People that demonstrate excessive erratic behavior when drunk or even when they have only had a few drinks of alcohol are genetically different from their peers. Dr. Roope Tikkanen and colleagues from the University of Helsinki are the first to discover a genetic mutation that produces extreme erratic behavior when a person drinks alcohol.
The serotonin 2B receptor is functionally and genetically different in people that demonstrate excessive erratic behavior when they consume alcohol. The researchers found that 2.2 percent of the population of Finland has this genetic difference. The population of Finland has been relatively genetically isolated versus other countries but the existence of the same genetic mutation has been seen in people across the world.
The serotonin 2B receptor has been previously associated with impulsive behavior. The new mutation simply increases the propensity toward impulsive behavior when a person drinks alcohol. The research is one of the first to define the activity of a single gene in being the cause of a social problem. The discovery hints at a potential for fining direct causes of other social behavioral problems through genetics.
The Finns that have the genetic mutation are considered to be alcoholic. Researchers have known for years that alcoholism was genetically related and usually was inherited from the male parent. The simplistic solution is for the person that has this genetic anomaly to quit drinking alcohol. The discovery may lead to much more effective treatments for alcoholism than presently exist. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that excessive alcohol consumption and the resultant behaviors cost the United States more than $223.5 billion annually.
