Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Gene linked to Daredevil Activity?



On February 19, 2014, the New York Times released an article on the genetics of being a daredevil. A recent study on the genetics of risk-taking individuals uncovers that their behavior may be motivated by their DNA to some degree.

Certain people seem to be born needing greater physical stimulation than others, suggesting this sensation seeking has a genetic component. A study was conducted on a set of twins in 2006 who shared the risk-taking behavior to a much greater extent than could be explained by environmental factors. For years, scientists have found it difficult to zero in on a single gene that relates to this behavior. However, recently scientists paid close attention to different sections of genes that relate to the brain’s levels of or response to dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is known to influence the reward center of our brains. Researchers believe that those who enjoy taking part in extreme, daredevil activities probably process dopamine differently than those who are much more content to simply watch. However, results from earlier genetic studies on this concept were inconsistent.

It was determined that certain people with a particular combination within genes, such as DRC4, which is understood to be involved in the development and function of dopamine receptors in our brain, which is said to be responsible for the a person’s inclination toward risky behavior. On the other hand, alternative studies did not find such data or information of these links. This could be due to the fact that most of these studies were based on risk-taking behavior such as gambling and drug addiction.

Another study was conducted by a graduate student from the University of British Columbia, who decided to examine risk-seeking in sports like skiing and snowboarding in which there are various types of styles of partaking in these activities. A survey was developed in which the slope behavior and general personality was determined of each individual. The study included 117 individuals (men and women) from ages of 17 and 49. Those that scored a high combined score on these tests would specify a strong tendency to take part in risks. The volunteers also gave a cheek swab for DNA typing.

Different variations within the volunteers’ DRD4 genes were counted, in which the focus was primarily on a single section of the gene. It was discovered that those harboring this specific variant of DNA coding were much more likely to score high on the tests of risk-taking.

Though because of the small number of volunteers, an additional 386 participants were recruited. Again the same association between the variation of the DRD4 gene and daredevil behavior on the slopes was discovered. The overall effect of the variant was minimal due to the fact that it could only serve as an explanation for nearly 3 percent of the difference in behavior between risk takers and the risk opposed. Nonetheless, this discovery was statistically significant and remained intact, even when gender and sport expertise were controlled.

It is possible that the variant to come about through different combinations for parental genes as well as mutations. In the end, researchers concluded that this idea is theoretical. Therefore, no single gene alone can fully explain human behavior as it is. For those that harbor this daredevil behavior a healthy outlet should be provided so that individuals do not resort to gambling or drugs, which is possibly the best advise one can give.


2 comments:

  1. The article is interesting in the fact that it suggests that the stimulation and adrenaline required for a human maybe genetic related. I believe that to want to feel "alive" is in our human nature which may have been passed down from generations.

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  2. This article was really interesting! I almost wish they found a single gene related to daredevil activities so they could process it and maybe pass it along to the rest of us who aren't so daring. It's a good thing that they increased their sample size and yielded the same result. It seems that overall message of this article was to explain how that certain gene sequence can lead to that "daredevil" outlook on life. Really interesting!

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