COGA Blog

Here is a place to read about research findings from COGA. You can learn about the development and progression of AUD, risk and protective factors, genetic findings, treatment for and recovery from AUD, disorders that sometimes occur along with AUD, and more. A complete list of the scientific papers that have been published using COGA data can be found here.

Decorative image.

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

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 [...]

Read More...

Decorative image.

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

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 [...]

Read More...

Decorative image.

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

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 [...]

Read More...

Decorative image.

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

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 [...]

Read More...

Decorative image.

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

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 [...]

Read More...

Decorative image.

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

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 [...]

Read More...

Decorative image.

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

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 [...]

Read More...

Decorative image.

Examining Associations Between Genetic and Neural Risk for Externalizing Behaviors in Adolescence and Early Adulthood

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 [...]

Read More...

Decorative image.

Positive Parenting, Brain Development, and Teen Alcohol Use

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 [...]

Read More...

Decorative image.

Comparison of Parent, Peer, Psychiatric, and Cannabis Use Influences Across Stages of Offspring Alcohol Involvement: Evidence from the COGA Prospective Study

Although the initiation of drinking has been a major area of research, other stages of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have not been as thoroughly investigated. It is not clear whether the same factors are associated with early and later periods of AUD development. The COGA family samples that have multiple members with AUD offer a special opportunity to [...]

Read More...

« Newer postsOlder posts »