Alcohol use linked to internet addiction
Several genes and their variations that cause a variety of addictive behaviours have been found by a recent study that was published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine. These current findings not only validate earlier findings that addiction may be genetically determined, but they also suggest possible similarities between various illnesses affected by the same genes.
This new study analysed a wide range of substance and non-substance addictions and their potential correlations to 32 gene polymorphisms, or variants. Previous research has mostly concentrated on establishing relationships between genetic variants and one specific form of addiction.
Alcohol and internet addiction
In addition to asking 3003 young adults from high schools, colleges, and universities in Hungary for DNA samples, the researchers also asked them about their use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs as well as seven other potentially addictive behaviours, including internet use, gaming, social networking site use, gambling, eating, exercising, and hair pulling.
"It has been established in the past that various addictions have a significant hereditary component. According to study co-author Csaba Barta, an associate professor of Molecular Biology at the Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary, addictions have an estimated heritability of between 50 and 70 percent, which is the measure of a trait's genetic contribution. The remaining 20 to 30 percent is thought to be a result of environmental factors.
The precise genetic variations and their neurological functions in addiction, however, are not well understood. In the current analysis, we observed 29 relationships that were nominally significant, and nine of those remained significant after multiple testing was statistically corrected.
The results of the investigation showed that some genes and their variations can predispose individuals to engaging in potentially addictive behaviours such as substance usage. For instance, FOXN3 and its so-called rs759364 are one of the genes.
Alcohol intake was associated to an allele (variant) that was more prevalent. The same gene, however, was also linked to increased internet usage and online gaming.
According to research co-author Zsolt Demetrovics, a psychology professor at Eötvös Loránd University, "These findings can contribute to the scientific knowledge on addictions which affects millions of individuals globally."
"The PGA [Psychological and Genetic Factors of Addictions] study is new in that it thoroughly examines the connections between substance use and addictive behaviours that are not related to substances. It might advance our understanding of how several potentially addictive behaviours are vulnerable to one another. For instance, having a propensity for problematic alcohol use may also enhance your likelihood of developing a gambling, video game, or work addiction. This may be an important factor to take into account when preparing treatment strategies, he said.
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