Abstract
PURPOSE: Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for preventable death, injury, and disease globally. Low sensitivity to the effects of alcohol is influenced by genes and predicts risk for harmful alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Alcohol induces effects partly by modulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors type A (GABA(A)Rs). This study investigates the relationship between genetic variation in GABA(A)R subunit genes and individual alcohol sensitivity among French university students. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study involved 1,409 French university students (34.5% women; mean age 20.3 years). Alcohol sensitivity was measured by the Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol Scale (SRE). SRE-scores from initial drinking, regular drinking, and heavy drinking were investigated for correlations with alcohol consumption and for associations with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GABA(A)R subunit genes (GABRA2, GABRG2, GABRA6). RESULTS: We replicated correlations between low alcohol sensitivity and high alcohol consumption. We further found an association between the minor allele in rs211014 (GABRG2) and higher SRE-scores, linked to dizziness and motor incoordination. Genetic variation in GABRG2 has previously been associated with processes involving motor coordination (alcohol withdrawal, febrile- and epileptic seizures). CONCLUSION: The results from our study suggest that genetic variation in GABRG2 may influence alcohol sensitivity, which could inform strategies for assessing risk for harmful alcohol use and AUD.