Genetic etiology of the common liability to drug dependence: Evidence of common and specific mechanisms for DSM-IV dependence symptoms

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Rohan H. Palmer, Emory University; Tanya M. Button, University of Colorado at Boulder; Soo H. Rhee, University of Colorado at Boulder; Robin P. Corley, University of Colorado at Boulder; Susan E. Young, University of Colorado at Boulder; Micheal C. Stallings, University of Colorado at Boulder; Christian J. Hopfer, University of Colorado at Denver; John K. Hewitt, University of Colorado at Boulder
• Language: English
• Date: 2012-06-01
• Publisher: Elsevier: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.12.015
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Drug and Alcohol Dependence
• ISSN: 0376-8716
• Volume: 123
• Issue: SUPPL.1
• Start Page: S24
• End Page: S32
• Grant/Funding Information: Individual support for the co-authors was provided by DA011015 and DA021913.; MH016880 and MH019927 supported the training of Rohan Palmer, the analysis and interpretation of the data, and the writing of the report.; Data collection was supported by DA011015.; This study was funded by MH016880; MH019927; MH063207; HD010333; DA011015; DA021913; and AA007464.; T.M.M. Button was supported by AA007464.; The development and maintenance of the LTS sample was supported by HD 010333 and MH063207.
• Keywords: Sex Factors; Comorbidity; Young Adult; Prevalence; Adolescent; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Alcoholism; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Tobacco Use Disorder; Marijuana Abuse; Environment; Twins; Adult; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Female; Multivariate Analysis; Humans
• Research Categories: Psychology, Behavioral; Biology, Genetics; Health Sciences, Mental Health

Abstract

Background: We investigated the etiological nature of comorbid alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis DSM-IV dependence symptoms in late adolescence and young adulthood while accounting for gender differences in the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences. Methods: Univariate and multivariate twin modeling was used to determine the heritability of each substance and the etiology of multiple drug problems in a sample of 2484 registrants of the Center for Antisocial Drug Dependence who provided data at the second wave of an ongoing longitudinal study. We report on mean and prevalence levels of whole-life DSM-IV dependence symptoms that were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Substance Abuse Module. Biometrical analyses were limited to age-adjusted DSM-IV dependence symptom counts from a subset of twins that reported using alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis in their lifetime. Results: Male and female alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis DSM-IV symptoms are indicators of a heritable unidimensional latent continuous trait. Additive genetic factors explain more than 60% of the common liability to drug dependence. A larger proportion of the variation in each substance is attributable to substance-specific genetic and environmental factors. Conclusions: These data suggest that both common and substance-specific genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in the levels of DSM-IV alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis dependence symptoms.