Scientists have found a gene that is believed to be responsible for anxiety.
Medical experts suggest that anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and it can also be beneficial in certain situations. However, anxiety can also be excessive in some people who may find it difficult to control. Such excessive anxiety can also affect a person's day to day life.
International researchers from the University of California, Irvine and University of Queensland and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney have reported that a gene called Gomafu may help to understand a brain's response to stressful situations. The researchers found that Gomafu is dynamically synchronized in the brain of an adult.
As Gomafu switches off, behavioral changes, which are also seen in schizophrenia and anxiety, start to occur. The study found that Gomafu is a noncoding RNA found in the section of a genome that is linked with "junk" DNA, which was once believed to have no utility. The scientists say that for the first time a noncoding RNA movement has been identified in the brain in response to experience.
"Early biologists thought that DNA sequences that do not make protein were remnants of our evolutionary history, but the fact is these sequences are actually highly dynamic and exert a profound influence on us," said Timothy W. Bredy, an assistant professor of neurobiology and behavior at the UC Irvine.
The scientists also found that Gomafu may denote a powerful surveillance structure, which has developed so that the brain can respond rapidly to environmental changes. Scientists believe that an obstruction to such a structure results in a person developing neuropsychiatric disorders.
Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million Americans over 18 years old. Women are more likely to develop anxiety disorders over their life in comparison to men. The mental condition can be treated with medication or psychotherapy, or a combination of both.
Scientists are analyzing the rise of genes in anxiety disorder and they are also trying to investigate the role of other factors such as diet, physical health, pollution and the like, which may lead to anxiety disorders.
The findings of the study are important as it can enable healthcare professionals to better estimate a person's risk to developing neuropsychiatric diseases. The findings may also help scientists in developing enhanced treatments for such ailments.
