Alcoholism has long been known as a familial disease (Cotton, 1979), albeit most likely as the result of many different genes interacting with each other and the environment (e.g., Heath et al., 1997). While the effect of any one gene is likely to have a limited contribution, SNPs in GABRA2 have been repeatedly associated with alcoholism. In the current study, drinkers who were homozygous for the high-risk allele for one polymorphism in GABRA2 (AA) had a higher medial frontal BOLD response to preferred alcoholic drink aromas than did heterozygous AG subjects. However, individuals with the AG genotype had a stronger AO response in the VTA.
