Researchers find gene associated with depression

A team of researchers from Yale University may have found a genetic variation that significantly increases a person's risk of developing depression. The finding could lead to new medications as well as tests that improve doctors' ability to determine which patients may benefit from a prescription to buy Paxil.

For the study, the researchers looked at various information collected on patients' subjective ratings of depressive symptoms, variations in brain structures that may be associated with mood disorders and whether or not any of these factors are associated with particular genetic variations.

The findings showed that the gene RNF123 may be involved in depression. While it has not previously been linked to a person's risk of developing mood disorders, it is known to affect the form of the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is central to a person's mood.

The researchers said that by finding genes that increase depression risk, it may be possible to develop more effective treatments for the condition. While their findings represent a first step in that direction, they believe the results are significant, as there have been relatively few advances toward finding genes associated with the condition.