ABSTRACT
This chapter summarises the current status of genetic studies in alcoholism, dealing briefly with animal work, human pharmacogenetics and the possible influence of known genes on the predisposition to alcoholism. It refers to family studies on the relationship between alcoholism and other psychiatric disorders, and on the incidence of drinking problems in the families of alcoholics; and of course to studies of twins, and to recent reports on the adopted-away children of alcoholics. Human populations have been found to differ in their reaction to alcohol for reasons that are not purely cultural. Animal models are more appropriate than they are in schizophrenia or manic depressive psychosis, but they might nevertheless be thought to have only limited relevance to drinking problems in man.
