Are you the friend who seems to need way less alcohol to go way more crazy at happy hour?
Don’t worry, it’s not your fault. Blame it on your genetics.
Researchers at the University of Helsinki found that it’s possible for about 2.2% of the population to have this mutation.
The study was an extension of an earlier study, which found a mutiation in the serotonin 2B receptor (related to peace and happiness), to be important to executive function, movement coordination, vision, and most importantly, impulsivity.
This new study wanted to continue where that one left off. They collected date from the same participants, and grouped them by carriers of the mutation, and the second carried healthy controls.
Psychiatrists examined both groups, and then the data was analyzed.
They found that having this mutation was connected to alcohol-related risk behaviors, and that they had higher levels of aggression and many more of them had been arrested for driving under the influence.
This mutation didn’t even necessarily seem to dictate that these people drank more. It just showed that these people were more likely to be more impulsive while under the influence.
“Carriers demonstrated aggressive out-bursts, got into fights, and behaved in an impulsive manner under the influence of alcohol,” said the research team.
But this behavior didn’t just take place while under the influence. The research found that participants who had this mutation were generally more impulsive. Preliminary results even said that this mutation is connected to mood disorders.
Preventative measures for these carriers could be as simple as drinking less, or avoiding situations involving alcohol.
