,140 participants aged 12 to 25 who took part in the COGA prospective study. Theta band EROs were measured using EEG recordings […]

Cortical Profiles of Numerous Psychiatric Disorders and Normal Development Share A Common Pattern

Posted on July 6, 2023 (July 6, 2023) by Emily Balcke

Researchers collaborated to understand the link between brain development and mental health disorders. By analyzing brain scans from a large number of individuals, including those with psychiatric disorders and typically developing individuals, researchers identified a common pattern of cortical thickness across different brain regions using principal component analysis (PCA). This pattern resembled the widespread thinning […]

Clinical, Genomic, and Neurophysiological Correlates of Lifetime Suicide Attempts Among Individuals With Alcohol Dependence

Posted on June 28, 2023 by Ricki Arvesen

Research has identified clinical, genomic, and neurophysiological markers associated with suicide attempts (SA) among individuals with psychiatric illness. However, there is limited research among those with an alcohol use disorder, despite their disproportionately higher rates of SA. Researchers examined lifetime SA in 4,068 individuals with DSM-IV alcohol dependence from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics […]