(Source: Streets Blog)
UCI neuroscientist Dr. Steven Cramer, with the help of his graduate student, Stephanie McHughen have discovered a link between a genetic variation and bad driving. Approximately 30 percent of Americans have the variant gene. (Source: Steve Zylius / University Communications)
The bad drivers had a gentic mutation that provided them with less active brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein pictured here. (Source: blogSci)
Next time you're frustrated by the jerk who just cut you off, give him a break -- it might be in his genes
Good drivers can make the road a friendly place for their fellow drivers and milk great gas mileage (or equally great performance) out of their vehicles. However, for every good driver on the road, there's plenty of bad ones. According to studies, cell phones play a role in the poor overall quality of driving that leads to many accidents across America. However, a new study shows the problem may be more complex, pointing to a link between genes and bad driving.
Researchers at University of California Irvine found that people with a specific gene variant performed 20 percent worse on a driving test than those without. The results were confirmed by a subsequent test. The scary part? According to expert estimates, 30 percent of Americans have this gene.
Dr. Steven Cramer, neurology associate professor and senior author of the study states, "These people make more errors from the get-go, and they forget more of what they learned after time away."
The neuroscientists discovered a potential cause for the bad behavior. When active, people with the specific variant get less functioanlity from a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) than people with the wild type ("normal") version of the gene. This is not a good thing, as BDNF helps support communication between brain cells and keep them performing at their peak. Typically it's secreted in active parts of the brain -- but those with the variant just don't get as much.
Previous studies have shown that those with the mutant BDNF gene recover more slowly from stroke. That provoked the UC Irvine researchers to question "Could the gene have negative impact on driving?" Stephanie McHughen, graduate student and lead author of the study describes, "We wanted to study motor behavior, something more complex than finger-tapping. Driving seemed like a good choice because it has a learning curve and it's something most people know how to do."
The researchers put 22 people with the gene and 7 with the wild type gene in a driving simulator and had them drive laps. The simulator took the drivers on a race course with sharp curves and turns. Drivers were penalized for going off the course or over the curves.
Not only did those with the gene do worse on the first test, but they also learned less from their experience and performed even more poorly on the second test, with respect to those with the wild-type gene who learned more from their errors. Interestingly, researchers note that the gene does have a benefit -- it minimizes mental degradation from Parkinson's, Huntington's and multiple sclerosis.
Describes Professor Cramer, "It's as if nature is trying to determine the best approach. If you want to learn a new skill or have had a stroke and need to regenerate brain cells, there's evidence that having the variant is not good. But if you've got a disease that affects cognitive function, there's evidence it can act in your favor. The variant brings a different balance between flexibility and stability."
Fortunately, there's no widely available test for the gene, so those that may have it can rest assure their insurance rates won't be rising (yet). Other researchers working on this intriguing study include Paul Rodriguez, Laura Marchal-Crespo and Vincent Procaccio of UCI and researchers from the University of Florida. The study was funded by the National Institute of Health and the results are published in the journal Cerebral Cortex.
"This week I got an iPhone. This weekend I got four chargers so I can keep it charged everywhere I go and a land line so I can actually make phone calls." -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
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