A new study has investigated the genetic influences on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and has identified about thirty genes that are associated with this serious mental health issue. The researchers assessed genetic data from over 50,000 people who have been diagnosed with OCD, along with 2 million unaffected individuals, to identify genes that may relate to an increased risk of OCD. After finding 30 regions of the genome that are associated with that increase, the investigators found 249 genes that are related to OCD. The findings, which were reported in Nature Genetics, may improve our understanding of OCD and could help researchers develop better diagnostic tools or treatments.
People with OCD might be thought of as obsessive cleaners, hand-washers, or checkers of locked doors, but the issue can present in many ways, and can seriously impact a person's quality of life, as well as those around them. They may have persistent doubts, harmful or inappropriate thoughts, existential worries, or constant concerns about their life.
This study has shed some light on OCD. Many genes that carried small changes that were associated with an increased risk of OCD were also found to be expressed in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and striatum. This has confirmed previous research suggesting these areas are related to the disease.
The study also revealed some genes that could be causing OCD, such as WDR6 (a gene that is highly expressed in the brain), DALRD3 (an epilepsy-linked gene) and CTNND1 (a gene that has many roles in different tissues), as well as multiple genes in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region, which is related to immunity and inflammation.
"This is the first study where we found actual genes that play a role in OCD, which is really exciting," noted penultimate author Professor Eske Derks, senior group leader of the Translational Neurogenomics Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer. "We've been working on this for many years, but these findings have dramatically increased our knowledge of the genetic basis of OCD."
There were also genes that were found to relate to OCD that have also been linked to anxiety, anorexia nervosa, and depression. There is significant overlap among these disorders, added Derks.
OCD affects not only patients, but their friends, family, and colleagues. This study may help scientists bring relief to these people, however. Their efforts are ongoing, so long as they are supported.
"The next steps for our research team are to use these genetic discoveries to identify existing drugs—currently being used to treat other conditions—that may be effective for OCD patients, paving the way for more innovative treatment options," said Derks. "OCD has traditionally been an under-funded area of medical science, so in order for us to build on these remarkable genetic findings, we need more funding."
Sources: QIMR Berghofer, Nature Genetics
