Rise of the "Mutant X" People.

[Sturm-iness]

Link: Some people's genes allow them to spot danger
*[edit] There is an accompanying interview video.[/edit]

A new study from the University of British Columbia has found more than half of people are genetically predisposed to spot danger wherever it lurks.

"We already knew that people who have this genetic variant are more inclined to have strong emotional memories," said researcher Rebecca Todd, a professor with UBC's department of psychology. "It turns out they experience the world much more intensely than other people."

People with the "ADRA2b deletion variant" are also more likely to experience emotionally charged intrusive thoughts associated with post-traumatic stress disorder after a traumatic event, she said.

Todd said this is the first study to find that this genetic variation can significantly affect how people see and experience the world.

"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," she said.

A predisposition to see the negative in the environment may proffer an evolutionary advantage to those who carry it, keeping them from harm's way.

"These individuals may be more likely to pick out angry faces in a crowd of people," said Todd. "Outdoors, they might notice potential hazards - places you could slip, loose rocks that might fall - instead of seeing the natural beauty."

The study, published in Psychological Science, was co-authored by Adam Anderson at Cornell University. DNA samples and genotyping were supplied by Daniel Mueller with Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

rshore@vancouversun.com with file from Tiffany Crawford

Color me confused, but what does having a genetic predisposition of impending danger got to do with..

People with the "ADRA2b deletion variant" are also more likely to experience emotionally charged intrusive thoughts associated with post-traumatic stress disorder after a traumatic event, she said.

????

Is it just me or does this report seem to be written about oranges , but conveying about apples??

[Reylan Talonspyre]

"These individuals may be more likely to pick out angry faces in a crowd of people," said Todd. "Outdoors, they might notice potential hazards - places you could slip, loose rocks that might fall - instead of seeing the natural beauty."

I think they are saying that because they are able to perceive the world more intensely, they can see possible scenarios from that intense impression due to their connectedness to the situation.

Of course, technically, the author SHOULD have come to the conclusion that such a connection to one's surroundings may actually facilitate near erection level rapture from simple things like a babbling brook.

[Tara]

Color me confused, but what does having a genetic predisposition of impending danger got to do with..

People with the "ADRA2b deletion variant" are also more likely to experience emotionally charged intrusive thoughts associated with post-traumatic stress disorder after a traumatic event, she said.

????

Is it just me or does this report seem to be written about oranges , but conveying about apples??

Maybe it means if yer built ta notice things around you a little more than others, you'll be affected more by said things goin on around you.

Except that gene right there ADRA2b is part of adrenaline output and such, so the wording does seem strange..if by "deletion variant" they're sayin some people are made without this gene & are therefore more emotional about the big stuff (like w/ ptsd) yer right, it doesn't make sense, because without that gene they should "feel" less, not more.

Unless dat dere gene is messin around with another one called Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) or "COMT val158met" - the two acting together is what gets some people more emotional, and makes some of us attach more emotion/adrenaline to certain situations than others.

No worries, I no "Wiki it" - but I do know Latin an' I read up some stuff from King's College & teh Nat'l Ctr for Biotech Info about dat dere stuff you say and have a way of understanding foreign languages, including science stuffs, prolly a gene for that too ;>

[Leif]

My interpretation of the article's statements was a little bit different based on my understanding of PTSD. My understanding was not that they were stating these people were more -prone- to developing PTSD symptomatology. Rather, they were using PTSD as an comparison for the affective and cognition differences in those individuals with the gene who show having a genetic predispositioned awareness of impending danger, because of the relatability of PTSD vs what effect a weirdly named gene has on our predispositions.

PTSD is associated not only with the previously mentioned 'emotionally intrusive' flashbacks, but also with increased anxiety and hypervigilance or hyperarousal. These characteristics of PTSD along with the emotionally coded and intrusive memories create an individual in a constantly heightened state of arousal and what is effectively a biological 'trigger finger' on the sympathetic nervous system. Basically, not only are your base levels of adrenaline and cortisol generally higher (and therefore your arousal level) but you have an extremely easily set off stress response, the same response which allows quick and effective survival behaviours.

I think they are saying having this gene may predispose you to some of these traits, and especially if these traits are not centred around a traumatic event they would instead set a new “standard” of vigilance. It therefore makes sense to me that individuals with this gene which directly relates to adrenaline production would have a heightened arousal and therefore greater and more effective ability to identify dangerous or threatening circumstances on a regular basis than someone operating at a normal standard of adrenaline output and arousal.

[edit]Sidenote: I am curious if these individuals with heightened arousal show some of the significantly negative consequences of long term exposure to adrenaline and cortisol. I know it has been documented that long term exposure causes significant impairments to cognitive development as well as biological symptoms. Or is this their 'normal' and therefore these negative effects are not seen?[/edit]