title: Stability and change of genetic and environmental effects on the common liability to alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis DSM-IV dependence symptoms.
abstract: This study investigated the stability of genetic and environmental effects on the common liability to alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis dependence across adolescence and young adulthood. DSM-IV symptom counts from 2,361 adolescents were obtained using a structured diagnostic interview. Several sex-limited longitudinal common pathway models were used to examine gender differences in the magnitude of additive genetic (A), shared environment, and non-shared environmental effects over time. Model fitting indicated limited gender differences. Among older adolescents (i.e., age > 14), the heritability of the latent trait was estimated at 0.43 (0.05, 0.94) during the first wave and 0.63 (0.21, 0.83) during the second wave of assessment. A common genetic factor could account for genetic influences at both assessments, as well as the majority of the stability of SAV over time [rA = 1.00 (0.55, 1.00)]. These results suggest that early genetic factors continue to play a key role at later developmental stages.
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Genetics, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI 02903, USA. Rohan_Palmer@Brown.edu
authors.forename: R H C
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Corley
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hopfer
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Stallings
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hewitt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D012907:Smoking / Q000235:genetics*; D012931:Social Environment; D055815:Young Adult