genetics Tag Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Promises Behavioral Health

Alcohol-Altered Genes Blamed for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

April 14, 2014 / By / Alcohol Abuse

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is the collective name for two distinct conditions—Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome—that seriously damage the brain and trigger a range of short- and long-term health complications. People affected by ongoing alcoholism are known to have an unusual susceptibility to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. In a study published in March 2014 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical …

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Long Arm of PTSD Haunts Children of Vets

March 25, 2014 / By Promises Behavioral Health / Trauma

Her father’s despair seeped into every waking moment, poisoning the family. By age 5, Christal Presley routinely barricaded her dresser against her bedroom door. He could go from fetal position to fury. “I’m going to the river, and I won’t be back!” he would yell, grabbing a gun. “For the first two years of that, …

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Genetics of Addiction: Wired for Drugs

January 13, 2014 / By Promises Behavioral Health / Addiction, News and Research

Researchers have found that about half of the variation in how likely we are to become addicted is based on our genetics. For those who have never experienced addiction first hand, it can be easy to blame it on a lack of willpower. If addicts can see the damage they are doing to themselves and …

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Born to Drink: Alcoholism and Genetics

December 30, 2013 / By Promises Behavioral Health / Alcoholism

The links between alcoholism, genetics and family history are not easy to understand. What we know for sure, though, is that there is a connection. This does not mean that if you had an alcoholic parent, or if both of your parents suffered from alcoholism, that you are destined to become one as well. It …

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Risky Alcohol Use in Teens: It’s Nature and Nurture

December 10, 2013 / By Promises Behavioral Health / Alcoholism

It’s a well-known fact that alcoholism runs in families, and for years scientists have been trying to single out which genes and which environments have the greatest impact on alcohol dependence. Recently, certain genes have been identified, but alcoholism is a complex condition that involves an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. One interaction that …

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Kindling Theory: Can You Turn Off a Potentially Fatal Mental Illness?

April 17, 2013 / By / Mental Health

First, a Story Kassia is 16. She’s a smart girl, makes mostly As and Bs with an occasional C thrown in when she isn’t showing her best effort. She’s enrolled in AP English. She belongs to a group of girls who visit the mall regularly, attend football and basketball games, and take turns sleeping at …

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Adolescent Binge Drinking Linked to Gene Variation and Emotional Drinking

March 21, 2011 / By Promises Behavioral Health / Adolescent Issues

A new study by researchers at Radboud University in the Netherlands examines why some adolescents binge drink frequently and whether there is a possible association with genetics. Although many adolescents drink alcohol, drinking large amounts of alcohol frequently (binge drinking) may indicate a deeper problem.

Gene Could Be Underlying Cause of Depression, Study Finds

October 29, 2010 / By Promises Behavioral Health / Mood Disorders

A gene called MKP-1 appears to play an important role in the development of depression, and could be a target for a new class of anti-depressants, according to researchers from Yale University. Ronald S. Duman, senior author of the study and professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Yale, said that the gene could be a …

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Trauma-Induced Changes to Genes May Lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

May 5, 2010 / By Promises Behavioral Health / News and Research

A study by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health suggests that traumatic experiences “biologically embed” themselves in select genes, altering their functions and leading to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Study Examines Role Chromosome 11 Plays in Alcohol Dependency

April 8, 2010 / By Promises Behavioral Health / Alcoholism

Alcohol dependency is an element of life worth researching to empower professionals to identify risk factors and proper prevention tools. Recent research by the Indiana University School of Medicine and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism notes that chromosome 11 could be partially responsible for alcohol dependency. This genome-wide association study was part …

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