CHICAGO, July 27 (UPI) -- A gene that helps the amino acid glutamate move in and out of brain cells has been linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The finding comes from research on SLC1A1 performed simultaneously at the University of Michigan, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Chicago and the University of Toronto.
The gene is called SLC1A1, and it tells cells how to make a protein called EAAC1 that transports glutamate across cell membranes.
"Taken together, these findings suggest that SLC1A1 is a strong candidate gene for OCD," said Gregory Hanna, senior author from the University of Michigan. "(If) confirmed, (this) could lead to improvements in understanding and treating this condition and screening those with an elevated risk."
Glutamate is considered the principal stimulating amino acid in the brain, and people with OCD have abnormal levels of glutamate in their brains and spinal fluid, the researchers said.
While psychiatric disorders are considered complex problems produced by a variety of genes acting together in response to triggering environmental events, identifying any of the genes or events involved brings successful treatment closer, the team noted.
People with OCD have high levels of anxiety that they ease by performing repetitive physical rituals. The disorder runs in families, and relatives of people with OCD are nine times more likely to develop the disorder than the general public.
The findings were reported by the American and Canadian research teams in two papers published in the July issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
