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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
