The Genes Behind Thrill-Seekers

A connection between genetics and daredevil activities was always predicted, but never proved until a study done by Canadian scientist Cynthia Thomson. This scientist brought together two sample sizes of people: one sample size being about 100, and the second being about 400. The second sample was a replication of the first one. In each sample, the test subjects were given two questionnaires to fill out, and their DNA was swabbed. One questionnaire tested for daredevil tendencies, and the other questionnaire tested for standard personality traits. A high combined scored on the questionnaires would indicate more risky character. It was found in the highest-scoring individuals that many had a variant in the DRD4 gene, which is believed to be connected to the dopamine receptors in the brain and affects risky behavior. It was therefore found that individuals with a variant in the DRD4 gene have a tendency to seek more thrill than others, because they need more stimuli in order to reach their optimal level of excitement.



It seems that a lot of things can be explained by genes. The fact that some people are thrill-seekers, and the fact that others aren’t--this can be explained by the DRD4 gene. It makes me wonder if a penchant for spicy food or horror movies can be explained by genes as well. I find it amazing how so many parts of our lives can be explained by genes. What would have previously been thought of as a personality trait is actually something passed down through generations. To be honest, it scares me to think that so many of the things humans do are explained by genes. People would want to think that they are the way they are because they are uniquely themselves, and that they are mostly responsible for the person they are. While things such as overall personality, beliefs, and speech patterns are solely the creation of each individual, it is daunting to believe that many aspects of one’s life are out of one’s control.

The Genetics of Being a Daredevil

Scientists have known that risk-taking behavior was the result of more than just environmental factors and that it is in people’s genes as well. So they started looking at risk-taking behavior like gambling and drug use. However, a researcher, Cynthia Thompson, decided to look at the difference in genes between people in the same sport. She compared the DNA of people who ski and snowboard to see if there was a connection between genes and people who like to like to go slow and cautious on the slopes as opposed to people who go fast and like to get air. She found that within peoples’ DRD4 genes, people that had a particular variant of DNA were more likely to do risky behavior. If people that do possess that gene have no healthy way of fulfilling their need for risk, that is when they turn to unhealthy ways, such as gambling and drugs.

I think this article is very interesting because it is so applicable to my life. I am the type of person who is a risk-taker and because of that, I have gravitated towards friends that are similar. We love to try new sports and activities and are always trying to do cool tricks in them. We often invite others to come with us, but sometimes those people just do not have as much fun as we do. Now I understand that they probably do not contain the same gene that we do that makes it as enjoyable for them.

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Is there a "Daredevil Gene"?

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Is the need for greater physical stimulation genetically inherited? A study has been done to test the genetics of risk taking (link article). The study was done on a set of twins and it was found that if one twin was likely to be a risk taker, the other was too. However, scientists aimed to find exactly which genes were "thrill-seeking" genes. The neurotransmitter dopamine is responsible for reward and pleasure. It was found in many studies done prior that genes related to dopamine and sensation seeking were not consistent. Some evidence linked toward the DRD4 gene found that dopamine receptor development and function led to the increased drive for risky behavior.

 

In another study, exercise physiologist Cynthia Thomson took a different approach and did her research on sports that involved a high risk factor. Some of these sports included skiing and snowboarding. She asked people who participated in these sports how fast they rode and how often they would jump from cliffs or play it safe and ride steady. Along with this questionnaire, Thomson also asked for a cheek swab from each participant. She found that those who displayed one particular type of DNA coding were much more likely to have a high score on their questionnaire. Studies also suggest that if sensation seekers may be more likely to engage in other risky behaviors such as drugs or gambling.

 

I feel that if this gene that leads to a greater need for physical stimulation is found early in life, it may lead to an increase in professional athletes. Given a healthy was to engage in risky behavior, children can succeed in risky sports and go on to become star athletes. Being that said isolating and identifying this gene may also lead to a lower rate of gambling or drug addictions.

Primary Article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/19/the-genetics-of-being-a-daredevil/?_r=0

Secondary Article: http://www.livescience.com/26294-ski-genes-thrill-seeking.html

The Genetics of Being a Daredevil

Of recent years, scientist have been trying to studying the correlation between individuals tendency to partake in risky behaviors and their genetics. Previous research case studying twins seemed to indicate there was a relationship, but research as to where the specific gene or snippet of the DNA relating to risk taking was located, had not been conducted.  A practical approach of looking for such gene has been to zero in on genes relating to dopamine production. The reason behind this being that those who in engaged in high risk activities were presumed to release dopamine different than those who do not. These studies have been inconsistent with one another. Some finding that variation of certain genes related to dopamine production, such as DRD4, also showed variations with risk taking while other studies concluded that there were no correlations. Dr. Cynthia Thompson from the University of British Columbia conducted a survey of questionnaires asking those with preference and disdain to risk taking, questions on how they feel during the high risk activities they do. She also collected DNA sample from the participants and found that the difference of the variant gene only accounted for about a 3 percent difference in the behavior of a risk taker and a non-risk taker. This difference was deemed significant enough to remain conclusive. Overall the study showed that some people might have an innate need to turn to risky behaviors to suffice their optimal levels of arousal.

I believe this study can prove to be a very crucial one. If we can find people who are natural risk takers it might be advisable to encourage them into certain fields. I do believe that the 3 percent difference from the study isn't significant enough to warrant a probable conclusion. I was always under the ruse that testosterone played a huge role in risk taking behaviors since it seems like males tend to take more risky behaviors than females, but this is why research beats intuition.

Main article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/19/the-genetics-of-being-a-daredevil/?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%7B%222%22%3A%22RI%3A17%22%7D&_r=0

The Genetics of Being a Daredevil

     Were you ever scared to take off the training wheels? How about go down the big hill? Were you scared to jump out of an airplane? Apparently there could be a genetic reason for why some people are adrenaline junkies and can mindlessly do life-threatening tasks with ease. It was believed that a gene called DRD4 is believed to be involved in developing dopamine receptors, which may lead to the increase in risky behavior. Cynthia Thomson, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia wanted to investigate this further. She wanted to investigate the behaviors of skiing and snowboarding, across the range of different levels of difficulty and thrill in the slope sports. She had volunteers fill out questionnaires, and then swapped their cheeks for DNA to test their DRD4 genes.

     What was found was that there was about a 3 percent difference in the behavior of risk takers and the more mellow people, but it was still statistically significant. Variables controlled were gender and sports exercise. Overall, this could lead to more research about the effects of the DRD4 gene on these activities, perhaps you can predict if your children will be giving you a heart attack every time they go outside and play. 

     Personally I thought this article was interesting because I myself am a risk-taker and don't really think of the consequences of doing something that a normal "ahead of time" thinker would do. I like extreme sports and I enjoy the rush of doing such. I do like the point the article made which was that, "Given no healthy outlet for their sensation seeking, such individuals might turn to more problematic behaviors, like gambling or drugs". Its important that to know that people have to control their behaviors and fill voids when necessary, and predicting if they have an overexcited DRD4 gene may be useful in saving their future. 

Article Link                                                                                                          Related Study          

Are We Born Genetically Fearless?

   There are many people who have been watching the winter Olympics, and have discussed on how these astounding athletes are able to handle such extensive work on their bodies. The athletes are  also able to perform better than the average person and are for the most part fearless at these extreme sports. The researchers in this article have recently investigated if whether or not genetics or if their DNA make up is something to consider as an explanation for their behavior of risk taking.
They have found that in previous studies there has been evidence that the brain's levels of a response to the neurotransmitter dopamine, is proven to have an affect on our feelings of gratification, feelings of pleasure, and reward. So they believed that those individuals who engage in extreme or risky conducts were assumed to process dopamine differently than the individuals who did not engage in these extreme activities or behavior. The genetic studies showed that the portions of genes they observed did not show any consistency to be able to conclude the determinant of what those portion of the genes make up the risky behavior in individuals. The researchers did conclude from that study which portion of the gene is the cause for the risk behavior or urge in individuals, but they did determine the variation in a gene DRD4 is to be the closest explanation related to the developing of dopamine receptors in the brain which is drawn to the risk seeking in people.
    A graduate student, Cynthia Thomson from the physiology department of University of British Columbia investigated these previous researches that were done and shifted the focus of the similar research by changing the observed type of activities that the individual was partaking in. She developed a questionnaire for participants from a resort in the mountains to fill out, they were between the ages of 17-49 of 117 men and women and she was voluntarily given their DNA swab to use for analyzing in the experimental research. She quantified the sample of individuals' DNA DRD4 genes and focused on a small section of the gene and found that those that scored high on the questionnaire of risky behavior or urges shared the same variance in their DNA coding. The amount of participants were not significant to conclude on those results, so Dr. Thomson (teacher at Quest University in Canada) went back to the same mountains and retrieved 386 more participants and concluded that same associations of the results were found in the DRD4 gene and the risk taking behavior desires. These findings prove that some individuals can have an inherited or innate desire from the genetics of their parents to partake in risky behaviors and risk to reach their optimal level of arousal. The researchers stated that the DNA from each parent can possess different parts or portions of the variant that is found on the DRD4 which can then produce an offspring who may have high sensation to seek out those behaviors.

   I found this article interesting because I was curious as to how and why some people appear to be more fearless and others are more timid. The explanation on the different variations on the gene DRD4 explains why there are people who are less likely to do extreme sports, skydive, or even ride a roller coaster, etc. I believe that this research and article are important for future understanding and advancement for genetic explanations of where the origins of human behavior is developed.

Link related to more information on DRD4:  http://www.pnas.org/content/99/1/10.full