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Q: Compulsion ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Compulsion
Category: Health > Conditions and Diseases
Asked by: qpet-ga
List Price: $40.00
Posted: 03 Jan 2003 17:37 PST
Expires: 02 Feb 2003 17:37 PST
Question ID: 137206
I would like to find research on whether or not their is an underlying
genetic or biological reason why people exibit compulsive behavior. It
is important for me to get concise information, not endless long
papers. More than one source please.
Answer  
Subject: Re: Compulsion
Answered By: pinkfreud-ga on 03 Jan 2003 19:05 PST
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
I have sifted through several hundred sites and have gathered some
concise statements regarding the genetic or biological origins of
compulsive behavior. Here are some brief excerpts for you. More depth
may be found in the articles themselves. The source material for each
of these quotes is linked directly under the quote.

-----------------------------

"Now with the genetic revolution and the advances of neuroscience,
researchers are able to identify chemicals that are released in the
brain while smoking and the genes involved in their regulation," says
Sean David, one of the Brown researchers. In one of his studies, the
role of dopamine, a chemical that has been linked to depression and
compulsive behavior, was examined...

Brown University: George Street Journal
http://www.brown.edu/Administration/George_Street_Journal/vol26/26GSJ17m.html

-----------------------------

Twin and adoption studies have demonstrated that there is a genetic
contribution to compulsive personality disorder.

Medical Library: Compulsive Personality Disorder
http://www.medical-library.org/journals2a/compulsive_personality.htm

-----------------------------

...Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD... often runs in families and
is more common than many people realize, according to Gregory L.
Hanna, M.D., director of the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Division
for the University of Michigan Health System. Hanna and his research
team have discovered further evidence that there is a genetic
component to OCD. People... who develop OCD during childhood are much
more likely to have relatives with the condition than those who
develop it during adulthood. Hanna and colleagues at the U-M
[University of Michigan] and the University of Chicago are studying
families with OCD to identify genes that make a person vulnerable to
developing the disorder. Hanna emphasizes that not all forms of OCD
are caused by a single genetic variation. Like many medical
conditions, it develops when people who are genetically predisposed
are exposed to specific environmental triggers. For example, recent
studies indicate it may be linked to previous strep infections or
other types of infection.

University of Michigan Health System: U-M scientists search for genes
involved in OCD
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2001/ocd.htm

-----------------------------

Twin studies support a genetic component in the etiology of OCD
[obsessive-compulsive disorder]. Monozygotic twins have a higher
concordance rate that dizygotic with one study finding a concordance
rate of 33 percent for monzygotic versus 7 percent for dizygotic
twins. Family studies also reveal a higher rate of OCD among
first-degree relatives of OCD patients, but the rates vary widely
between studies.

Psychiacomp: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
http://psychiacomp.com/didactic/obsessive-compulsive.php

-----------------------------

A strong genetic component is thought to be involved in OCD, TS
[Tourette's syndrome], and tics, but what is inherited might be an
inability of the immune system to distinguish between neural tissue
and certain components in the cell membrane of GABHS [Group A
beta-hemolytic streptococcus, a bacterium].

Insulin Dependent Diabetes Database: Autoimmunity and Neurologic
Disorders
http://www.traders.co.uk/insulintrust/database/id115.htm

-----------------------------

The exact cause of OCD is unknown, but probably involves abnormal
activity in specific areas of the brain and is related to poor
functioning of the brain chemical called serotonin. In addition, it
seems that OCD runs in some families for genetic reasons.

Pagewise: Signs of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder 
http://msms.essortment.com/obsessivecompu_ryls.htm

-----------------------------

A gene involved in setting up the mammalian body plan also appears to
control grooming behavior in mice. Researchers who knocked out a
specific homeobox, or Hox, gene in mice also noted that the mice
groomed themselves excessively -- creating bald spots and skin wounds.
The discovery suggests that the Hox genes, a large family of
development-controlling genes, might also serve as behavioral
regulators in the adult brain. Studies of the gene family could yield
important insights into the genetic basis of compulsive behavior in
humans.

PsychLinx: Obsessive Grooming
http://www.psychlinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=282900&specid=7&ok=yes

-----------------------------

...The causes of OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder] remain obscure.
However, there is strong evidence for a genetic component (the risk of
developing OCD is higher in the relatives of affected), and for the
involvement of the serotonin (5HT) neurochemical system. Serotonin is
a neurotransmitter that is essential for communication between cells,
and it is possible that the receptors that tell how much serotonin
should be released may be altered in OCD patients.

The researchers [at the University of Toronto] studied the DNA
sequence of the gene for one of the receptors of the 5HT system (the
5HT1Dbeta) that regulates 5HT release. They studied families with at
least one subject affected by OCD. The genetic make up of the parents
was compared to that of the patients to determine if DNA is a reason
for OCD. The parents of patients were found to pass on more often one
of the variants of the 5HT1Dbeta receptor gene to their affected
offspring. This shows that a person who inherits that variant of the
gene has an increased chance of developing OCD. The study findings,
published in the September issue of Molecular Psychiatry, are
clear-cut and are set to turn future genetic studies of OCD towards
the serotonin neurochemical system.

EurekAlert: A Genetic Contribution to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-09/mp-agc082202.php

-----------------------------

Scientific research has shown that Compulsive Disorders are not a
behavioral disorder but a genetic deficiency that can be treated.
Compulsive Disorders develops in people due to a genetic deficiency
that causes certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters to be
missing from the brain. And because these neurotransmitters are
missing the behavior of a child or an adult with a Compulsive Disorder
differs from that of a person who does not have this disease.

Health and Fitness Tips: Compulsive Disorder
http://www.healthandfitnesstips.com/Compulsive%20Disorder.htm

-----------------------------

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is a widespread affliction that we
are just beginning to understand. It afflicts between three million
and four million children in the United States, and probably a larger
number of adults. It is considered the most common pediatric disorder.
It is a compulsive disorder, usually genetic in origin that results
from imbalances of neurotransmitters, the messengers that communicate
between the neurons in the brain.

Gold Coas Chiropractic Center: Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD)
Biogenic Aspects
http://www.goldcoastchiro.com/html/add.htm

-----------------------------

In an important embodiment, the invention concerns a method for
diagnosing and detecting compulsive disorder susceptibility of an
individual. The method comprises initially obtaining a DNA sample of
said individual and then determining the presence or absence of
particular human D2 receptor gene alleles in said sample. Detection of
said alleles in the sample are indicative of predilection to
compulsive disorder.

University of California at Los Angeles: Allelic Diagnosis of 
Susceptibilty to Compulsive Disorders
http://www.research.ucla.edu/tech/patent.htm

-----------------------------

Based on research which has been carried out so far, there is very
strong evidence that a compulsive disorder, such as alcoholism, drug
abuse etc. is genetically inherited and more and more of the sceptics
are coming to believe it is an inherited illness.

BBC: Talk Northern Ireland
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/talkni/ask_beechy_colclough.shtml

-----------------------------

Probably the leading center of behavioral scientists addressing
compulsive behavior lies at the Center for Addictions at the Harvard
Medical School. As their research progresses, it appears more evident
that most compulsive behavior can be linked to a genetic
predisposition to a lack of chemicals that control dopamine and
pleasure producing endorphin levels in the human brain. They have been
studying compulsive eating, drinking, sex, shopping, religion, and
gambling.

North American Association of State and Provincial Libraries:
Testimony Before the Public Sector Gaming Study Commission
http://www.naspl.org/stanek899.html

-----------------------------

My Google search strategy:

"compulsive behavior" + "genetic"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22compulsive+behavior%22+%22genetic

"compulsive disorder" + "genetic"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22compulsive+disorder%22+genetic

"compulsive personality" + "genetic"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22compulsive+personality%22+genetic

"compulsive" + "biological" + "disorder"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=compulsive+biological+disorder

-----------------------------

I hope this information will be useful. If anything I've said is
unclear or incomplete, or if any of the links do not function, please
request clarification before rating my answer, and I'll be glad to
offer further assistance.

Best regards,
pinkfreud-ga
qpet-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars
Thank you for getting to the core- saves me a lot of time!

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