An international team of scientists found 7 genes that determine the risk of insomnia. Now it cannot be argued that this state is an exclusively psychological problem.
In the course of the study, the genomes of 113 thousand inhabitants of Great Britain were analyzed . As a result, it was possible to identify 7 genes responsible for the regulation of transcription (the process during which information from DNA is transferred to the RNA molecule) and exocytosis (the process of releasing molecules from the cell into the external environment). Some of these genes are already familiar to scientists. So, MEIS1 is associated with two types of disorders Sleep : with periodic limb movement syndrome (PLMS) and restless legs syndrome. And if these two diseases are characterized by restless movements, then insomnia is the result of a restless stream of consciousness, scientists note.
The detected genes are also associated with other pathologies – anxiety disorders, depression and neuroticism, as well as low satisfaction. “Indeed, these conditions tend to go hand in hand with insomnia. Now we know that this phenomenon is based on general genetics, ”explains the lead author of the project, the neuroscientist Anke Hammerschlag.
Researchers also found some differences in genetic variants for different genders. It is known that 33% of women and only 24% of men complain of insomnia. Now it is clear that for some sleep disorders the biological mechanisms of their development may differ slightly.