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Genetic Trait Linked to Alcoholism
Date:11/20/2008

etter job of processing serotonin.

"We know that serotonin is critical to maintaining a positive sense of self and for controlling our anxiety," Philibert said. That could explain a possible connection between serotonin levels and alcoholism, he added.

Li cautioned, however, that it's unlikely that a single genetic trait by itself would make someone more susceptible to alcoholism. It's more likely that a genetic variation works with other genes to raise the risk, he said.

Philibert said research might lead to a day when doctors could look at an alcoholic's genetic traits and discover whether antidepressants could help that person.

Doctors, he said, might say, "You have this genotype and you drink a lot, so you may benefit from a drug like Prozac."

More information

Learn more about alcoholism from the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.



SOURCES: Ming D. Li, Ph.D., professor and head of neurobiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville; Robert Philibert, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Laboratory of Psychiatric Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City; February 2009, Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research


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