New research published online June 6 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry reports on a study described as the first whole-genome scan to look for genetic "markers" or similarities in the genomes of people with OCD. The results identified six potentially significant regions in the genome, which lie on five different chromosomes that appear "linked" to OCD. The researchers conclude that any genes directly associated OCD are likely to be found in these regions.
"OCD once was thought to be primarily psychological in origin," says Yin Yao Shugart, Ph.D., statistical geneticist and associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "But now there is growing evidence that there is a genetic basis behind OCD, which will help us better understand the condition," she says.
OCD is characterized by intrusive and senseless thoughts and impulses that together are defined as obsessions, as well as repetitive and intentional behaviors, referred to as compulsions. OCD is estimated to affect up to 3 percent of the American population.
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