Researchers have identified genetic and neural risk factors for externalizing behaviors. The current study sought to determine how these polygenic risk for externalizing behavior (EXT PRS) and P3 amplitude related to externalizing behavior and to determine if genetic risk is conferred in part through neural risk markers. We found that while both the EXT PRS […]
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 […]
A polygenic risk score is a measure of a person’s genetic vulnerability for a particular disorder. In this study we have used the polygenic risk score for alcohol use disorder, in combination with other characteristics such as sex and family history of alcohol problems, to see whether that might help identify young people who may […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
In this analysis, we parsed the genetic variance of problematic alcohol use (ALCP) into that which is shared with other externalizing traits and that which is not. The genetic correlations for the ALCP-specific variance differ for correlations with ALCP that includes variance which overlaps with externalizing. The ALCP-specific variance is primarily associated with alcohol […]
People diagnosed with alcohol use disorder have been studied to identify genes linked with their diagnosis as well as other measurements such as EEG/behavioral tests. Previous work has linked these EEG measurements with variations in and near KCNJ6, a gene encoding a potassium channel protein. To study this, we prepared induced pluripotent stem cells using […]
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 […]
