Given that beta EEG is highly heritable and has been found to be related to several externalizing traits including AUD (Bauer, 2001; Begleiter and Porjesz, 1999; Choi et al., 2013; Gilmore et al., 2010b; Lee et al., 2014; Rangaswamy et al., 2002), genetic analysis of beta EEG may aid in our understanding basic brain functioning, and potentially differences and similarities among individuals with a range of behavioral and psychiatric disorders. As the elevation of beta power reported in individuals with AUD has a largely anterior topography, particularly in the higher frequency fast beta band (20–28 Hz; (Rangaswamy et al., 2002)), the primary aim of this study was to conduct a GWAS of fast beta (20–28 Hz) EEG power (bipolar derivation at fronto-central loci) in families from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA); many of these families were densely affected with AD. In an effort to move beyond genotype-phenotype association and further characterize genetic association findings, the secondary aims of this study were to examine the functional and behavioral significance of GWAS findings. To this end, we explore
