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.

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Close Relationships With Parents Promote Healthier Brain Development in High-Risk Teens, Buffering Against Alcohol Use Disorder

Parents impact their offspring’s brain development, neurocognitive function, risk, and resilience for alcohol use disorder (AUD) via both genetic and socio-environmental factors. Research Society on Alcoholism: Between 2004 and 2019, researchers recruited 1,256 young offspring, aged 12–22 at baseline, from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), a large, multigenerational family study on [...]

High Polygenic Risk Scores Are Associated With Age of Onset of Alcohol Use Disorder in Adolescents and Young Adults at Risk

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 [...]

Sensation Seeking and Social Support Partially Mediate Polygenic Influences on Adult Alcohol Use Disorder Symptoms

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 [...]

Binge and High-Intensity Drinking – Laboratory Assessment and Underlying Risk Factors

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 [...]

The Role of Adolescent Social Relationships in Promoting Alcohol Resistance: Interrupting the Intergenerational Transmission of Alcohol Misuse

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 [...]

The Role of Parental Genotype in the Intergenerational Transmission of Externalizing Behavior: Evidence for Genetic Nurturance

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 [...]

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