Another large Mendelian-randomization study (N = 34,452) was conducted using ADH1B rs1229984 as the instrumental variable to understand the relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive performance; there was no significant association [Kumari and others 2014]. Negative results were also observed in independent studies of cognitive impairment and depression conducted in older men (N = 3,542 and 3,873, respectively) [Almeida and others 2014a; Almeida and others 2014b]. However, different studies reported a protective effect of ADH1B genotype with respect to educational achievements [Borinskaya and others 2013; Latvala and others 2014; von Hinke Kessler Scholder and others 2014] – that is, the minor allele, protective with respect to alcohol use disorders, also is associated to higher educational attainment. ADH1B rs2066702 and rs1229984 showed also protective effects with respect to prenatal alcohol exposure in relation to school performance and attention in subjects of African and European descends, respectively [Dodge and others 2014; Zuccolo and others 2013]. Our recent PheWAS increased the spectrum of phenotypic traits potentially associated with ADH1B variation [Polimanti and others 2016a]. We identified multiple findings related to psychological traits, socioeconomic
