Genetic Marker Linked to OCD

Scientists have stumbled onto a genetic marker that's linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

"If this finding is confirmed, it could be useful," said lead study author Gerald Nestadt, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of Johns Hopkins' Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Program, via a press release. "We might ultimately be able to identify new drugs that could help people with this often disabling disorder, one for which current medications work only 60 to 70 percent of the time."

Researchers conducted what they referred to as a genome-wide association study, in which the genomes of more than 1,400 people with OCD were scanned. More than 1,000 close relatives of people with the health issue were also examined. Researchers discovered that many patients with the OCD gene also contained a protein called tyrosine phosphokinase (PTPRD).

It's estimated that 1 to 2 percent of the U.S. population is affected by this disorder that chronically induces repetitious behaviors associated with anxiety, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Though certain treatments are available--including various antidepressants and behavioral therapy--some options may not work for everyone.

Researchers believe that these study findings suggest a link between evidence of genetic memory traits that are influential in humans. The gene has also been connected to another gene family that's associated with OCD in animals.

"OCD research has lagged behind other psychiatric disorders in terms of genetics," Nestadt added, via the release. "We hope this interesting finding brings us closer to making better sense of it - and helps us find ways to treat it."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal of Molecular Psychiatry.