At every Christmas party there’s somebody who gets very drunk on very little alcohol.
Now scientists have discovered that some people’s inability to hold their drink may be caused by a mutated gene.
Those with a mutant form of a gene called serotonin receptor 2B are more likely to behave in an ‘excessively strange and erratic’ way when they are drunk.
And they are prone to impulsive behaviour even when sober, the Finnish team found.
Researcher Roope Tikkanen, a psychiatrist from the University of Helsinki, said they are also ‘more likely to struggle with self-control or mood disorders’.
The prime preventive measure for people who have the gene is simple: drink less alcohol. There is currently no medication available that could stop its effects, Dr Tikkanen added.
They could also consider undergoing cognitive behavioural therapy – a method that involves talking through your problems with a counsellor – to reduce dependence on alcohol.
The researchers, who analysed data on sufferers of alcoholism and their relatives, said they believe there are around 100,000 people in Finland, or around 2 per cent of the population, who carry the gene. The mutant receptor has so far only been found in Finnish people.
But Dr Tikkanen said that the discovery of the key role the receptor plays in both acting impulsively and getting drunk could open up a pathway for further research.
Little is known about the function of the serotonin receptor 2B, but it is thought to be linked to impulsivity, which occurs in a number of mental health problems including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism and attention deficit disorder.
The researchers hope that their findings about this receptor, which were published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, may help research in these areas.
A 2010 study found the serotonin 2B mutation was three times as common in Finnish men convicted of violence and arson as the general population. Of 228 inmates who were screened, 17 carried the mutation, compared with just seven out of 295 non-convicts. – Daily Mail