Risk/Protective Factors

Alcohol Use Polygenic Risk Score, Social Support, and Alcohol Use among European American and African American Adults

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

Alcohol consumption is impacted by a combination of genetic predispositions and environmental influences. We investigated how genome-wide polygenic risk scores for alcohol use (alc-PRS) interact with the level of social support among individuals of European American (EA) and African American (AA) descent, across various age groups ranging from emerging adulthood to middle adulthood. Our analysis […]

Associations Between Alcohol Use Disorder Polygenic Score And remission In Participants From High-risk Families And The Indiana Biobank

Posted on March 12, 2024 (March 10, 2024) by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

A prior study indicated a positive correlation between a polygenic score for AUD (PGSAUD) and the severity of AUD symptoms, as measured by the DSM-5 lifetime criterion count. Moreover, the severity of AUD symptoms was inversely related to the likelihood of achieving remission. Building on these findings, the researchers hypothesized that the PGSAUD might also […]

Neurogenetic And Multi-omic Sources Of Overlap Among Sensation Seeking, Alcohol Consumption, And Alcohol Use Disorder

Posted on March 10, 2024 (March 10, 2024) by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

This study found that the desire for new and exciting experiences (sensation seeking) is linked to how much alcohol people consume, both in adults and teenagers. The connection between sensation seeking and alcohol use disorder (AUD) seems to be mainly due to increased alcohol consumption rather than directly causing more problems. The researchers used advanced […]

Predictors of Risk and Resilience for Future Alcohol Problems Associated with a Low Level of Response to Alcohol

Posted on February 21, 2024 by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

Researchers investigated future prevention protocols for reducing heavy drinking and alcohol-related issues in individuals with a low response to alcohol, a genetically influenced risk factor for recurring alcohol problems. Recent research has shown that addressing factors such as associating with heavy drinking peers, holding inaccurate beliefs about the benefits of heavy drinking, and using alcohol […]

A Critical Review Of Ethanol Effects On Neuronal Firing: A Metabolic Perspective

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

The metabolism of ethanol within neurons has been an area of relative understudy, notwithstanding the recognized influence of alterations in neuronal metabolism on their functional activity. Recent investigations indicate a preferential utilization of ethanol over glucose as a carbon and energy source by neurons, inducing a reprogramming effect that leads to a diminished energy potential […]

Principal Component Analysis Corrects Collider Bias in Polygenic Risk Score Effect Size Estimation

Posted on January 25, 2024 by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

In this article, researchers explore an approach to correct collider bias persisting in existing cohort studies, specifically in genetic risk scoring for studying predispositions in certain study models. Genetic risk scoring is a widely used method to study predispositions to complex traits, including behaviors and psychiatric outcomes. However, statistical models, crafted to eliminate alternative explanations […]

Genomic Analysis Of 1.5 Million People Uncovers Genes Related To Addiction, Antisocial Behavior, And Disease

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

Externalizing behaviors encompass a range of traits tied to self-regulation, like substance use disorders and childhood behavior problems, significantly influencing an individual’s life path. Previous research hinted at a shared genetic inclination for these behaviors, yet a comprehensive study to identify the responsible genes on a large scale was absent. This study delves […]

The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism: Brain Function

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

Alcohol use disorder and its related health problems come from a mix of genes, brain activity, and environment, affecting people differently as they grow. In this section, COGA has looked at how the brain works in relation to alcohol use risks and problems. They use brain tests and family info to separate the risks linked […]

The Collaborative Study On The Genetics Of Alcoholism: Genetics

Posted on November 15, 2023 (November 15, 2023) by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

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 […]

The Collaborative Study On The Genetics Of Alcoholism: Sample and Clinical Data

Posted on November 8, 2023 (November 8, 2023) by Priscille Myrthil-Harder

This article offers an overview of the methodologies offered in collecting data for the COGA study and also dives into the characteristics of the study sample and clinical information. This is a second installment of a 5 paper series. The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) is a comprehensive multidisciplinary research initiative aimed at […]