Sibling effects on substance use: Disentangling genetic and environmental factors

描述(由申请人提供)：该项目的总体目标是：(1)研究影响药物使用开始时间的遗传和环境因素，并解释早期使用和后来问题之间的联系；(2)评估兄弟姐妹的影响作为家庭影响问题开始和发展的来源；以及(3)将有关酒精参与的研究结果与其他滥用物质的研究结果结合起来。我的长期职业目标是制定一项研究计划，通过识别酒精和其他物质参与的不同阶段的遗传和环境风险因素，为预防和干预策略提供信息。具体目标这项建议的主要研究目的有两个。第一个目标将采用酒精、烟草和大麻使用的措施，以检查开始使用早期的特定物质和常见风险来源，以及向更严重使用和问题的进展。风险来源将在潜在的遗传和环境水平以及测量的遗传水平上进行评估。第二个目标将评估兄弟姐妹社会对酒精、烟草和大麻参与的影响，包括开始使用药物的时间以及从开始使用到更多使用和问题的进展。分析将在两个数据集中进行：(1)从12岁到32岁的四个波中评估的不同基因亲缘关系的双胞胎和兄弟姐妹的样本；(2)基于国家社区的成年双胞胎及其24岁到40岁的兄弟姐妹的样本。在获奖期间，我将通过课程作业、参加教学研讨会以及与专家顾问会面来获得行为遗传学、分子遗传学和纵向数据分析的高级统计方法方面的培训，并将增加我对烟草和大麻参与的发展和进展的知识基础。我的目标还将是精通有效撰写稿件和拨款所必需的技能。这些培训机会对于当前项目的目标和我成为一所研究密集型大学教授的长期目标都是必不可少的。这个项目的重要结果可以为酒精和其他物质参与的理论和发展模型以及基于家庭的干预努力提供参考。将酒精和其他物质的研究结果结合起来 防止滥用和澄清启动和进展的特定物质和常见风险因素，将表明哪些干预策略可能产生最广泛的影响。此外，研究结果将有助于确定是否以及如何针对兄弟姐妹对药物使用的影响，这些影响在关注父母和同伴因素的预防模型中在很大程度上被忽视了。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The broad goals of this project are to (1) examine the genetic and environmental factors that influence the timing of substance use initiation and explain the link between early first use and later problems; (2) evaluate sibling effects as a source of familial influence on initiation and progression toward problems; and (3) integrate findings regarding alcohol involvement with those for other substances of abuse. My long-term career objective is to develop a program of research that informs prevention and intervention strategies by identifying genetic and environmental risk factors for different stages of alcohol and other substance involvement. Specific Aims There are two primary research aims of this proposal. The first aim will employ measures of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use to examine both substance-specific and common sources of risk for early age of initiation and the progression to heavier use and problems. Sources of risk will be evaluated at both the latent genetic and environmental levels and the measured genetic level. The second aim will evaluate the effect of sibling social influence on alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis involvement with regard to both the timing of substance use initiation and the progression from initiation to heavier use and problems. Analyses will be conducted in two datasets: (1) a sample of twins and siblings of varying genetic relatedness assessed in four waves from ages 12-32; and (2) a national community-based sample of adult twin pairs and their siblings aged 24-40. During the period of award, I will obtain training via coursework, attendance at didactic workshops, and meetings with expert consultants in advanced statistical methods for behavior genetic, molecular genetic, and longitudinal data analysis, and will increase my knowledge base of the development and progression of tobacco and cannabis involvement. I will also aim to become proficient in skills necessary for effective manuscript- and grant-writing. These training opportunities will be essential both for the goals of the current project and for my long-term goal of becoming a professor at a research-intensive university. Significance Results from this project could inform theoretical and developmental models of alcohol and other substance involvement, as well as family-based intervention efforts. Integrating findings for alcohol with those for other substances of abuse and clarifying both substance-specific and common risk factors for initiation and progression will indicate which intervention strategies are likely to have the most widespread effects. In addition, findings will help determine whether and how to target sibling influences on substance use, which have been largely ignored in prevention models focused on parent and peer factors.