Impact of Genetics on Anxiety Disorder Treatment

The National Institute of Mental Health recently conducted a study that shows how a specific gene may be linked to the length of time it takes to treat anxiety disorder. Some people naturally have a gene variation that may impact the amount of time it takes to treat an anxiety disorder. In this test some mice were genetically engineered to have this gene. Both mice and people, with and without this gene, underwent a process to induce fear and then decrease it. Those with the gene took longer to achieve fear extinction. These finding help explain why some people take longer to respond to treatment for anxiety-based disorders. This study may lead to the development of a test for the gene, enabling therapists to better understand how long it will take to treat their patients.

NIMH � Gene’s Impact on Forgetting a Fear-Based Memory Same in Humans and Mice