Importantly, there have been no GWASs of EEG conducted in populations of AA, and thus the genetic architecture of EEG-related traits is not well described in AA populations. In addition to the public health importance of including all populations in research, conducting genetic studies in populations of AA is important because of the greater genetic diversity and the evolutionary differences in disease allele frequency and linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns observed.28 Moreover, African-American drinkers consume less alcohol than Non-Hispanic whites but experience more alcohol-related problems, including social consequences, illness and death,29–32 indicating a need to identify factors that mitigate risk for problem drinking. Because research examining how basic brain functioning is related to human behavior and disorders has the ultimate goal of providing prevention and/or interventions for all individuals, this important gap in the literature needs to be addressed.
