Scientists have been pondering why certain individuals are more predisposed to alcohol dependency than others for decades, as alcoholism can be influenced by neurobiology, personality traits, and individual and social influences. Scientists know how alcohol affects the central nervous system, but the exact mechanism of action remains obscure.
Research now supports the idea that along with societal factors, genetics play an important role in the progression of alcoholism. Divya Mathur, PhD, writes on BrainBlogger.com that the comparison of monozygotic and dizygotic twins in different studies has shown a significant correlation between genetics and alcohol abuse. Children of alcoholic parents who were adopted at birth develop alcohol addiction more frequently compared to adopted children with non-drinking parents, and there is a lower genetic risk for alcohol dependence among women.
Mathur writes that candidate gene studies have implicated genes encoding metabolizing enzymes in the liver such as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), the microsomal oxidation system (MEOS), and the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the development of alcoholism. In addition, genetic studies conducted in various ethnic groups have confirmed that certain allele variations of ADH and ALDH are linked either in development or of in protection from alcohol addiction through a still-unknown mechanism.
The alleles influence various alcohol addiction syndromes, such as tolerance, sensitivity, and dependence. In addition to these genes, neurotransmitter genes have been associated with increased risk for alcohol dependence. Alcohol modifies the neurochemical milieu and acts on many different neuroreceptors, although there is no known receptor for alcohol in the brain.
Mathur explains that although the theory that a distinct type of personality leads to alcohol dependency has been rejected, some traits like low self-esteem and antisocial behavior have been found to be associated with alcoholism. Social modeling and conditioning seem to be significant psychological factors in the development of alcohol addiction, so both genetic and environmental factors contribute to alcoholism.
According to Mathur, delineating the genetic components of alcoholism can not only offer information about the risk factors, but also form the theoretical basis for developing therapeutic and educational programs for preventing alcoholism.
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