Impulsiveness while drunk is due to a genetic mutation

We all have a friend or acquaintance who chen you drink alcohol, you get out of control and show impulsive and reckless behavior. A Finnish study suggests that these individuals cannot avoid it, as they are genetically predisposed to react in this way when they consume alcohol.

A genetic mutation found in 2.2 percent of the population appears to be the cause of this problem behavior. The genetic mutation affects the serotonin receptor called 2B.

Still don't know what serotonin is? In the article "Serotonin: discover the effects of this hormone on your body and mind”We will explain it to you in detail.

2.2 percent of the population has this genetic mutation

Everyone has a different level of tolerance to alcohol, but for some individuals, just drinking one small amount of this substance can act in a very disproportionate, impulsive, reckless and dangerous way.

A recent investigation has found a biological reason for this behavior, as a group of researchers from the University of Helsinki in Finland affirm that

the cause is in a genetic mutation. In the country where this study was conducted, more than 100,000 people have this mutation.

The study confirms another research from 2010

The research was led by the psychiatrist Roope Tikkanen, and concludes that the mutation of a gene related to the serotonergic receptor B2 causes impulsive behavior, particularly when the carrier individual is drunk. Published by the Nature Publishing group in their journal Translational Psychiatry, the research results confirm an earlier study by Bevilacqua and his team, which was conducted in 2010.

For the Tikkanen study, however, the scientists used data from alcoholic patients and their family members, compiled by Mattu Virkkunen, Emeritus Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at the same college. In addition, the research subjects completed personality quizzes and they were interviewed face to face by a psychiatrist.

The discovery has its origin in a cooperative relationship that has lasted for several years, between the Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Helsinki and the Neurogenetics Laboratory of the United States National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, led by Dr. David Goldman.

Not much is known about the serotonin receptor 2B

Tikkanen explains: "There are people who change radically when they consume alcohol and are not able to correct its behavior despite its repetition, which did not suggest that this phenomenon was due to factors biological ”.

Very little is known about the serotonin receptor 2B in humans, but it is thought to be related to impulsivity, which, in turn, is associated with different mental health problems. The identified mutation is present in 2.2 percent of the population, therefore more than 100,000 Finns are carriers.

“The impact of a gene on a complex phenomenon like this is difficult to observe. But it is possible to identify the impact of the genetic mutation in the Finnish population, since our historical isolation has led us to a relatively homogeneous gene pool, "he says. Tikkanen.

Conclusions

If these results are confirmed in larger samples of subjects who suffer from serious difficulties in controlling their impulsivity, different corrective measures can be carried out. The most important and priority is the prevention of alcohol consumption by these individuals. Other measures could be cognitive behavioral therapy for impulse control or ultimately in drug treatment.

Apart from the effect it may have on the health of the population, the discovery of this mechanism biological may prompt more research on the role of the serotonin receptor 2B in the body human. New research in the neurobiological field will surely go in this direction. What's more, better knowledge about this receptor can stimulate innovation in the pharmacological world.

Finally, Tikkanen concludes: “the mutation can also be predictive of impulsive violent behaviors, as we discovered that the prevalence of the mutation is four times higher among a population of individuals categorized as ‘violent offenders. This may have implications for the prevention of violence and serve the legal system in decision-making ”.