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Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Interaction between CRHR1 Gene and Stressful Life Events Predicts Adolescent Heavy Alcohol Use
Biological Psychiatry
Article in Press, Corrected Proof
27 June 2007




Recent animal research suggests that alterations in the corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) may lead to heavy alcohol use following repeated stress.

The aim of this study was to examine interactions between two haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering the CRHR1 gene and adverse life events on heavy drinking in adolescents.

Adolescents homozygous for the C allele of rs1876831 drank higher maximum amounts of alcohol per occasion and had greater lifetime rates of heavy drinking in relation to negative life events than individuals carrying the T allele. No gene × environment interactions were found for regular drinking and between rs242938 and stressful life events.

These findings provide first evidence in humans that the CRHR1 gene interacts with exposure to stressful life events to predict heavy alcohol use in adolescents.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: g.schumann@iop.kcl.ac.uk
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