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D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) polymorphism is associated with severity of alcohol dependence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

J.P. Connor
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Queensland, Australia
R.McD. Young
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Queensland, Australia
B.R. Lawford
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Queensland, Australia Hospital Alcohol and Drugs Service, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
T.L. Ritchie
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
E.P. Noble*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
*
*Correspondence and reprints: UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1759, USA. E-mail address: epnoble@ucla.edu (E.P. Noble).
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Summary

The A1 allele of the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene has been associated with alcohol dependence. However, the expression of this allele risk on the severity of drinking behavior in patients with alcohol dependence has not been systematically explored. The present study examines the association between DRD2 A1+(A1/A1 and A1/A2 genotypes) and A1– (A2/A2 genotype) allele status and key drinking parameters in alcohol-dependent patients. A sample of Caucasian adults was recruited from an alcohol detoxification unit. A clinical interview and the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS) questionnaire provided data on consumption, dependence, chronology of drinking and prior detoxification. A1+ allele compared to A1– allele patients consumed higher quantities of alcohol, commenced problem drinking at an earlier age, experienced a shorter latency between first introduction to alcohol to the onset of problem drinking and had higher ADS scores. Moreover, A1+ allele patients had more detoxification attempts than their A1– allele counterparts. In sum, alcohol-dependent patients with the DRD2 A1 allele compared to patients without this allele are characterized by greater severity of their disorder across a range of problem drinking indices. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Type
Original article
Copyright
Copyright © Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS. 2002

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