Oxytocin, the "love hormone," shapes empathy, trust, and social bonding — and genes like OXTR (variant rs53576), CD38, and AVPR1A influence how your brain produces and responds to it. This article explains the biology of connection, what the research really shows, and how experience shapes genetic expression.

Kapha, one of Ayurveda's three doshas, is traditionally linked to stability, weight gain, and low mood in excess. Exploratory genomics research connects Prakriti types to genes like FTO, while BDNF and COMT shape mood pathways. Learn how the PlexusDx test adds pathway-level genetic context.

Genetics shape roughly 40% of the variation in short-term memory, working alongside sleep, stress, and cardiovascular health. This article explains how variants in BDNF, COMT, and APOE influence recall, which lifestyle levers matter most, and what pathway-level genetic insight can and cannot tell you.

The FKBP5 gene acts as a dimmer switch on the body's cortisol stress system, and its variants shape susceptibility to anxiety, depression, PTSD, and chronic pain. This article explains how FKBP5 works, the rs1360780 variant, its gene-by-environment effects, and what pathway-level genetic insight can reveal.

Chronic irritability is partly biological. Named variants in COMT (Val158Met), MAOA, and SLC6A4 shape the dopamine and serotonin systems behind mood, impulse control, and emotional regulation. Learn the genetic factors in irritability, evidence-based ways to support regulation, and where pathway-level insight fits.

Executive function — planning, focus, working memory, and impulse control — is one of the most heritable cognitive traits, with estimates reaching 80% to 100%. This article explains how COMT Val158Met and dopamine genes like DRD4, DAT1, and BDNF shape daily performance, and what pathway-level genetic insight can and cannot tell you.

Neuropathic pain varies widely between people, and genes like SCN9A, SCN10A, COMT, and KCNS1 help set the nervous system's pain-signaling threshold. This article explains the genetic basis, what research shows, and how pathway-level insight supports informed conversations with a provider.

The FAAH gene encodes the enzyme that breaks down anandamide, an endocannabinoid that influences mood, stress, and pain sensitivity. The C385A (rs324420) variant shifts this balance. Learn what the research actually shows, how COMT fits in, and how PlexusDx adds pathway-level genetic context.

CRHR1 sits atop the body's HPA stress axis, and its variants are linked in research to stress reactivity and, alongside early-life adversity, to depression and anxiety risk. This article explains what CRHR1 and FKBP5 do, what the evidence supports, and how pathway-level genetic insight fits in.

Aggression is roughly 40–60% heritable, shaped by genes such as MAOA (the "warrior gene" variant) and COMT Val158Met that govern dopamine and serotonin signaling. This article explains how these variants interact with environment, why genotype is never destiny, and what pathway-level genetic context can add.

Twin studies estimate anxiety disorders are roughly 30 to 40 percent heritable, with a landmark 2001 meta-analysis near 32 percent. Genes like COMT, SLC6A4, and BDNF shape stress-response pathways. This article explains the genetics of anxiety susceptibility and why genes are not destiny.

The HTR1A gene shapes serotonin signaling that underlies mood, anxiety, and emotional regulation. Learn how the rs6295 variant and the COMT gene influence emotional intelligence and relationships, what the research really shows about temperament, and how pathway-level genetic insight supports self-knowledge and informed provider conversations.

OCD is roughly 40 to 50 percent heritable, with the glutamate transporter gene SLC1A1 as its most consistently implicated variant, alongside SLC6A4, COMT, and BDNF. This article explains the genetics behind obsessive-compulsive symptoms and how genetic context supports — but never replaces — evidence-based, provider-directed care.

The ADA gene codes for adenosine deaminase, the enzyme that clears adenosine — the molecule behind sleep pressure, attention, and inflammation. This article explains how the ADA G22A variant (rs73598374) shapes deep sleep and focus, its connection to healthy aging, and what pathway-level genetic insight reveals.

GABRA6 and GABRG2 build parts of the GABA-A receptor, the brain's main inhibitory brake. GABRG2 variants are linked in research to inherited epilepsy syndromes, while GABRA6 is studied for sedative and alcohol sensitivity. Effect sizes are small, and variants are context, not diagnosis.

The 5-HTTLPR variant in the SLC6A4 serotonin-transporter gene has been studied in depression, anxiety, PTSD, and stress sensitivity. This article explains the short and long alleles, the gene-environment nuance, related variants like COMT and BDNF, and what pathway-level genetic insight can and cannot tell you.

Facial emotion recognition is a measurable skill shaped by genes and experience. Variants in OXTR (rs53576) and COMT (Val158Met) influence empathy and emotion processing, but practice can sharpen it. Learn the science and how pathway-level genetic insight adds context.

About 3 in 10 cannabis users develop some degree of cannabis use disorder, and twin studies estimate genetics accounts for 50-70% of vulnerability. This article explains the role of CNR1, FAAH, AKT1, and CHRNA2 variants in the endocannabinoid and reward pathways, and why genetics is context rather than a prediction.

Sensation seeking has four components — thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, disinhibition, and boredom susceptibility — all tied to dopamine biology. Gene variants in DRD4 and COMT (Val158Met) influence novelty response and reward sensitivity. Learn what the science shows and how pathway-level genetic insight adds context to your biology.

The RGS2 gene codes for regulator of G protein signaling 2, a molecular brake on brain-cell signaling. Its rs4606 variant has been linked to reduced RGS2 expression and higher anxiety and stress sensitivity. This article explains the mechanism, the research, and what pathway-level genetic insight reveals.