Ricardo Rodriguez
ASC 128  Presentation Write Up

Predisposition to Substance Abuse

The basis of my presentation was to familiarize the class and myself with some facts pertaining to the predisposition to substance abuse (alcohol). I tried to find the most factual information that would give us a concrete standpoint as to the determination if there is a genetic predisposition or not. I think that my presentation was short and concise and to the point. After my presentation I felt the class had a better understanding of the facts behind the predisposition to alcoholism. I will explain in the next few paragraphs what my presentation was about.

First off I will give a brief definition of Alcoholism according to the American Heritage Dictionary: Alcoholism is a Psychophysiological interdependence of alcoholic beverages. A disease, mainly affecting the nervous and digestive systems, caused by the excessive and habitual consumption of alcohol.

My presentation started out explaining what research has derived as to the predisposition to alcoholism.

Research claims that there is a definite link to the inheritance of Alcoholism. They claim that there is a variant of the D2 dopamine receptor gene that when presen increases the desire to consume alcohol or other pleasure inducing substances. They also claim that when it is not present the desire for alcohol is cut in half. The next paragraph will explain what I touched base on.

New laboratory research reinforces the long-held idea of a genetic basis for alcoholism. Working with mice, researchers at Oregon Health Sciences University and the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center have shown that a brain element known to produce pleasure, the D2 dopamine receptor gene, plays a critical role in alcohol consumption. The researchers found that mice lacking the D2 receptor were less likely to prefer and less likely to have a sensitivity to alcohol than littermates with the receptor. "Our research shows that taking away the D2 receptor cut alcohol consumption in half", said Tamara Phillips, lead author of the research. She is a research geneticist at the Portland VA Medical Center and professor of behavioral neuroscience at OHSU. They claim that if a drug can be developed that specifically blocks these receptors without having adverse side effects, it might hold promise for reducing alcohol drinking….

Dopamine is one of number of neurotransmitters, or chemicals produced in the body that convey information throughout the nervous system. (Noble/Blum ET al., 1990)

Basically as I stated during my presentation is that these are just theory-based findings due to the lack of the ability of other researches to find similar results to these findings. I will explain the crux of my paper in the next few paragraphs describing the findings of family studies, which conclude more concrete evidence to this predisposition.

Family studies claim that children of at least one alcoholic parent are predisposed to alcoholism. Studies also state that 20-25% of sons of alcoholic's become alcoholic's and about 5% of daughters. Studies also support that the levels of first degree relatives of alcoholics are several times more susceptible of becoming alcohol dependent. A family history of alcoholism represents the strongest know risk factor for the predisposition to alcoholism to date. Similarly 20-25% of male siblings becomealcohol dependent and 5% of females. These observations have been repeated by many different researches therefore leaving theobservations credible.

Adopted children studies are said to compare nature nurture issues. Research yields that a child of an alcoholic biological parent-separated at birth then adopted into a family of non-alcoholics should theoretically yield a high rate of susceptibility to becoming alcohol dependent. Studies have also proven that when there adopted children reach adulthood they are just as susceptible to becoming alcoholics as those children brought up by alcoholics. Researches show an age variance of the onset of alcoholism to range between the age of 18 through about 29. (Grant ET al., 1994)

These genetic influence factors have yielded different numbers for women. Adoption and twin studies have shown to be less consistent with women as I mentioned in my oral presentation. Only two of five adoption studies demonstrating a significant biological parent effect, and significantly greater MZ(monozygotic)than DZ(dizygotic) concordance for alcoholism in women was observed in only three of six studies. However, significant effects have been observed in the best-designed studies.

Studies have found that twins that come form the same egg (monozygotic) share 100% of their DNA therefore yielding the same percentage of susceptibility of becoming alcohol dependent. The fact that they share 100% of their genes secures this argument. Conversely, twins that come from two different eggs (dizygotic)are only susceptible of becoming alcohol dependent only up to the amount of genes shared. They also have studied each case carefully and have concluded that Identical twins separated at birth coming from a family of alcoholics growing up in completely different environments tend to yield the highest susceptibility of becoming alcohol dependent.

The next part of my presentation had to deal with a real life comparison of the predisposition to alcoholism. As I explained to the class the genetic link to alcoholism may not be there. The reason in my case is that I was brought up surrounded by alcoholism (my father). Basically I should thankGod there is no genetic link, it did not get me "nor" did it get my brother or sister. I am a firm believer that your environment has the greatest impact on the onset of alcoholism.  You know what, come to think about it I guess that I may be predisposed however I have controlled the onset by staying away from alcohol. I never have binged drank or have over done it. For some reason I have seen my father make himself look like an ass and I really didn't like it. I guess you can say I learned by example (bad example) So again me realizing right from wrong in my own environment pretty much controlled the onset of alcoholism this far into my twenty-six years of living. I'm not done with life yet so I guess I shouldn't count all my eggs before they hatch. You never know I may still become alcohol dependent? I don't think so I hope that I will never let it happen I will abstain from drinking before I ruin a good thing…My Life!

Anyway my conclusion was as follows…….All of these studies are speculative. These studies are not etched in stone. To date their still isn't a genetic link to the predisposition of alcoholism. What is a fact is that children of alcoholics are at a higher risk of becoming alcoholics than children of non-alcoholics. What needs to be done is that if there is a possibility of becoming an alcoholic than that particular person needs to take the warning and run with it by abstaining from drinking alcoholic beverages. All research is pertinent due to the tremendous ramifications of the negative affects of alcoholism on society, DWI's, FAS, etc……..

 

My summary of the feedback that I receivedis as follows:

Pretty much the whole class enjoyed the presentation; I was rated pretty highly across the whole evaluation sheet. A few people wrote me down for saying a few Um's which I caught myself saying a few times and when I did say it I would say "I'm sorry" I really didn't think that the class caught my sorry's. Also one person out of the entire audience spoke the truth and said that I was talking a little fast. I also realized that however there was nothing that I could do that's just me I talk fast and when nervous, a little faster. And then there is the biggest boo boo which the whole class picked up including myself. I forgot to ask questions. That really pissed me off because as the class noticed, once the questions where asked I responded with knowledgeable answers which the class noted at the bottom of there sheets. I should have known better. Oh well what can I do (I guess I can learn from example and ask many questions my next presentation). I tried my best and I think that counts. I did research this topic extensively so I was prepared to answer as many questions that I could. Also I just wanted to say that the only reason that I did not use a power point presentation is because I thought that it was too easy and not original enough. So I utilized the power point presentation format and made up my sheets for my presentation board and for the overhead projector outline utilizing the clipart and text. I just wanted to be original I think that PowerPointmakes it to easy and informal because of the fact that every one sits behind a desk and does not actively participate, but that's just my opinion- if it is wrong right or indifferent. Well thank you for listening. Thanks again……………Ricardo

 

Sources

1.                  Stanton Peele, The Bottle in the Gene,Stanton Peele Addiction Web site,1-12-01
http://www.peele,net/lib/blumrev.html

2.                  OHSU study bolsters alcoholism as genetic, The Oregonian,1-12-01.
http://www.oregonlive.com/todaysnews/9810/st102130.html

3.                  Alcoholism:Is it Inherited?, About,1-12-01.
http://www.alcoholism.miningco.com/health/alcoholism/library/weekly/aa990517.htm

4.                  Donald W. Goodwin,M.D., Evidence for a Genetic Factor in Alcoholism, Ruth Engs(ed).1-12-01,
http://www.indiana,edu/~engs/cbook/chap2.html

5.                   The Fact is that Alcoholism Tends to Run in Families, NCADI,1-12-01,
http://www.health.org/govpubs/ph318/index.htm

6.                   Alcoholism Research and the Genetic Equation, The University of Texas,1-12-01,
http://www.txtell.lib.utexas.edu/stories/a0001-full.html

7.                   Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Vanderbilt MedicalSystem,1-11-01,
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/peds/pidl/genetic/fetalc.htm