The recent online edition of the journal Molecular Psychiatry includes publication of a study by Israeli researchers that appears to show the existence of an 'altruism gene'. For research team leader Prof. Richard Ebstein, this is a second such discovery - ten years ago, scientists under his direction earned renown when they discovered a 'risk-taking gene'.
According to a report by David Brinn of Israel21c.org, Prof. Ebstein and colleagues at the Hebrew University and Herzog Memorial Hospital in Jerusalem discovered a correlation between selflessness or helpfulness and the presence of a gene variant on chromosome No. 11. That 'altruism gene' apparently boosts receptors for the nervous system's pleasure transmitter, dopamine, promoting its expression, when the subject acts on behalf of others. While the study depended on self-reporting of altruistic behavior, Prof. Ebstein found that about two-thirds of respondents carried the 'altruism gene'.
In another Israeli study in the field of psychology, researchers have demonstrated that people with schizophrenia feel greater motivation when their treatment includes the introduction of a dog. The observation of the phenomenon, as reported by Israel21c.org, was made by a team from the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa and the Sha'ar Menashe Mental Health Center near Hadera.
The results of the study have been published in the professional journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. The supervisor of the study, Professor Henry Silver, said that patients attending psychotherapy sessions with the animals were much less apathetic compared to those who underwent conventional therapy.
The study further showed that, as compared to a control group without the dogs, patients given the pet therapy showed an improvement in the use of leisure time and excitement about their interactions with the dog. "[And] these are people who wouldn't care if their families came to visit them or not," said Prof. Silver.
According to a report by David Brinn of Israel21c.org, Prof. Ebstein and colleagues at the Hebrew University and Herzog Memorial Hospital in Jerusalem discovered a correlation between selflessness or helpfulness and the presence of a gene variant on chromosome No. 11. That 'altruism gene' apparently boosts receptors for the nervous system's pleasure transmitter, dopamine, promoting its expression, when the subject acts on behalf of others. While the study depended on self-reporting of altruistic behavior, Prof. Ebstein found that about two-thirds of respondents carried the 'altruism gene'.
In another Israeli study in the field of psychology, researchers have demonstrated that people with schizophrenia feel greater motivation when their treatment includes the introduction of a dog. The observation of the phenomenon, as reported by Israel21c.org, was made by a team from the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa and the Sha'ar Menashe Mental Health Center near Hadera.
The results of the study have been published in the professional journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. The supervisor of the study, Professor Henry Silver, said that patients attending psychotherapy sessions with the animals were much less apathetic compared to those who underwent conventional therapy.
The study further showed that, as compared to a control group without the dogs, patients given the pet therapy showed an improvement in the use of leisure time and excitement about their interactions with the dog. "[And] these are people who wouldn't care if their families came to visit them or not," said Prof. Silver.