Which patient will feel down, which will be happy? The need to study the genetic disposition of emotional states.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

In quality-of-life (QL) research, the genetic susceptibility of negative and positive emotions is frequently ignored, taken for granted, or treated as noise. The objectives are to describe: (1) the major findings of studies addressing the heritable and environmental causes of variation in negative and positive emotional states and (2) the major biological pathways of and genetic variants involved in these emotional states.

Methods

Literature overview.

Results

The heritability estimates for anxiety and depression are 30-40%. Related traits as neuroticism and loneliness are also highly heritable. The hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis is the 'final common pathway' for most depressive symptoms. The many findings of investigated genes are promising but not definit

SUBMITTER: Sprangers MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2977055 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature