People’s individual differences in a drug’s rewarding effects, as well as the development of tolerance or dependence, have been associated with structural differences in the GABAA receptor.4 For example, whether or not you are able to drink others under the table, or are known as a “lightweight,” has been attributed to the particular makeup of subunits. Structural differences may also confer individual variation in pain sensitivity, anxiety, premenstrual or postpartum depression, diagnosis on the autism spectrum, and need for sleep, among others.
