Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a heritable (h2 = 0.49) condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences [1]. An estimated 14.1 million American adults (ages 18+) were diagnosed with AUD in 2019 and the numbers continue to grow, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic [2]. Even though several evidence-based treatments are available for AUD [3–5], there is a high discrepancy in treatment outcomes, suggesting the existence of a variety of traits influencing the development of specific physiological and behavioral responses to alcohol. Understanding biological factors, specifically genetic risk, at the level of neuronal function is fundamental to developing tailored preventive interventions and better matching of patients to treatment.
