March Madness and Gambling, Oxytocin and Addiction, An Aggressive, Addictive Gene
March Madness basketball excites a lot of people … into gambling – so we talk a bit about sports and gambling. Also the fact that no strata of our society is immune from addiction. The hormone oxytocin is the subject of a new study, correlating its under-development at an early age with addiction. We also discuss other hormones and neurotransmitters that are involved in addiction proclivities. And another gene, which leads people to extremely aggressive behavior, is also correlated to addiction.
Alcohol studies focus on gene networks, also relapse interventions
Gene networks, not single genes, likely play a significant role in whether a person develops alcohol use disorder, as does a person’s level of response to alcohol, their initial tolerance. Also the roles of the amino acid glutamate and the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and insights on craving and relapse.