Genetics of Alcoholism

Articles Index

Brain Protein Linked to Alcohol Seeking Behavior
Researchers have linked a protein found in the brain to both alcohol-seeking behavior and the sensitivity to the effects of alcohol intoxication.

Taste Test May Identify Alcoholism Risk
Individuals with a positive paternal history of alcoholism rate salty solutions as less pleasurable and sour solutions as more intense and less pleasurable than individuals with no paternal history of alcoholism.

Alcoholism - Is it Inherited?
There is a growing body of scientific evidence that alcoholism has a genetic component.

Genetics, Alcohol Sensitivity, and Behavior
Individual differences in alcohol response – ranging from sleepy to social, sad to happy – have a tremendous influence on a person's risk for developing alcohol dependence.

Genetics and Motivations to Drink Alcohol
A new study has found that a person's genetic makeup may influence their motivation to drink, which can, in turn, enhance behaviors that increase the risk for alcoholism. Genetic variation appears to influence drinking to relieve social anxiety and improve mood.

Alcohol-Dependence Gene Identified
Investigators have identified a gene that appears to increase the risk of alcoholism. But it is not known how GABRG3 influences alcoholism risk.

Family Big Factor in Developing Alcoholism
Family environmental influences can be important factors in the development of alcohol abuse disorders in offspring with increased genetic risk for alcoholism.

Gene Discourages Alcoholism in Jews
A new study suggests that genes, not religion, may help explain why Jews generally have fewer problems with alcohol than Caucasians in general.

Sweet Tooth 'Marker' for Alcoholism?
New research indicates that a liking for sweets precedes alcoholism and may in fact serve as a marker for the genetic risk for developing alcoholism.

View of American Indian Drinking 'Bias'
A new study of alcohol dependence among two culturally distinct tribes in the United States has found that alcohol problems are not nearly as serious as some stereotypes may suggest.

Sensation-Seeking Behavior in Alcoholic Men
New research has found a genetic link between the a specific dopamine receptor gene and sensation seeking among male alcoholic patients.

Chromosomal Regions Linked to Alcoholism
A study has identified three chromosomal regions in the human genome that appear to hold genes that affect low response to alcohol.