The gene of the quick mind

A gene for making quick decisions has been foundAlexey Tymoshenko, GZT.RU
A group of German scientists managed to find a gene in which variations affect the speed and quality of human decisions.

Volunteers who possessed one of the alleles (variants) of the COMT gene scored 10% more points in the computer game proposed by the researchers than those who had another variant of the same gene.

The essence of the task that scientists from the Max Planck Institute and a number of other scientific centers in Germany offered to each of the 26 participants in the experiment was simple. It was necessary to choose one of the four figures that appeared on the computer screen in 4 seconds, which brought the participant a certain number of points. The rule by which the bonus for each figure was calculated changed during the experiment – so the researchers could evaluate the participants' ability to make quick decisions and teach them new rules in dynamically changing game conditions based on the final score.

Importance for evolution

The variability of conditions, as scientists emphasize in an article published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reflects the situation of the real world. The ability to quickly understand the rules that govern the environment and make decisions just as quickly are key functions not only in human development, but also in the very fact of his survival.

During the experiment, scientists tested how the speed of thinking is related to one specific gene – COMT, by selecting it from 20 thousand human genes. Why did you choose him?

The fact is that the level of intelligence, the speed of thinking and the ability to learn are influenced by many different factors. Mice can also learn to avoid areas of the floor under tension or poisonous food, but only a person can solve differential equations or speak Chinese, although in both cases it is about learning.

The study of mathematics or languages is possible with the active participation of the anterior areas of the cortex associated with abstract thinking. Remembering that there is a high risk of nausea and vomiting after eating certain foods is carried out with the help of areas inside the brain that arose during evolution tens of millions of years ago. And not every gene works during the learning process: there are relatively few universal genes.

The COMT gene is one of these generalists. The enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase encoded by it participates in the processing of dopamine molecules, a substance that provides the transmission of nerve impulses, not only in the cortex, but also in subcortical formations. Due to this, COMT can influence both simple and complex learning. And in real life, where a combination of simple and complex skills is required, this gene may be more important than its "brother" associated with a rare form of learning.

Results

The study found that the presence of one of the alleles of the COMT gene in a person allows him to show results on average 10% higher in the game proposed by scientists than those who turned out to have another, differing in only one nucleotide. 
(The molecules of the corresponding protein in carriers of different alleles differ by one amino acid: either valine or methionine can be located at the 158th place in the catechol-O-methyltransferase molecule. A 10% difference was observed between homozygous subjects: carriers of the Val/Val genotype showed better results in the game than those who inherited the Met/Met–VM genotype).
A brain scan using a tomograph revealed that the gene also affects the activity of some areas of the striatum (striatum) – scientists attribute this to the fact that this education is involved in learning processes at different levels.

Discrimination and genes

Despite the fact that the study is purely academic in nature and it is too early to talk about its practical application, it also raises quite acute questions. After all, if there is a gene that, even by 10%, allows a person to better cope with the task, will it not cause discrimination, for example, when hiring or setting the car insurance and civil liability rate?

Now the mass reading of the genome is still something exotic, and these fears have no solid justification, but by 2013 the cost of a full reading of DNA is promised to be reduced to $ 1 thousand. A thousand dollars for comprehensive genetic information is already quite an adequate amount. Realizing this, the US authorities are taking adequate measures in this regard. So, since 2008, GINA has been in force in the country – an act on non-disclosure of personal information about the owner's DNA to insurance companies and employers.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru15.10.2009