The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of "Dr. Asa on Call" with Dr. Asa Andrew:
A study highlighting the co-occurrence of alcohol dependence and depressive symptoms was presented here at the American Society of Human Genetics 60th Annual Meeting by first author Darlene A. Kertes, PhD, from the Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville.
Dr. Kertes described the high level of co-occurrence between depression and alcohol dependence; in people who have one disorder, the risk of developing the other is 2 to 4 times higher. This comorbidity is important clinically, as evidenced in the higher relapse frequency of alcohol-dependent individuals who also experience symptoms of depression.
The causes of this comorbidity are not well understood, although there is considerable overlap between the biologic systems involved in alcohol dependence and in severe depression. For example, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) participates in responses to both physical and psychological stressors.
In the study by Dr. Kertes and colleagues, an initial set of 120 genes, with previous evidence of associations with addiction, anxiety, or depression, was screened in an alcohol-dependent population (from the Irish Affected Sib-Pair Study of Alcohol Dependence). The functions of these 120 genes included involvement in neurotransmission (e.g., dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate), the biology of stress, cell signaling, and pharmacokinetics.
The researchers then focused on 19 genes with at least a "nominally significant" association in the screening, testing their association with depressive symptoms in an independent population of alcohol-dependent participants from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). The COGA participants (n = 847) were recruited from treatment facilities, and age distribution was similar to that of the Irish study. Markers in 12 of the 19 genes assessed demonstrated an association with symptoms of depression.
When the test groups were evaluated for depressive symptoms, scores were distributed similarly in both populations (a U-shaped, not a normal, distribution). Symptom distribution was also similar in the 2 groups, supporting the validity of directly comparing the 2 populations.
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There is a purpose for your life. Regardless of how you have been living, there is a more excellent way. Regardless of the challenges you are facing, there is a way out. Remember, Your past does not define you. The choices that you make today, those choices will define you. Dr. Asa Andrew
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