EN
The Brain Reward Cascade (BRC) is an interaction
of neurotransmitters and their respective genes to control
the amount of dopamine released within the brain.
Any variations within this pathway, whether genetic
or environmental (epigenetic), may result in addictive
behaviors as well as altered pain tolerance. While there
are many studies claiming a genetic association with
addiction and other behavioral infractions, defined
as Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS), not all are
scientifically accurate and in some case just wrong. Albeit
our bias, we discuss herein the facts and fictions behind
molecular genetic testing in RDS (including pain and
addiction) and the significance behind the development
of the Genetic Addiction Risk Score (GARSPREDX™), the
first test to accurately predict one’s genetic risk for RDS.