There has been a lot of debate in the last thirty – forty years about genetic inheritance – with at least half of children of alcoholic families at risk for later alcoholism. What is less known is what exactly is inherited in our genes? What marks us out for later […]
The age of onset to begin regular drinking is an important predictor of age of first alcohol problem and subsequent alcohol dependence (1,2), as well as greater severity and persistence of problems with illicit drugs (3). For individuals that initiated drinking prior to age 14 years, the […]
The offspring of alcohol dependent individuals are at increased risk for alcohol and drug dependence in young adulthood over that seen in the general population (1-4). Twin and adoption studies reveal that the heritability for alcohol dependence is between 40–60% (5-8). The substantial heritability of alcohol dependence also […]
Following up from our previous blog on the abnormalities in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in alcoholics, brain regions which govern emotional regulation, we came across another study which appears to show that adolescents at increased risk for later alcohol use disorders (AUDs) may also be showing an […]
Predicting relapse via extent of emotional dysregulation? by alcoholicsguide Even the most experienced counselors have difficultly spotting a recovering alcoholic in danger of relapse. Brain imaging scans might do a better job according to a study last year by researchers at Yale University. They suggested that alcoholics with […]
A recent article suggests that some people may have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. Dr Alexander Niculescu and his team, identified 11 “risk” genes (1) that can predict which people are more at prone to becoming alcoholic. For those with a family history of alcoholism, the danger is even greater. All of […]
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