The role of personality traits and life stress in alcohol use disorder: Insights from NGF gene polymorphisms of Han Chinese population in Taiwan

Objective

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex neuropsychiatric condition influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a crucial role in neuronal neuroplasticity and chronic alcohol consumption may alter NGF levels in specific brain regions. The study investigates the associations between NGF gene polymorphisms, susceptibility to AUD, and specific stress and personality characteristics.

Methods

Our study involved 1133 participants from a homogeneous Han Chinese population, 587 of whom had AUD and 546 were controls. To minimize potential confounding factors, the AUD group was stratified by sex and age at baseline. A total of 414 participants completed the Life Event Questionnaires (LEQ), while 559 participants completed the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ).

Results

The NGF's rs7523654 and rs11102929 loci were significantly associated with AUD, especially in female subgroups. Additional haplotype research confirmed similar findings. AUD patients showed more vital propensities for novelty seeking (NS) and harm avoidance (HA) compared to controls. Additionally, they recorded higher negative LEQ results. Notably, HA and negative LEQ scores among AUD people were significantly affected by the SNP rs11102929 in the NGF gene. The age at which AUD first manifested and NS scores showed a reverse link, suggesting that a higher NS characteristic may predispose people to develop AUD earlier in life.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that the NGF gene may influence AUD susceptibility and its links to personality traits and life stress. However, the small sample of women with AUD limits the reliability of these associations, highlighting the need for further study.