Genetics and Decision Making

Specific genes can now influence the choices you make in life. If you ever wondered why you would do things differently than your friend, it’s partly due to your genetic make-up!

In a recent article, Gene variations can be barometer of behavior, choices, researchers at Brown University and University of Arizona, have discovered three different genes that influence how people make choices. The study had participants do a decision making task while their dopamine function in the brain was monitored. It was found that there were variations on two genes DARPP32 and DRD2 that was mostly responsible for the answers the participants chose. This new research can help understand how people learn and how to help individuals with certain disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

Real Life Situation Decision Making

It would interesting to put participants in real life situations, monitor brain activity and see what each participant would choose to do in specific situations. Then if they find some participants made “bad” choices, they could work on finding medication to help them make better ones.

Possible Treatment for Mental Illness

This could be useful for individuals with mental illness. Some mental disorders affect the ability for the sufferer to make rational decisions. This could be a great benefit to mental health treatment, especially when it comes to sufferers of mental illness making decisions about other parts of their treatment such as medication and keeping doctors’ appointments.

(Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/labor2008/3661198496/)

July 29th, 2009 by Marcelina Hardy | Posted in Genetics and Society | (2)