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Contact:
Dacia Morris
IS THERE A
MAJOR GENE FOR OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER? NIMH-FUNDED STUDY UNDERWAY
New York, NY (May 12, 2003) – Jack Nicholson’s 1997 Oscar-winning performance was for his portrayal of an abrasive neighbor with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in As Good As it Gets. His comic delivery merely hinted at the often-debilitating and serious consequences of a disease that affects roughly one to three percent of the general population, making it more common than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. OCD is a psychiatric condition characterized by intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and a pattern of uncontrollable behaviors that translate into a need to have certain things done in a specific way (compulsions). The considerable anxiety and distress that underlie this disorder are compounded by the anxiety that may develop in response to it, a condition that can seriously interfere with an individual’s quality of life, making it impossible for them to engage in activities outside their home and destroying their ability to function at school or work. Although researchers are not certain of the cause of OCD, a study published in the April 2000 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry found that relatives of people with OCD are five times more likely to have the disorder than relatives of people without OCD suggesting that a there is a major genetic component to this disorder. A multi-site NIMH-funded study to find chromosomal regions associated with the susceptibility to OCD is underway at the New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia. Families with at least two individuals who have or have had OCD are needed in order to carry out the study. Molecular Genetics Lab: B-ROLL DNA Sequencer—Determines the precise order of nucleotides (chemical building blocks) in a sample of DNA. This process helps to identify genes relevant to OCD. The sequencer does this by comparing DNA sequences from individuals with OCD to those of individuals without the disorder. When genes are identified, researchers can study the protein that the gene encodes and try to find molecules that prevents the protein from malfunctioning. A color readout on a computer can be made of the sequencing in progress. PCR Machine— a microprocessor-controlled heating block that is used to perform the Polymerase Chain Reaction or PCR. This is a biochemical reaction that can amplify specific small regions of a person's DNA up to a million-fold, essentially purifying a specific gene in a test tube. *Interviews may be arranged with Drs. Abby Fyer, principal investigator of the study, Jessica Page, study coordinator, and James Knowles, who heads the Molecular Genetics Lab at the Psychiatric Institute.
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