Chunk #22 — Identifying Specific Genes Related to AOD Dependence — Genes Encoding Proteins Involved in Neurotransmission — Genes Involved in the Cholinergic System
As with the GABRA2 gene described above, the association between CHRM2 and alcohol dependence in the COGA sample was strongest in people who had co-morbid AOD dependence (Dick et al. 2007). Additional analyses in the COGA sample have suggested that CHRM2 is associated with a generally increased risk of externalizing disorders, including symptoms of alcohol dependence and drug dependence (Dick et al. 2008). This potential role of CHRM2 in contributing to the general liability of AOD use and externalizing disorders is further supported by findings that CHRM2, like GABRA2, also is associated with certain electrophysiological endophenotypes (Jones et al. 2004).
