While the vast majority of the studies have focused on adult samples, a recent study examining AUD in a sample of adolescents reported a significantly higher frequency of the Asp40 allele among youth with AUD (51.9%), as compared to non-AUD controls (16.3%) (Miranda et al., 2010). Asp40 carriers in this sample were more likely to endorse drinking motives related to the enhancement of positive affect, which in turn mediated the association between OPRM1 genotype and AUD status (Miranda et al., 2010).
