They are also the harbinger of an exciting future when genetic and genomic information will be used to optimize clinical trials of new addiction medications and enhance the delivery of health care through personalized SUD prevention and treatment interventions. Compared to other genetic predictors, the genomic pattern identified here was also a more sensitive predictor of having two or more substance use disorders at once. The genomic pattern linked to general addiction risk also predicted higher risk of mental and physical illness, including psychiatric disorders, suicidal behavior, respiratory disease, heart disease, and chronic pain conditions. addiction recovery group activities In children aged 9 or 10 years without any experience of substance use, these genes correlated with parental substance use and externalizing behavior. Despite divergent patterns of genetic overlap suggesting non-uniform genetic influences, it should be noted that genes influencing alcohol-metabolizing enzymes (e.g. ADH1B, ALDH2) directly affect alcohol consumption, and in turn, play a role in the risk of AUD development.

The genetics of addiction

Finally, there are multiple substance classes not covered in this review, including hallucinogens, ‘club drugs’, and inhalants. These substance classes have been included in a handful of twin and family studies examining drug use, but no well-powered GWAS exist. Future GWAS efforts will be informative for how the genetics fun substance abuse group activities of these additional SUDs overlap with or diverge from well-studied SUDs. Mirroring findings from twin and family studies, GWAS of CanUD have identified significant genetic overlap between CanUD and other SUDs and measures of substance use.

1. The first study evaluated genes inherited from one’s parents (germ line mutations) and the second evaluated epigenetic markers (likely acquired over a lifetime).
2. In individuals who are vulnerable to addiction, repetitive exposure to the agent induces long-lasting neuroadaptative changes that further promote drug-seeking behaviors and ultimately lead to persistent and uncontrolled patterns of use that constitute addiction.
3. The serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) regulates synaptic levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of mood, appetite, and impulse control.
4. Twin and family studies have demonstrated strong familial inheritance patterns for SUDs (Prom-Wormley, Ebejer, Dick, & Bowers, 2017).
5. Variability in reported h2 results for NicUD could, at least in part, be due to the different ways in which NicUD-related problems have been assessed