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01-01-2018 | Original Article

Alcohol Intoxication Moderates the Association between a Polygenic Risk Score and Unprovoked Intimate Partner Aggression

Authors: Christa C. Christ, Laura E. Watkins, David DiLillo, Scott F. Stoltenberg

Published in: Journal of Family Violence | Issue 1/2018

Abstract

Despite evidence that genetic variation contributes to aggression, few studies have examined how genetic variation contributes to IPA specifically. In the current study, 69 couples from a Midwestern university completed self-report measures of IPA, childhood trauma exposure, and hazardous alcohol use, and were randomly assigned to consume either a placebo or alcohol beverage before participating in an analogue aggression task against their partner. Genetic risk (i.e., association with lower transcriptional efficiency) for aggression was measured with a polygenic risk score (PRS) created from four polymorphisms (HTR1B rs13212041, HTR2B rs6437000, 5-HTTLPR, and MAOA uVNTR). Among individuals with a low PRS, individuals who consumed alcohol (BrAC =0.07%) showed greater unprovoked IPA than individuals who consumed a placebo. Findings contribute to our limited understanding regarding the etiology of IPA and suggest that individuals who have increased transcriptional activity in certain serotonin system genes may be at higher risk of IPA when intoxicated.

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Title: Alcohol Intoxication Moderates the Association between a Polygenic Risk Score and Unprovoked Intimate Partner Aggression
Authors: Christa C. Christ
Laura E. Watkins
David DiLillo
Scott F. Stoltenberg
Publication date: 01-01-2018
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Family Violence / Issue 1/2018
Print ISSN: 0885-7482
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2851
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-017-9908-5

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Alcohol Intoxication Moderates the Association between a Polygenic Risk Score and Unprovoked Intimate Partner Aggression

Abstract

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Abstract

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