Genetic addiction risk analysis for “preaddiction” severity index (PAI): A neurobiological behavioral octopus

Since 1990, when our laboratory published the association of the DRD2 Taq A1 allele and severe alcoholism in JAMA, there has been an explosion of genetic candidate association studies, including genome-wide association studies. To develop an accurate test to help identify those at risk for at least alcohol use disorder (AUD), a subset of reward deficiency syndrome(RDS), Blum's group developed the Genetic Addiction Risk Severity (GARS) test consisting of 10 genes and 11 associated risk alleles. To statistically validate the selection of these risk alleles measured by GARS, we applied strict analysis to studies that investigated the association of each polymorphism with alcohol use disorder (AUD) or AUD-related conditions including pain and even bariatric surgery as a predictor of severe vulnerability to unwanted addictive behaviors published since 1990 until now. This analysis calculated the Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium of each polymorphism in cases and controls. Pearson's χ2 test or Fisher's exact test was applied to comparisons of the gender, genotype, and allele distribution if available. The statistical analyses found the OR, 95% CI for OR, and the post risk for 8% estimation of population of alcoholism prevalence reeled a significant detection. Previous to these results, the United States and European patents on a 10-gene panel and 11 risk alleles have been issued. In the face of the new construct of the “preaddiction” model, similar to “prediabetes,” the genetic addiction risk analysis might provide one solution missing in treatment and prevention of the neurological disorder known as reward deficiency syndrome.