Genes influence the number and types of receptors in people's brains, how quickly the body metabolizes drugs, and how they respond to different medications. Learning more about the genetic, epigenetic and neurobiological basis of addiction will eventually advance the science of addiction. Finding the genes involved in addiction is a good first step in finding solutions. Understanding How Genes Cause Biological Differences May Lead to Better Treatments for Substance Use Disorder.
At least half of a person's susceptibility to drug addiction may be related to genetic factors. Presenters at an April 8 congressional hearing described new research on the genetic basis of addiction and recommended ways to incorporate those findings into treatment. The hearing was organized by the APA Office of Scientific and Government Relations. Yes, there may be a genetic predisposition to substance abuse.
In fact, the American Psychological Association (APA) states that “at least half of a person's susceptibility to drug or alcohol addiction may be related to genetic factors. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is currently supporting a major research effort to identify genetic variations that make a person vulnerable to drug addiction. This effort involves studying DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which directs the development of each human cell (Figure. By mapping DNA sequences in drug addicts, scientists have been able to isolate gene sequences that indicate an increased risk of becoming drug addicts.
These genetic sequences contain the instructions for producing specific proteins, which perform most of the body's vital functions. How these proteins work or don't work can indicate how vulnerable a person is to drug addiction (Figure. The disease known as drug addiction shares many characteristics with other chronic diseases, one of which is heritability, which means a tendency to be hereditary. The ongoing study of genetic factors in drug addiction can provide new ways of understanding the disease of drug addiction and can lead to new therapies to prevent and treat it.
We need to better understand the triggers of addiction development in order to develop more specific prevention and treatments. Treatments that could reduce the physiological effects of stress can be effective treatments for addiction, helping people suffering from an addiction maintain long-term abstinence, even when faced with stressors. However, scientists and practitioners assume that it is reasonable to apply these models to other addictions. While the environment in which a person grows up, along with their behavior, influences whether they become addicted to drugs, genetics also play a key role.
Health care providers see the benefits of genetic testing to help determine a person's unique addiction risks, but it's an area that requires more research. Therefore, these people would be at greater risk of developing an addiction due to their genetic vulnerability. What this means is that, even if you have a family history of addiction, you are not necessarily guaranteed to develop an addiction. Researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Duke University Medical Center reported in 2004 an important finding on the genetics of drug addiction.
Treatment can help you understand addiction and its triggers, teach you ways to prevent relapse, and help you develop better stress management and coping skills so you can refrain from using drugs and alcohol. Research into the role of genes in drug addiction has shown that natural variations in the proteins encoded by a person's genes can lead to differences in that person's vulnerability to drugs of abuse. While genetic influences may be at play, factors associated with growing up in a household with an addicted parent, exposure to addictive substance and other addictive behaviors, and shared family beliefs about substance and addiction will also determine a child's inclination toward substance abuse. These behaviors produce epigenetic changes that prevent the development of addiction and may play a beneficial role in treatment when used in combination with other interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and, for some people, medications.
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