was performed by Carl Ernst, a professor in the department of psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal. This study suggests that deletion of the gene BDNF leads to major depression, anxiety, and obesity. BDNF is a nervous system growth factor that is important for brain development. In the study, 35,000 people were referred for genetic screening, and 30,000 people were used as control. From the genetic screening, five people tested positive for BDNF deletions. All of them were obese and had mild to moderate intellectual impairment, plus a mood disorder. The study conclusively links a single region of the genome to mood and anxiety. The researchers believe their findings are a step forward in revealing new insights into the genetic underpinnings of human behavior and mood. Ernst and his colleagues now want to test the idea that boosting BDNF may improve their brain health.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Rare gene deletion tied to psychiatric disease and obesity
In Medical News Today, a new study
was performed by Carl Ernst, a professor in the department of psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal. This study suggests that deletion of the gene BDNF leads to major depression, anxiety, and obesity. BDNF is a nervous system growth factor that is important for brain development. In the study, 35,000 people were referred for genetic screening, and 30,000 people were used as control. From the genetic screening, five people tested positive for BDNF deletions. All of them were obese and had mild to moderate intellectual impairment, plus a mood disorder. The study conclusively links a single region of the genome to mood and anxiety. The researchers believe their findings are a step forward in revealing new insights into the genetic underpinnings of human behavior and mood. Ernst and his colleagues now want to test the idea that boosting BDNF may improve their brain health.
was performed by Carl Ernst, a professor in the department of psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal. This study suggests that deletion of the gene BDNF leads to major depression, anxiety, and obesity. BDNF is a nervous system growth factor that is important for brain development. In the study, 35,000 people were referred for genetic screening, and 30,000 people were used as control. From the genetic screening, five people tested positive for BDNF deletions. All of them were obese and had mild to moderate intellectual impairment, plus a mood disorder. The study conclusively links a single region of the genome to mood and anxiety. The researchers believe their findings are a step forward in revealing new insights into the genetic underpinnings of human behavior and mood. Ernst and his colleagues now want to test the idea that boosting BDNF may improve their brain health.
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Depression and eating disorders are often considered to be a result of one another. I've often looked at depression and obesity from a psychological point of view and have never considered that a missing gene could influence them.
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