Gene may Cause Trichotillomania

By BrainPhysics Staff, Tue, November 16, 2010

Researches review gene that may lead to OCD and hair pulling:

"Humans with the trichotillomania disorder have been known to pull their hair until it creates bald spots, while others pluck off their eyebrows and eyelashes or yank their hair until abrasions erupt. Now, researchers studying mutant genes in mice have found a link that someday could help people suffering from compulsive disorders such as trichotillomania, an obsessive disorder that leads to compulsive hair pulling.

A team from the University of Utah School of Medicine discovered that mice with mutations in the Hoxb8 gene groomed themselves twice as much as other mice, causing hair loss and open skin lesions. The gene can be found in microglia, which is a type of immune cell that originates in bone marrow and migrates to the brain. To test their theory, the researchers performed bone marrow transplants on the over-grooming mice. Once the new microglia reached their brains, they displayed normal, noncompulsive grooming behavior."

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