14 DAY TRIAL // A gene known to the scientific community as the ADRA2B deletion variant affects the way in which people see the world and relate to it, and makes certain individuals more vulnerable to depression, researchers with the University of British Columbia in Canada claim.
The researchers explain that several previous investigations have revealed that this gene influences the process by which the brain forms emotional memories.
However, recently uncovered evidence suggests that the gene also causes some individuals to be more affected by certain emotional events than others would be, and therefore perceive the world in a negative manner.
The University of British Columbia researchers base their claims on data collected while carrying out a series of experiments with the help of 200 volunteers.
Thus, the researchers first checked to see which of these volunteers carried the ADRA2b gene variant, and then asked them all to sit for a visual emotional test.
Specifically, the volunteers were asked to look at flashcards showing positive, negative and neutral words and then comment on how each of these words made them feel.
By the looks of it, the people who carried said gene were more affected by the negative words than those who did not carry the gene were.
“The findings suggest people experience emotional aspects of the world partly through gene-coloured glasses – and that biological variations at the genetic level can play a significant role in individual differences in perception,” Professor Rebecca Todd explains, as cited by Daily Mail.
“We found that some individuals are predisposed to see the world more darkly than others. A previously known genetic variation causes some individuals to perceive the world more vividly than others - and particularly negative aspects of the world,” the neuroscientist further argues.
A detailed account of this investigation and its findings was published in a recent issue of the journal Psychological Science.