Project Summary

Abraham A. Palmer, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2006) of the University of Chicago, plans to use animal models to study the genetic relationship between anxiety and depressive disorders. Symptoms of depression are often accompanied by feelings of anxiety. Furthermore, anxiety disorders are more prevalent in families that have a genetic predisposition to depression. These data suggest that some genes that contribute to the risk of anxiety-related disorders also contribute to the genetic risk for depression. Anxiety-like behaviors and behavioral models in rodents are more reliable than models of depression. Therefore, Dr. Palmer will examine anxiety-related behaviors in mice to identify genes that cause natural variability in these behaviors. As he identifies candidate genes, he will examine them in healthy human volunteers who have been scored for their performance on a test similar to the test used in the mouse studies. Dr. Palmer hopes that some of the mouse genes will be related to human behavior. If so, those genes would be good candidates for further study to determine their role in depression and anxiety disorders.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS

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