To conclude, using data from a large, community-based sample, we sought to determine whether polymorphisms in GABA system genes, including both GABAA receptor subunit genes and other genes involved in GABAergic structure or function, were related to variation in an index of quantity and frequency of alcohol use, or a measure of alcohol abuse and dependence symptomatology. Using multiple methods, we assessed the effect of GABA system gene markers individually, in aggregate, as they determined the magnitude of an estimate of variance derived from SNP-based pairwise genetic relationships between participants,, and in a gene-based test. In no case were GABA system SNPs consistently related to alcohol use nor the symptomatology of alcohol-related psychopathology. Given this study’s limitations, continued research is necessary to determine the circumstances in which GABA system variants might influence alcohol-related phenotype.
