AIMS: To investigate genetic and environmental influences on the development of specific alcohol dependence symptoms. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: A classical twin study of 3372 male-male twin pairs in the Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry based on telephone interviews about alcohol use. MEASUREMENTS: The nine diagnostic symptoms according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, version III (revised) (DSM-III-R) definition of alcohol dependence. Symptoms were grouped into those based on impaired control, biological effects and social consequences (Beresford's classification) or early versus late symptoms (Nelson's classification). Survival models with random effects were used to examine the age of onset of each symptom. FINDINGS: Approximately 38% of the variation in age of onset of each symptom group based on Beresford's classification is due to additive genetic factors. The age of onset of late symptoms from Nelson's classification appears to be most affected by genetic factors. Estimates of genetic effects for impaired control symptoms are greatly decreased when twins with comorbid psychiatric disorders are excluded. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the heritability of age of onset of DSM-III-R-defined symptoms for alcohol dependence. However, no symptom group in Beresford's classification could be identified as more heritable than other symptom groups. A strong association between genetic vulnerability and co-occurring diseases for symptoms indicative of impaired control could be found. In addition, our findings show that the late symptom group could be a good candidate for subsequent genetic research.
AIMS: To investigate genetic and environmental influences on the development of specific alcohol dependence symptoms. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: A classical twin study of 3372 male-male twin pairs in the Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry based on telephone interviews about alcohol use. MEASUREMENTS: The nine diagnostic symptoms according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, version III (revised) (DSM-III-R) definition of alcohol dependence. Symptoms were grouped into those based on impaired control, biological effects and social consequences (Beresford's classification) or early versus late symptoms (Nelson's classification). Survival models with random effects were used to examine the age of onset of each symptom. FINDINGS: Approximately 38% of the variation in age of onset of each symptom group based on Beresford's classification is due to additive genetic factors. The age of onset of late symptoms from Nelson's classification appears to be most affected by genetic factors. Estimates of genetic effects for impaired control symptoms are greatly decreased when twins with comorbid psychiatric disorders are excluded. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the heritability of age of onset of DSM-III-R-defined symptoms for alcohol dependence. However, no symptom group in Beresford's classification could be identified as more heritable than other symptom groups. A strong association between genetic vulnerability and co-occurring diseases for symptoms indicative of impaired control could be found. In addition, our findings show that the late symptom group could be a good candidate for subsequent genetic research.
Authors: Melissa M Andrews; Shashwath A Meda; Andre D Thomas; Marc N Potenza; John H Krystal; Patrick Worhunsky; Michael C Stevens; Stephanie O'Malley; Gregory A Book; Brady Reynolds; Godfrey D Pearlson Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2010-12-03 Impact factor: 13.382
Authors: Bangalore N Roopesh; Madhavi Rangaswamy; Chella Kamarajan; David B Chorlian; Arthur Stimus; Lance O Bauer; John Rohrbaugh; Sean J O'Connor; Samuel Kuperman; Marc Schuckit; Bernice Porjesz Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2009-09-17 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: Robert Miranda; Lara Ray; Alicia Justus; Lori A Meyerson; Valerie S Knopik; John McGeary; Peter M Monti Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2009-10-23 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: Jens Treutlein; Sven Cichon; Monika Ridinger; Norbert Wodarz; Michael Soyka; Peter Zill; Wolfgang Maier; Rainald Moessner; Wolfgang Gaebel; Norbert Dahmen; Christoph Fehr; Norbert Scherbaum; Michael Steffens; Kerstin U Ludwig; Josef Frank; H Erich Wichmann; Stefan Schreiber; Nico Dragano; Wolfgang H Sommer; Fernando Leonardi-Essmann; Anbarasu Lourdusamy; Peter Gebicke-Haerter; Thomas F Wienker; Patrick F Sullivan; Markus M Nöthen; Falk Kiefer; Rainer Spanagel; Karl Mann; Marcella Rietschel Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry Date: 2009-07