A Gene for "Problem Behaviors"?

by Kristina Chew

category: Science

Published July 24, 2009 @ 12:43AM PT

The topic of genes and autism often seems to be as much about controversy as it is about science. Studies of the genetics of autism (like this recently reported one) often only seem to have identified genes in a small set of individuals; further, so many genes are pointed to as potentially linked to autism spectrum that the thought of anyone ever honing in on some specific "autism genes" seems quite beyond reach. Then, too, should any specific genetic markers for autism be identified, questions about prenatal genetic testing and eugenics with huge ethical implications arise.

A new study linking certain genetic markers to "problem behaviors" in adult males with developmental disabilities highlights all of these concerns; further, it's important not to say that "problem behaviors" are only the fault of the person displaying these, but may well be due to other factors (including how that person is treated and perceived).

105 white men between the ages of 18 and 50 were participants in a study of the gene enocding monoamine oxidize A or MAOA, MAOA is, as noted in the July 23rd Science Daily:

......involved in the regulation of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is linked to appetite and mood, and the neurotransmitter and hormone norepinephrine, which is linked to the fight-or-flight response. Previous studies found that variations in MAOA were linked to violent behavior.

MAOA has also be linked to "autism in children, autism severity and communication problems."

"Problem behaviors" are specifically defined as "aggression, self-injury or property destruction" and are said to occur in 15 to 20 percent of adults with developmental disabilities. A co-author of the study, Craig Kennedy, professor of special education at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of education and human development, says that

"Problem behaviors in these populations account for billions of dollars in intervention costs each year, but nearly all of these interventions occur after the fact.......This research suggests one way we might predict which individuals are at risk of being aggressive and destructive and provide treatment before problems occur.

Studies on genetics can seem very distant; some raise questions about why research efforts (and dollars) are not devoted to studies about treatments that might have a direct (as in immediate) impact on people's lives. Beyond seeking to identify genes that might contribute to autism, this new study indeed looks at something that specifically affects people's lives, "problem behaviors," with the hope of making it possible to anticipate an individual having such.

The list of "problem behaviors" mentioned does include some that we've had to address in regard to my own son; no easy task. From dealing with this sort of thing, I do know that "environmental factors" such as what people around my son say and do and numerous other circumstances often as much the reasons for a "behavior" as something internal to him. These sorts of things need always to be kept in mind when considering an individual's "behaviors." It's very possible that the "problem" is as much in other people saying or doing certain things, in a room being too warm or having too harsh lighting and the like, and it's important to be ready and willing to look for such factors, for such sources of the "problem," rather than attributing these to the individual with disabilities alone.

The study is published in the July issue of the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.