Jul
31
2009
“But we always go there!”
And so begins another Friday night. When it comes to choosing where to go to dinner, my husband likes to stick with the tried and true. I like trying out new places.
A new study suggests that the roots of this conflict could spring partly from our genes. It suggests that a [...]
Tags: basal ganglia, COMT, DARPP-32, dopamine, drd2, exploration, learning, Nature Neuroscience, Parkinson's Disease, prefrontal cortex
Oct
16
2008
Although obesity was seen as a sign of social status during the Renaissance, it’s been known since long before then that being overweight is actually unhealthy. We all know that carrying around extra pounds increases the risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, yet one out of three Americans is obese.
New research, [...]
Tags: dopamine, obesity, reward pathway
Aug
10
2008
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Tags: anxiety, Batman, dopamine, fear, OCD, rs4680, startle response
Jan
30
2008
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Tags: dopamine, drd2, genetic association, learning
Jan
24
2008
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]
Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, alcoholism, dat1, dopamine, genetic association, withdrawal seizures