Maximum Number Of Drinks Research Articles

Efficacy of an online intervention to reduce alcohol-related risks among community college students

Problems associated with alcohol use are well-documented among traditional 4-year college students, but less is known about community college students' alcohol use. The few published articles that have investigated alcohol consumption among community college students suggest that risky alcohol consumption is a concern. Online alcohol-related risk reduction programs may be well-suited to community college campuses, due to reduced cost and labour effort, as well as increased accessibility for students. The aim of the current study was to test the efficacy of an online intervention designed to reduce risks associated with alcohol use among community college students. Three hundred and nineteen community college students were randomised to one of two treatment conditions: reviewing the online alcohol-related risk reduction program or reviewing online educational newsletters. Generalised linear mixed models were conducted, testing for mean differences between conditions over time on each outcome (primary analyses: alcohol and other drug use, protective behaviours and consequences of substance use). Exploratory analyses for moderating effects of covariates and user engagement were also conducted. Twelve months after the intervention, students who reviewed the online intervention reported a reduction in the maximum number of drinks consumed on one occasion within the past week and a greater reduction in total drinks consumed within the past week, as compared to students who received educational e-newsletters. Online alcohol-related risk reduction programs for students beginning community college may offer a practical and effective way to reduce alcohol consumption, and may have the potential to increase the wellbeing of a largely underserved population.

Interaction effects between the 5-hydroxy tryptamine transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotype and family conflict on adolescent alcohol use and misuse.

To investigate whether the effects of family conflict on adolescent drinking differed as a function of 5-hydroxy tryptamine transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotype cross-sectionally and prospectively in two independent samples of adolescents. Path analysis and multi-group analysis of two prospective datasets were conducted. United States and United Kingdom. Sample 1 was 175 adolescents in the United States (mean age = 15 at times 1 and 2 with a 6-month interval); Sample 2 was 4916 adolescents in the United Kingdon (mean age = 12 at time 1 and 15 at time 2). In both samples, demographics, tri-allelic 5-HTTLPR genotype and perceived family conflict were assessed at time 1. Alcohol use (frequency of drinking) and alcohol misuse (frequency of intoxication, frequency of drinking three or more drinks, maximum number of drinks) were assessed at times 1 and 2. A significant gene-environment interaction on alcohol misuse at time 1 was found in both sample 1 (β = 0.57, P = 0.001) and sample 2 (β = 0.19, P = 0.01), indicating that the 5-HTTLPR low-activity allele carriers exposed to higher levels of family conflict were more likely to engage in alcohol misuse than non-carriers. A significant gene-environment interaction effect on change in alcohol misuse over time was found only in sample 1 (β = 0.48, P = 0.04) but not in sample 2. Compared with non-carriers, adolescents carrying the 5-HTTLPR low-activity allele are more susceptible to the effects of family conflict on alcohol misuse.

Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in an emergency department: three-month outcomes of a randomized controlled clinical trial among Mexican-origin young adults

A randomized controlled trial of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for drinking and related problems among at-risk and dependent drinkers was conducted in an emergency department (ED) at the US-Mexico border among Mexican-origin young adults. Data collection over a period of 17 months resulted in 698 patients recruited into the study and randomized to one of three conditions: screened only (n=78), assessed (n=310), and intervention (n=310). Patients in the assessment (77%) and intervention (72%) conditions were blindly reassessed at three months via one telephone interview. No difference was found in baseline demographic or drinking characteristics between the assessment intervention groups. At follow-up, the intervention group showed significantly greater decreases in five of six outcome variables: number of drinking days per week, average number of drinks and per drinking day, maximum number of drinks, RAPS4 score as an indicator of alcohol dependence and number of negative consequences related to drinking. Using analysis of covariance to control for baseline measures, the intervention group was lower on all drinking and problem measures than the assessment group, and significantly so on four of the measures. When the interaction of intervention by injury status (injury vs. non-injury), drinking within six hours prior to the event, causal attribution of the event to drinking and risk taking disposition were examined, only causal attribution had a significant effect for two of the problem measures – the intervention effect for the RAPS4 and negative consequences was greater for those who believed their injury or illness was related to their drinking. Findings here suggest that brief intervention was effective in this population compared to assessment at three month follow-up, and may be most effective for those linking the reason for their ED visit to their drinking.

A quasi-randomized group trial of a brief alcohol intervention on risky single occasion drinking among secondary school students

To show the effectiveness of a brief group alcohol intervention. Aims of the intervention were to reduce the frequency of heavy drinking occasions, maximum number of drinks on an occasion and overall weekly consumption. A cluster quasi-randomized control trial (intervention n = 338; control n = 330) among 16- to 18-year-old secondary school students in the Swiss Canton of Zürich. Groups homogeneous for heavy drinking occasions (5+/4+ drinks for men/women) consisted of those having medium risk (3-4) or high risk (5+) occasions in the past 30 days. Groups of 8-10 individuals received two 45-min sessions based on motivational interviewing techniques. Borderline significant beneficial effects (p < 0.10) on heavy drinking occasions and alcohol volume were found 6 months later for the medium-risk group only, but not for the high-risk group. None of the effects remained significant after Bonferroni corrections. Group intervention was ineffective for all at-risk users. The heaviest drinkers may need more intensive treatment. Alternative explanations were iatrogenic effects among the heaviest drinkers, assessment reactivity, or reduction of social desirability bias at follow-up through peer feedback.

PREVENTING RISKY DRIVING AND ALCOHOL MISUSE AMONG YOUNG ADULTS: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

BackgroundEmergency department (ED) visits provide an opportunity to reduce risky driving and alcohol misuse, thereby reducing the risk for future injury.Aims/Objectives/PurposeTo determine the efficacy of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral...

Emergency department screening and intervention for patients with alcohol-related disorders: a pilot study.

Physicians in emergency departments (EDs) treat more patients with alcohol-related disorders than do those in primary care settings. To implement an effective screening, brief intervention, and referral (SBIR) program for use in EDs. Further, to evaluate the impact of the program on alcohol-consumption levels. A prospective cohort pilot study was conducted at a suburban community teaching hospital using a convenience sample of ED patients and an original seven-question screening tool based on well-known guidelines. Subjects screening positive for possible alcohol abuse were given treatment referrals. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted 6 months later. Of the 1556 enrolled subjects, 251 (16%) were classified as at-risk drinkers. Seventy-nine at-risk subjects (32% [95% CI, 26%-37%]) screened positive on CAGE-based questions (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye opener). At follow-up, 20 (25% [95% CI, 16%-35%]) were successfully contacted. Of these 20 subjects, 5 (25%) refused to participate in follow-up screening. For the remaining 15 individuals, follow-up screening indicated that the mean (SD) number of drinks consumed per week decreased from 28 (14) on study enrollment to 10 (10) at 6-month follow-up (P<.001). Maximum number of drinks per occasion decreased from 12 (8) at enrollment to 6 (7) on follow-up (P=.008). Subject scores on the CAGE-based questions decreased from pre- to postintervention, though not significantly, with an average of 2.1 (1) affirmative answers on enrollment and 1.5 (1.4) at follow-up (P=.108). Implementation of an effective SBIR program for alcohol-related disorders can be accomplished in the ED.

Magnitude of the Problem of Drinking Alcohol on College Campuses, Commentary on “Structuring a College Alcohol Prevention Program on the Low Level of Response to Alcohol Model: A Pilot Model”

The objective of this commentary is to discuss the significance of the study entitled, "Structuring a College Alcohol Prevention Program on the Low Level of Response to Alcohol Model: A Pilot Model" by Schuckit and colleagues (2012) published in this issue of the Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. The work by Schuckit and colleagues emphasizes the importance of personalizing an alcohol prevention program for college students. This pilot model is the result of over 30 years of clinical translational research on an individual's level of response to alcohol. The prevention program is efficient, simple, safe, cost-effective and self-directed. The results indicate the computerized intervention was associated with decreases in drinking overall and students with a low level of response to alcohol showed greater decreases when the prevention program is personalized to focus on how level of response is affected by peer influence, alcohol expectancies, and stress management. It concludes that college students with a low level of response to alcohol will benefit from a prevention program that is personalized to this well documented endophenotype. The findings provide the foundation for developing future longitudinal studies of the proposed prevention program with a larger sample size on diverse campuses. In addition, as mentioned in the Discussion section, future studies could also evaluate the effectiveness of other easily measured clinical endophenotypes known to be associated with alcohol use such as impulsivity, negative effect, and maximum number of drinks per occasion.

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT): 12‐Month Outcomes of a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial in a Polish Emergency Department

A randomized controlled trial of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) among at-risk (based on average number of drinks per week and drinks per drinking day) and dependent drinkers was conducted in an emergency department (ED) among 446 patients 18 and older in Sosnowiec, Poland. Patients were recruited over a 23-week period (4:00 pm to 12:00 midnight) and randomized to 1 of 3 conditions: screened-only (n = 147), assessed (n = 152), and intervention (n = 147). Patients in the assessed and intervention conditions were blindly reassessed via a telephone interview at 3 months, and all 3 groups were assessed at 12 months (screened-only = 92, assessed = 99, and intervention = 87). No difference was found across the 3 conditions in at-risk drinking at 12 months, as the primary outcome variable, or in decrease in the number of drinks per drinking day, with all 3 groups showing a significant reduction in both. Significant declines between baseline and 12 months in secondary outcomes of the RAPS4, number of drinking days per week, and the maximum number of drinks on an occasion were seen only for the intervention condition, and in negative consequences for both the assessment and intervention conditions. Data suggest that improvements in drinking outcomes found in the assessment condition were not because of assessment reactivity, with both the screened and intervention conditions demonstrating greater (although nonsignificant) improvement than the assessed condition. Only those in the intervention condition showed significant improvement in all outcome variables from baseline to 12-month follow-up. Although group by time interaction effects were not found to be significant, these findings suggest that declines in drinking measures for those receiving a brief intervention can be maintained at long-term follow-up.

Influencing Adolescent Social Perceptions of Alcohol Use to Facilitate Change through a School-Based Intervention

The current study examines the effectiveness of a voluntary high school-based alcohol intervention by investigating one proposed mechanism of change in adolescent alcohol involvement: perception of peer use. High school students reporting lifetime drinking (N = 2055) completed fall and spring surveys that assessed demographic information, substance use, risk factors, and intervention attendance (N = 327). The motivational enhancement-based intervention used school and grade-specific normative data to facilitate change in adolescent perceptions regarding the frequency and quantity of peer alcohol use. Results indicate that intervention participants were more likely to increase the accuracy of their peer frequency estimates over the course of the year in comparison to the general student body. Furthermore, students demonstrating decreases in peer perceptions of alcohol use exhibited a greater reduction in number of binge episodes, lower maximum number of drinks consumed per episode, and average number of drinks consumed per drinking occasion (ps < .05); teens with the greatest alcohol use history demonstrated the largest reductions. Although we found no significant main effect for intervention attendance, findings support the role of reduced peer drinking estimates in decreasing alcohol involvement among teen drinkers.

Associations and Interactions Between SNPs in the Alcohol Metabolizing Genes and Alcoholism Phenotypes in European Americans

Alcohol dependence is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and has a strong familial component. Several linkage and association studies have identified chromosomal regions and/or genes that affect alcohol consumption, notably in genes involved in the 2-stage pathway of alcohol metabolism. Here, we use multiple regression models to test for associations and interactions between 2 alcohol-related phenotypes and SNPs in 17 genes involved in alcohol metabolism in a sample of 1,588 European American subjects. The strongest evidence for association after correcting for multiple testing was between rs1229984, a nonsynonymous coding SNP in ADH1B, and DSM-IV symptom count (p = 0.0003). This SNP was also associated with maximum number of drinks in 24 hours (p = 0.0004). Each minor allele at this SNP predicts 45% fewer DSM-IV symptoms and 18% fewer max drinks. Another SNP in a splice site in ALDH1A1 (rs8187974) showed evidence for association with both phenotypes as well (p = 0.02 and 0.004, respectively), but neither association was significant after accounting for multiple testing. Minor alleles at this SNP predict greater alcohol consumption. In addition, pairwise interactions were observed between SNPs in several genes (p = 0.00002). We replicated the large effect of rs1229984 on alcohol behavior, and although not common (MAF = 4%), this polymorphism may be highly relevant from a public health perspective in European Americans. Another SNP, rs8187974, may also affect alcohol behavior but requires replication. Also, interactions between polymorphisms in genes involved in alcohol metabolism are likely determinants of the parameters that ultimately affect alcohol consumption.

Systematic Analysis of Glutamatergic Neurotransmission Genes in Alcohol Dependence and Adolescent Risky Drinking Behavior

Glutamatergic neurotransmission is implicated in alcohol-drinking behavior in animal models. To investigate whether genetic variations in glutamatergic neurotransmission genes, which are known to alter alcohol effects in rodents, contribute to the genetic basis of alcoholism in humans. Association analysis of alcohol dependence and haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering 10 glutamatergic genes. Resequencing of functional domains of these genes identified 204 SNPs. Haplotypes with a frequency of 5% or greater could be discriminated by 21 haplotype-tagging SNPs analyzed for association in 2 independent samples of alcohol-dependent adult patients and controls as well as adolescent trios. Four university medical centers in the south of Germany. One thousand three hundred thirty-seven patients and 1555 controls (study 1: 544 patients, 553 controls; study 2: 793 patients, 1002 controls). One hundred forty-four trios of 15-year-old adolescents assessed for risky drinking behavior. Genotype profiles for GLAST; N-methyl-d-aspartate-receptor subunits NR1, NR2A, and NR2B; MGLUR5; NNOS; PRKG2; CAMK4; the regulatory subunit of PI3K; and CREB were analyzed for association with alcohol dependence using multivariate statistical analysis. Risky adolescent drinking was tested using the transmission disequilibrium test. Analysis of study 1 revealed that NR2A and MGLUR5 have the greatest relevance for human alcohol dependence among the genes selected with odds ratios of 2.35 and 1.69, respectively. Replication analysis in study 2 confirmed an association of alcohol dependence with NR2A (odds ratio, 2.01) but showed no association with MGLUR5. Combined analysis of study 1 and study 2 exhibited a more significant association on the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test (P < .001) for NR2A; NR2A was associated with positive family history, early onset of alcoholism, and maximum number of drinks in adults as well as risky drinking patterns in adolescents. Genetic variations in NR2A have the greatest relevance for human alcohol dependence among the glutamatergic genes selected for their known alteration of alcohol effects in animal models.

Heavy episodic drinking: determining the predictive utility of five or more drinks.

Although the heavy episodic drinking (HED) measure of 5+ drinks (sometimes 4+ for women) is used extensively, there is no empirical basis for the designation of 5 drinks as the threshold (vs. another threshold that may perform equally). The present study sought to determine the threshold for HED that maximally predicts proximal and distal adverse-drinking-related outcomes. Participants included 115 young adults (57% female; 96% Caucasian) who partook in an 8-week Internet survey that assessed daily drinking as well as next-day hangover; 10 months later, adverse outcomes (problem drinking, alcohol-related problems, maximum number of drinks, and drug use) were surveyed. Thresholds were computed, with a range from 1+ drinks to 15+ drinks, and outcomes were predicted from each threshold. Findings for hangover measures showed relatively good convergence across multiple indicators, with greatest prediction occurring at a threshold of 10+ drinks per occasion. Different thresholds were observed for long-term outcomes, with higher thresholds indicative of outcomes with greater severity. Although alternatives to HED, such as subjective effects and blood alcohol concentration, can indicate risky drinking, a threshold measure of HED may have advantages in terms of prevention and of intervention efforts.

Clinical Implications of Tolerance to Alcohol in Nondependent Young Drinkers

Background: Ten percent of teenagers and young adults with no alcohol diagnosis and a third of those with alcohol abuse report tolerance to alcohol. However, relatively few data are available on the clinical implications of tolerance in nondependent men and women. Methods: Data were gathered from 649 18-to-22-year-old drinking offspring from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) families. The prevalence and clinical correlates of tolerance were evaluated across subjects with no DSM-IV alcohol abuse and no tolerance, similar individuals with tolerance, subjects with alcohol abuse but no tolerance, and individuals with both alcohol abuse and tolerance. Results: Tolerance was associated with an almost doubling of the number of drinks needed to feel alcohol's effects, and correlated with additional alcohol-related problems. In regression analyses, the most consistent and robust correlates of tolerance were the maximum number of drinks and alcohol problems, and tolerance remained informative after covarying for drinking quantity. Conclusions: Tolerance to alcohol may be a useful concept regarding nondependent drinkers that is not just a proxy for alcohol quantity but also reflects the presence of additional problems.

The Impact of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral for Treatment on Emergency Department Patients' Alcohol Use

We determine the impact of a screening, brief intervention, and referral for treatment (SBIRT) program in reducing alcohol consumption among emergency department (ED) patients. Patients drinking above National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism low-risk guidelines were recruited from 14 sites nationwide from April to August 2004. A quasiexperimental comparison group design was used in which control and intervention patients were recruited sequentially at each site. Control patients received a written handout. The intervention group received the handout and a brief intervention, the Brief Negotiated Interview, to reduce unhealthy alcohol use. Follow-up surveys were conducted at 3 months by telephone using an interactive voice response system. Of 7,751 patients screened, 2,051 (26%) exceeded the low-risk limits set by National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; 1,132 (55%) of eligible patients consented and were enrolled (581 control, 551 intervention). Six hundred ninety-nine (62%) completed a 3-month follow-up survey, using the interactive voice response system. At follow-up, patients receiving a Brief Negotiated Interview reported consuming 3.25 fewer drinks per week than controls (coefficient [B] -3.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] -5.76 to -0.75), and the maximum number of drinks per occasion among those receiving Brief Negotiated Interview was almost three quarters of a drink less than controls (B -0.72; 95% CI -1.42 to -0.02). At-risk drinkers (CAGE <2) appeared to benefit more from a Brief Negotiated Interview than dependent drinkers (CAGE >2). At 3-month follow-up, 37.2% of patients with CAGE less than 2 in the intervention group no longer exceeded National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism low-risk limits compared with 18.6% in the control group (delta 18.6%; 95% CI 11.5% to 25.6%). SBIRT appears effective in the ED setting for reducing unhealthy drinking at 3 months.

Effect of ADH1B Genotype on Alcohol Consumption in Young Israeli Jews

The alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) genotype affects the risk for alcoholism, with elevated prevalence of a protective allele in Jews. Alcohol consumption is increasing among younger Israeli Jews, reflecting environmental influences. We investigated whether the relationship of ADH1B genotype with alcohol consumption differed between younger and older adult Israelis. Israeli community residents aged 22 to 65 participated in a structured interview that included questions on the maximum number of drinks on an occasion (Maxdrinks). The ADH1B genotype was determined for 68 participants and dichotomized into nonprotective (ADH1B(*)1/1) and protective (ADH1B(*)1/2 or ADH1B(*)2/2) genotypes. Using Maxdrinks as the dependent variable, Poisson's regression was used to test an age x genotype interaction. The ADH1B genotype interacted significantly with age (p=0.01) in a Poisson's model with Maxdrinks as the outcome. Among participants >or=33 years, Maxdrinks was low and unrelated to the ADH1B genotype. Among participants <33 years with ADH1B(*)1/2 or ADH1B(*)2/2, Maxdrinks was also low (mean, 2.6 drinks) but among those with ADH1B(*)1/1, Maxdrinks was substantially higher (mean, 6.2 drinks). Maximum lifetime drinking among younger adult Israelis without genetic protection exceeded thresholds for risky and unsafe drinking (>or=5 drinks). Environmental influences promoting greater drinking among younger Israelis may particularly affect those with the nonprotective, more common ADH1B genotype.

Using National Alcohol Screening Day to Deliver Personalized Feedback: A Pilot Study

The current study tested the effectiveness of using National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) to deliver personalized feedback via mail. At-risk NASD participants were assigned to either personalized or generic feedback conditions and attended a 4-week follow-up. Results failed to find any group differences on alcohol-related variables. However, participants in the personalized group reported a reduction in the maximum number of drinks consumed on one occasion. The personalized group also had a more accurate view of the amount of alcohol their peers consumed. NASD is a vehicle to efficiently deliver feedback to individuals about their alcohol use; however, more research is needed to determine the types of feedback that would be most effective.

Drinks of the father: father's maximum number of drinks consumed predicts externalizing disorders, substance use, and substance use disorders in preadolescent and adolescent offspring.

The maximum number of drinks consumed in 24 hr seems to be an interesting phenotype related to alcoholism. The goal of the present study was to determine in an epidemiologic sample whether this measure of drinking history in fathers predicted externalizing behavioral disorders, substance use, and substance abuse in preadolescent and adolescent offspring and whether any such associations would be independent of paternal alcohol dependence diagnoses. Subjects were male and female twins from both age cohorts of the Minnesota Twin Family Study, a population-based longitudinal study, and were approximately 11 or 17 years of age, respectively, upon study enrollment. In both age cohorts, diagnoses of conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder served as outcome measures. In addition, measures of lifetime substance use and of the presence of symptoms of substance abuse were derived for the 11-year-old cohort when subjects were approximately 14 years old and diagnoses of substance abuse were derived for the older cohort at age 17. An extension of logistic regression using generalized estimating equations served to assess whether paternal maximum alcohol consumption predicted filial outcome measures. Paternal maximum alcohol consumption was consistently associated with conduct disorder, substance use, and substance abuse or dependence in male and female offspring. These associations were not mediated by a primary effect of paternal alcoholism. Paternal maximum alcohol consumption was uniquely associated with those offspring characteristics most reliably found in adolescent children of alcoholic parents. This phenotype might supplement DSM diagnoses of alcohol dependence to reduce the number of false positives in genetic research.

Genome scan linkage analysis comparing microsatellites and single-nucleotide polymorphisms markers for two measures of alcoholism in chromosomes 1, 4, and 7

BackgroundWe analyzed 143 pedigrees (364 nuclear families) in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) data provided to the participants in the Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 (GAW14) with the goal of comparing results obtained from genome linkage analysis using microsatellite and with results obtained using SNP markers for two measures of alcoholism (maximum number of drinks -MAXDRINK and an electrophysiological measure from EEG -TTTH1). First, we constructed haplotype blocks by using the entire set of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in chromosomes 1, 4, and 7. These chromosomes have shown linkage signals for MAXDRINK or EEG-TTTH1 in previous reports. Second, we randomly selected one, two, three, four, and five SNPs from each block (referred to as Rep1 – Rep5, respectively) to conduct linkage analysis using variance component approach. Finally, results of all SNP analyses were compared with those obtained using microsatellite markers.ResultsThe LOD scores obtained from SNPs were slightly higher but the curves were not radically different from those obtained from microsatellite analyses. The peaks of linkage regions from SNP sets were slightly shifted to the left when compared to those from microsatellite markers. The reduced sets of SNPs provide signals in the same linkage regions but with a smaller LOD score suggesting a significant impact of the decrease in information content on linkage results. The widths of 1 LOD support interval of linkage regions from SNP sets were smaller when compared to those of microsatellite markers. However, two linkage regions obtained from the microsatellite linkage analysis on chromosome 7 for LOG of TTTH1 were not detected in the SNP based analyses.ConclusionThe linkage results from SNPs showed narrower linkage regions and slightly higher LOD scores when compared to those of microsatellite markers. The different builds of the genetic maps used in microsatellite and SNPs markers or/and errors in genotyping may account for the microsatellite linkage signals on chromosome 7 that were not identified using SNPs. Also, unresolved map issues between SNPs and microsatellite markers may be partly responsible for the shifted linkage peaks when comparing the two types of markers.

Identification of genes involved in alcohol consumption and cigarettes smoking

We compared the results of quantitative linkage analysis using single-nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellite markers and introduced a new screening test for multivariate quantitative linkage analysis using the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism data. We analyzed 115 extended non-Hispanic White families and tested for linkage using two phenotypes: the maximum number of drinks in a 24-hour period and the number of packs smoked per day for one year. Our results showed that the linkage signal increased using single-nucleotide polymorphisms compared with microsatellite markers and that the screening test gave similar results to that of the bivariate analysis, suggesting its potential use in reducing overall analysis time.

A Bayesian genome screening of maximum number of drinks as an alcoholism phenotype with the new Haseman-Elston method

Common human disorders, such as alcoholism, may be the result of interactions of many genes as well as environmental risk factors. Therefore, it is important to incorporate gene × gene and gene × environment interactions in complex disease gene mapping. In this study, we applied a robust Bayesian genome screening method that can incorporate interaction effects to map genes underlying alcoholism through its application to the data of the Collaborative Studies on Genetics of Alcoholism provided by Genetic Analysis Workshop 14. Our Bayesian genome screening method uses the regression-based stochastic variable selection, coupled with the new Haseman-Elston method to identify markers linked to phenotypes of interest. Compared to traditional linkage methods based on single-gene disease models, our method allows for multilocus disease models for simultaneous screening including both main and interaction (epistatic) effects. It is conceptually simple and computationally efficient through the use of Gibbs sampler. We conducted genome-wide analysis and comparison between scans based on microsatellites and single-nucleotide polymorphisms. A total of 328 microsatellites and 11,560 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (by Affymetrix) on 22 autosomal chromosomes and sex chromosome were used.