Navigation Links
Hush little baby... Linking genes, brain and behavior in children
Date:7/13/2009

It comes as no surprise that some babies are more difficult to soothe than others but frustrated parents may be relieved to know that this is not necessarily an indication of their parenting skills. According to a new report in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, children's temperament may be due in part to a combination of a certain gene and a specific pattern of brain activity.

The pattern of brain activity in the frontal cortex of the brain has been associated with various types of temperament in children. For example, infants who have more activity in the left frontal cortex are characterized as temperamentally "easy" and are easily calmed down. Conversely, infants with greater activity in the right half of the frontal cortex are temperamentally "negative" and are easily distressed and more difficult to soothe.

In this study, Louis Schmidt from McMaster University and his colleagues investigated the interaction between brain activity and the DRD4 gene to see if it predicted children's temperament. In a number of previous studies, the longer version (or allele) of this gene had been linked to increased sensory responsiveness, risk-seeking behavior, and attention problems in children. In the present study, brain activity was measured in 9-month-old infants via electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. When the children were 48 months old, their mothers completed questionnaires regarding their behavior and DNA samples were taken from the children for analysis of the DRD4 gene.

The results reveal interesting relations among brain activity, behavior, and the DRD4 gene. Among children who exhibited more activity in the left frontal cortex at 9 months, those who had the long version of the DRD4 gene were more soothable at 48 months than those who possessed the shorter version of the gene. However, the children with the long version of the DRD4 gene who had more activity in the right fronta
'/>"/>

Contact: Barbara Isanski
bisanski@psychologicalscience.org
Association for Psychological Science
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Mothers little helpers
2. Choosing dry or wet food for cats makes little difference
3. Book on little-known species and conservation provides guidance to managers and others
4. Ancient lemurs little finger poses mystery
5. Variety is the spice of life: too many males, too little time...
6. Too much or too little weight gain poses risks to pregnant mothers, babies
7. Getting better with a little help from our micro friends
8. MSU researcher uses grant to study little-known but largely useful microbes
9. Little teeth suggest big jump in primate timeline
10. Building a stronger roof over your head: 3 little pigs project begins first tests
11. A little nitrogen can go a long way

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:11/26/2009)...ntlers, red deer have been caught in the hunters, ...uch more than decorative. They are lethal weapons ...ey, from The University of York, UK, has been intr...r half a century and has become fascinated by the ...nding collaboration with Tomas Landete-Castillejos...
(Date:11/26/2009)... European countries has shown that closing schools...uld have a significant role in reducing illness tr... journal BMC Infectious Diseases compared opport...holidays, finding that they were reduced when scho...erp University, Belgium, led a team of European re...
(Date:11/26/2009)...009 What are the bare essentials of life, the ind...that can survive on its own? Can we describe the m...entire organism functions as a system? These are j...tnership between the European Molecular Biology La...ntre de Regulacio Genmica (CRG) in Barcelona, Spai...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Tough yet stiff deer antler is materials scientist's dream 2School closure could reduce swine flu transmission by 21 percent 2First-ever blueprint of a minimal cell is more complex than expected 2First-ever blueprint of a minimal cell is more complex than expected 3Clues to Hypertension in Kids May Be Seen in Bones 59798 1Clues to Hypertension in Kids May Be Seen in Bones 59798 2World Osteoporosis Day Call for Immediate Action to Prevent Fractures 14537 1World Osteoporosis Day Call for Immediate Action to Prevent Fractures 14537 2Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Announces Collaboration with OSI Pharmaceuticals 5582 1Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Announces Collaboration with OSI Pharmaceuticals 5582 2Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Announces Collaboration with OSI Pharmaceuticals 5582 3
... A new study on identifying which patients were li...r liver transplant (LDLT) found that measuring how...er shortly after surgery was an accurate indicator...ator of the outcome of the procedure. The study us..., making it particularly useful in treating transp...
... As long-lived predators at the top of the marine ...nts such as PCBs, DDT, and mercury in their bodies...ntaminant levels between two closely related albat... North Pacific. Researchers also found that levels...er the past ten years. , The differences in contam...
... An international team of researchers, including K...h, have revealed the motivating factors behind the...tern North America. , The scientists report hung..., drives the mass migration of Mormon crickets in ...al migration, millions of Mormon crickets (relativ...
Other Biology News:Predicting successful outcomes in living-donor liver transplants 2Predicting successful outcomes in living-donor liver transplants 3Vegetables inhibit growth of prostate cancer in mice with human tumors 2Vegetables inhibit growth of prostate cancer in mice with human tumors 3
(Date:11/24/2009)... , REYKJAVIK, Iceland, November 24 /PR...aq: DCGN ) today announced that it has received no...the company,s common stock will be,suspended as of... with the,Securities and Exchange Commission, whic...n Nasdaq, unless the company files an appeal to th...
(Date:11/24/2009)... Health care employment grew by 29,00...one to show consistent growth during the U.S. rece...main in trouble, and health systems are coming clo...nstead of just administrators. , ...mployment continued growing in October despite the...
(Date:11/24/2009)... SHANGHAI, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- NOD Ph...rademark Office (PTO) has allowed the patent appli...technology. , NOD technology is a highly ...eins into bio-adhesive nano-particles to enable or...ections. NOD technology is a platform technology,t...
(Date:11/24/2009)..., SHANGHAI, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Shan...; Drug Administration (SFDA) has approved the,inve...l insulin project,(Nodlin), an innovative insulin ...llows Biolaxy to initiate its first phase I clinic...teristic of high blood glucose and poor,metabolism...
Breaking Biology Technology:deCODE Receives Delisting Notice From Nasdaq, Plans to Appeal 2deCODE Receives Delisting Notice From Nasdaq, Plans to Appeal 3The MedZilla Report for October 2009 - Health Care Employment Grows Again in October Even As Clinics, Specialty Centers Close 2The MedZilla Report for October 2009 - Health Care Employment Grows Again in October Even As Clinics, Specialty Centers Close 3The MedZilla Report for October 2009 - Health Care Employment Grows Again in October Even As Clinics, Specialty Centers Close 4Biolaxy Secures IND Approval for Oral Insulin 2
...EIJING, June 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Sinovac Bio...nes in China, today announced that the,Shanxi Cent...d 257,100,doses of Healive(R), the inactivated hep...ame day, the Gansu CDC ordered 47,000 doses of Bil...ine manufactured by Sinovac. The,vaccine purchased...
... A new computer-based method of analyzing cellula... activity of several molecules. Research published...lecular Cancer describes ,CoMet, a tool that stu...icts those components that will have an effect on ... John McDonald, led a team from the Georgia Instit...
... NEW ORLEANS, La.Evaluations of the first-ever pr...canner that uses semiconductor detectors indicate ...tial resolution of PET imaging, according to resea... scanner already has proven successful in better c...cancer. Eventually, the technology could be used t...
Other Biology Technology:Sinovac Receives Healive(R) and Bilive(R) Purchase Orders from Provincial CDCs for Earthquake Disaster Areas 2Sinovac Receives Healive(R) and Bilive(R) Purchase Orders from Provincial CDCs for Earthquake Disaster Areas 3First semiconductor-based PET scanner demonstrates potential to aid in early diagnosis of disease 2
...premium quality siRNAs you need for your gene sile...ed online by providing either the 19-21 base targe...e siRNA sequences. (Also check out Ambion's Silenc...ch are already designed for you.) For your conveni...
Goat Anti-Human TGF-beta RIIb Polyclonal Antibody, Unconjugated from R&D Systems
Sheep Prolactin from Cell Sciences
Nucleon HT Genomic DNA Extraction Kit from GE Healthcare, formerly Amersham Biosciences
Biology Products: