Genes determine everything, even Internet addiction

Recently, quite often you can hear the term "Internet addiction" referring to a situation where people spend many hours on-line and feel uncomfortable in the absence of such an opportunity. From a medical point of view, this phenomenon does not yet have a clear description, such as addiction to nicotine or alcohol. However, the results of a study conducted by German scientists from the University of Bonn and the Central Institute of Mental Health, working under the guidance of Dr. Christian Montag, demonstrated that this "addiction" also has molecular genetic prerequisites.

Over the past few years, scientists have interviewed 843 people about the nature of their interaction with the Internet. The analysis of the questionnaires revealed 132 of the participants (both sexes) problems in relations with the world Wide web. All their thoughts during the day revolved around the Internet, and the feeling of well-being deteriorated greatly in the absence of access to the network.

A comparison of the genetic profiles of 132 Internet-dependent study participants and control group individuals showed that the former, especially women, were much more likely to have a genetic variation that plays an important role in the formation of nicotine addiction.

This variation is a mutation in the CHRNA4 gene that changes the structure of one of the subunits of the receptor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The nicotine contained in tobacco is able to bind to this receptor, causing the activation of the pleasure center in the brain. Unexpectedly for the researchers, it turned out that somehow this mutation is also involved in the development of Internet addiction.

According to Dr. Montag, the data obtained need further confirmation, as the results of many surveys indicate that men are more susceptible to Internet addiction than women. He suggests that these sex differences may be due to the existence of different subgroups of addiction, for example, dependence on social networks.

Article by et al. The role of the CHRNA4 Gene in Internet Addiction – A Case-control Study published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the University of Bonn:
Internet Addiction – Causes at the Molecular Level.30.08.2012