Study: Gene Identified That May Have Link To Mood Disorders
(Baltimore, MD) -- Researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore have discovered a gene in the brain that might have some link to certain disorders ranging from depression to schizophrenia.
They've studied mice, some of which had what's been dubbed the "despair" gene and some that didn't. The rodents were forced to do things they especially dislike including swimming and being exposed to light.
Those with the gene eventually gave up trying to avoid the dangers while those without the gene showed more perseverance and lowered anxiety levels in open spaces.
The researchers say they don't know why deleting the gene altered the mouse mood.
They believe the finding could be the beginning for development of drugs that might, someday, be used to treat depression, bipolar disorders or schizophrenia.
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