(Press-News.org) ANN ARBOR, Mich. — University of Michigan Health System researchers have found new evidence that our genes help determine our susceptibility to depression.
Their findings, published online today in the Archives of General Psychiatry, challenge a 2009 study that called the genetic link into question and add new support to earlier research hailed as a medical breakthrough.
In the summer of 2003, scientists announced they had discovered a connection between a gene that regulates the neurotransmitter serotonin and an individual's ability to rebound from serious emotional trauma, such as childhood physical or sexual abuse.
The journal Science ranked the findings among the top discoveries of the year and the director of the National Institute of Mental Health proclaimed, "It is a very important discovery and a real advance for the field."
That excitement was dampened in 2009, however, after the research was called into question by a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The New York Times reported that analysis, which examined results from 14 different studies, showed the initial findings had "not held up to scientific scrutiny."
Today Srijan Sen, M.D., Ph.D, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School, and his colleagues are presenting a new, broader analysis of the follow-up studies to date. The U-M team examined 54 studies dating from 2001 to 2010 and encompassing nearly 41,000 participants – making it the largest analysis of the serotonin gene's relationship to depression.
"When we included all the relevant studies, we found that an individual's genetic make-up does make a difference in how he or she responds to stress," says Sen.
The U-M analysis supports previous findings that individuals who had a short allele on a particular area the serotonin gene had a harder time bouncing back from trauma than those with long alleles.
Rudolf Uher, Ph.D., a clinical lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, says the U-M research will help cut through the debate about the genetic connection and refocus the field on making new advances to help those affected by mental illness.
"The major strength of the analysis is that it is the first such work that included all studies that were available on the topic," Uher says. "And it gives a very clear answer: the 'short' variant of the serotonin transporter does make people more sensitive to the effects of adversity."
The authors of the initial study from 2003 were also excited by the U-M team's results.
"Their careful and systematic approach reveals why the JAMA meta-analysis got it wrong," says Terrie Moffitt, Ph.D., a professor at Duke University and one of the authors of the 2003 study. "We hope that the same journalists who were so hasty to publish a simplistic claim in 2009 will cover this more thoughtful new analysis."
When the U-M team restricted their analysis to the 14 studies included in the 2009 JAMA paper, they also failed to find a genetic link, suggesting to Sen that the scope of the analysis, not the methodology, was responsible for the new findings.
The U-M analysis found robust support for the link between sensitivity to stress and a short allele in those who had been mistreated as children and in people suffering with specific, severe medical conditions. Only a marginal relationship was found in those who had undergone stressful life events.
But that's also common sense. Different stressful life events may have very different effects, Sen says. For instance, there is no reason to think that the effects of divorce, at a biological level, would be similar to the effects of losing your home or being physically assaulted.
Still, the study results don't mean that everyone should run out and get a genetic test; additional susceptibility from having a short allele is only one factor among many that determine how an individual responds to stress, Sen says.
Additional research will help to map an individual's genetic profile for depression.
"This brings us one step closer to being able to identify individuals who might benefit from early interventions or to tailor treatments to specific individuals," Sen says.
INFORMATION:
Funding: The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, University of Michigan Depression Center and Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes.
Additional U-M Authors: Margit Burmeister, Ph.D., Kerby Shedden, Ph.D., former graduate student Katja Karg
Reference: Archives of General Psychiatry 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.189
Resources:
"A Question of Resistance," New York Times, April 30, 2006, http://nyti.ms/eF8XoN
"Report on Gene for Depression is Now Faulted," New York Times, June 17, 2009, http://nyti.ms/g091LM
U-M Depression Center, www.depressioncenter.org
U-M Department of Psychiatry, www.psych.med.umich.edu
Resurrecting the so-called 'depression gene'
University of Michigan research finds new evidence that our genes play a role in our response to adversity
2011-01-04
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Authorities often aware of previous incidents of victimization among children and adolescents
2011-01-04
DURHAM, N.H. – Almost half of U.S. youth who experience violence, abuse or crime have had at least one of their victimizations known to school, police or medical authorities, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire Crimes against Children Research Center.
The research is reported in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
"Childhood/adolescent abuse is frequently described as a hidden problem, and victimization studies regularly have shown that much abuse goes undisclosed," according ...
Risk of breast cancer recurrence may depend on treating surgeon
2011-01-04
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), or non-invasive breast cancer, is typically treated with either breast-conserving surgery—with or without follow-up radiation—or mastectomy. The treatment choice depends on clinical factors, the treating surgeon, and patient preferences. Long-term health outcomes (disease-free survival) depend on the treatments received. According to a study published January 3 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute , however, health outcomes also are associated with the treating surgeon.
To determine the comparative effectiveness of treatment ...
Clostridium bacteria infecting increasing numbers of hospitalized children
2011-01-04
Hospitalized children in the United States are more frequently becoming infected with the bacteria Clostridium difficile, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the May print issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
C. difficile can colonize the gastrointestinal tract and lead to infection, according to background information in the article. While some infected patients have no symptoms, others develop diarrhea, toxic megacolon (extreme inflammation and distention of the large intestine), perforated ...
Child and youth victimization less hidden from authorities
2011-01-04
Almost half of U.S. youth who experience violence, abuse or crime have had at least one of their victimizations known to school, police or medical authorities, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
"Childhood/adolescent abuse is frequently described as a hidden problem, and victimization studies regularly have shown that much abuse goes undisclosed," the authors write as background information in the article. "The hidden nature of childhood victimization has multiple sources. Clearly, ...
Adopting healthy habits in youth associated with more favorable cholesterol levels in adulthood
2011-01-04
Lifestyle changes between childhood and adulthood appear associated with whether an individual will maintain, improve or develop high-risk cholesterol levels, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Over the past 25 years, several studies have assessed whether cholesterol and triglyceride levels in youth carry through to adulthood, according to background information in the article. "Although these studies found that youth levels correlate well with adult levels, they have shown that ...
Education programs could increase parent-child interactions in at-risk families
2011-01-04
Parent education programs delivered through pediatric primary care offices appeared to increase parent-child interactions during infancy in at-risk families, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. A second report in the same issue finds one of the programs also appeared to be associated with reduced exposure to TV and other media in infants.
"Children growing up in poverty fall behind their middle-class peers in development from the time they say their first words, usually shortly ...
Women with both diabetes and depression at higher risk of dying from heart disease, other causes
2011-01-04
Depression and diabetes appear to be associated with a significantly increased risk of death from heart disease and risk of death from all causes over a six-year period for women, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Depression affects close to 15 million U.S. adults each year and more than 23.5 million U.S. adults have diabetes, according to background information in the article. Symptoms of depression affect between one-fifth and one-fourth of patients with diabetes, nearly twice as many as ...
Brain imaging studies examine how anti-smoking medications may curb cravings
2011-01-04
Editor's Note: Please see the articles for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
To contact corresponding author Arthur L. Brody, M.D., call Mark Wheeler at 310-794-2265 or e-mail mwheeler@mednet.ucla.edu. To contact Teresa Franklin, Ph.D., call Kim Menard at 215-662-6183 or e-mail kim.menard@uphs.upenn.edu.
For More Information: Contact the JAMA/Archives Media Relations Department at 312-464-JAMA or email: mediarelations@jama-archives.org.
END ...
Call for truth in trans fats labeling by the FDA
2011-01-04
Did you know that when you pick up a product promoted as trans fat free, you may still be ingesting a significant amount of this potentially harmful substance? An article by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine student Eric Brandt, published in the January/February 2011 issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion, reveals that misleading labeling practices can result in medically significant intake of harmful trans fat, despite what you read on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labels. Indeed, consumers' inability to identify high-risk foods ...
Research demonstrates that education programs can increase parent-child interactions
2011-01-04
New York, NY (January 3, 2010) --- Parent education programs delivered through pediatric primary care offices increased parent-child play and reading activities critical for child development and school readiness during infancy in at-risk families, according to two concurrent reports in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
"Research has shown that children growing up in poverty fall behind their middle-class peers in development – even before their first birthday," says Alan L. Mendelsohn, MD, a developmental-behavioral ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
CMD-OPT model enables the discovery of a potent and selective RIPK2 inhibitor as preclinical candidate for the treatment of acute liver injury
Melatonin receptor 1a alleviates sleep fragmentation-aggravated testicular injury in T2DM by suppression of TAB1/TAK1 complex through FGFR1
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction retards colorectal tumorigenesis by regulating the TMEM131–TNF signaling pathway-mediated differentiation of immunosuppressive dendritic ce
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B Volume 15, Issue 7 Publishes
New research expands laser technology
Targeted radiation offers promise in patients with metastasized small cell lung cancer to the brain
A high clinically translatable strategy to anti-aging using hyaluronic acid and silk fibroin co-crosslinked hydrogels as dermal regenerative fillers
Mount Sinai researchers uncover differences in how males and females change their mind when reflecting on past mistakes
CTE and normal aging are difficult to distinguish, new study finds
Molecular arms race: How the genome defends itself against internal enemies
Tiny chip speeds up antibody mapping for faster vaccine design
KTU experts reveal why cultural heritage is important for community unity
More misfolded proteins than previously known may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia
“Too much going on”: Autistic adults overwhelmed by non-verbal social cues
What’s driving America’s deep freezes in a warming world?
A key role of brain protein in learning and memory is deciphered by scientists
Heart attacks don’t follow a Hollywood script
Erin M. Schuman wins 2026 Nakasone Award for discovery on neural synapse function and change during formation of memories
Global ocean analysis could replace costly in-situ sound speed profiles in seafloor positioning, study finds
Power in numbers: Small group professional coaching reduces rates of physician burnout by nearly 30%
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage: A comprehensive review of CCUS-EOR
New high-temperature stable dispersed particle gel for enhanced profile control in CCUS applications
State gun laws and firearm-related homicides and suicides
Use of tobacco and cannabis following state-level cannabis legalization
Long-term obesity and biological aging in young adults
Eindhoven University of Technology and JMIR Publications announce unlimited open access publishing agreement
Orphan nuclear receptors in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease development
A technological breakthrough for ultra-fast and greener AI
Pusan National University researchers identify key barriers hindering data-driven smart manufacturing adoption
Inking heterometallic nanosheets: A scalable breakthrough for coating, electronics, and electrocatalyst applications
[Press-News.org] Resurrecting the so-called 'depression gene'University of Michigan research finds new evidence that our genes play a role in our response to adversity