Impulsivity-related cognition in alcohol dependence: Is it moderated by DRD2/ANKK1 gene status and executive dysfunction?

Abstract

Perceived impaired control over alcohol use is a key cognitive construct in alcohol dependence that has been shown to predict treatment outcome. It has also been shown to mediate the risk for problem drinking conveyed by impulsivity in non-dependent drinkers.The aim of the current study was to evaluate whether the risk conveyed by high impulsivity also operated though this pathway in alcohol-dependent drinkers. Furthermore, the extent to which this hypothesized relationship was moderated by genetic risk (A 1 allele of the D2 dopamine receptor DRD2 gene) and verbal fluency as an indicator of executive cognitive ability (Controlled Oral Word Association Test) was also examined. A sample of 143 alcohol-dependent inpatients provided an extensive clinical history of their alcohol use, 10 milliliters of blood for DNA analysis, as well as completed self-report measures of impulsivity, impaired control and severity of dependence. As hypothesized, perceived impaired control (partially) mediated the association between impulsivity and dependence severity. This risk mechanism was not moderated by the DRD2 polymorphism or verbal fluency. These results suggest that, in alcohol dependence, perceived impaired control is a cognitive mediator of impulsivity that is unaffected by DRD2 and neurocognitive processes underlying the retrieval of verbal information.

Alcohol misuse in emerging adulthood: Association of dopamine and serotonin receptor genes with impulsivity-related cognition

“…A recent study by Meyers et al (2013) found an association between the DRD2/ANKK1 gene and alcohol use, consistent with several previous studies reporting a link between DRD2/ANNK1, alcohol use, and cognition (Connor et al, 2008;Gullo, St. John, et al, 2014;Leeman et al, 2014;Munafò, Matheson, & Flint, 2007). However, the strength of the…”

“…Drinking refusal self-efficacy is an individual"s belief about their ability to abstain from drinking in cued situations (Oei & Baldwin, 1994;Young, Oei, & Crook, 1991). Low DRSE is associated with a greater risk of hazardous alcohol consumption (Gullo, St. John, et al, 2014;Oei & Morawska, 2004). Maisto, Connors, and Zywiak (2000) found that, for up to a period of one year, self-efficacy significantly predicted alcohol consumption.…”

“…individuals high in rash impulsiveness have poorer inhibitory control, have an awareness of this, and therefore expect themselves to have greater difficulty resisting alcohol, just like any other reward (Gullo et al, 2010). Indeed, the rash impulsiveness-alcohol misuse relationship is mediated to a large extent by DRSE (Gullo, St. John, et al, 2014;Harnett et al, 2013;Kabbani & Kambouropoulos, 2013;Patock-Peckham, Julie, Kevin, Antonio, & Emilio, 2011). Reward drive and rash impulsiveness are uniquely associated with PAE and DRSE, respectively (Gullo et al, 2010;Harnett et al, 2013;Kabbani & Kambouropoulos, 2013).…”

“…The inconsistency in associations between ANKK1 and alcohol misuse may also be due to a possible indirect and complex role in drinking behavior. Gullo, St. John, et al (2014) investigated the moderating effect of the ANKK1 on the association between rash impulsiveness, DRSE and alcohol dependence severity in a sample of alcohol dependent inpatients. While they replicated the mediating role of DRSE in rash impulsiveness and severity of drinking, this was not moderated by ANKK1.…”

“…ANKK1 was associated with DRSE directly, and it is possible that ANKK1 has a stronger moderating role on cognition in earlystage drinking and therefore not observed in alcohol-dependent inpatients. Another important consideration is that Gullo, St. John, et al (2014) did not investigate the PAE-mediated pathway between reward drive and misuse. The present study aimed to extend this research to look at the role of ANKK1 on both mediation pathways in a young sample of non-alcohol dependent individuals.…”