327 | id == 327
327 | category_id == 20
327 | category_order == 17
327 | category_name == Attention
327 | category_color == #C47AC0
327 | slug == CACNA1C-attention
327 | title == Does This Calcium Channel Gene Play a Role in Attention? (CACNA1C)
327 | meta_description == CACNA1C is associated with attention-related problems. Click here for some diet and gene-based tips!
327 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify">The CACNA1C gene encodes a calcium channel in the brain and has been associated with many psychiatric disorders, including ADHD. What kind of a role does it play in attention? Read on to find out!</p>
327 | overall_score_text == Your Attention Score (Based on CACNA1C)
327 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/CACNA1C_image.jpg
327 | author_id == 15
327 | author_name == John Williams
327 | author_title == B.Sc
327 | author_order == 3987
327 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/sinan_pic.png
327 | author_intro == <p>John received his BSc from the University of Toronto.&nbsp;John has spent the last several years teaching high school science and math to English-language learners, which has forced him to learn how to simplify difficult concepts as much as possible. He has also worked in two different research labs and has experience as a student intern working and studying under doctors in hospitals and clinics to help diagnose and treat patients, interpret lab results and fill out mountains of paperwork.</p>
327 | reviewer == None
327 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
327 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
327 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
327 | publish_date == 2020
327 | publish_date == 9
327 | publish_date == 12
327 | avg_rating == 5.0
327 | tags_id == 30
327 | tags_name == ADHD
327 | tags_id == 56
327 | tags_name == Attention
327 | tags_id == 704
327 | tags_name == CACNA1C Gene
327 | tags_id == 703
327 | tags_name == L-type Calcium Channels
327 | permissions_favorite == False
327 | permissions_rate == False
327 | content_article == <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p><strong><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em>CACNA1C </em>is active in the brain and encodes part of the calcium channel Ca<sub>v</sub>1.2.<br /><br />Variants of <em>CACNA1C </em>play a role in attention by increasing the number of L-type calcium channels in the brain.<br /><br />Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications can counteract the effects of these variants by either decreasing the number of calcium channels in the brain or by directly decreasing how active the CACNA1C gene is.</span></strong></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>CACNA1C and Attention</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">CACNA1C codes for part of a calcium channel (Ca</span><sub><span style="font-weight: 400;">v</span></sub><span style="font-weight: 400;">1.2) in the brain. These calcium channels play a role in plasticity -- your brain&rsquo;s ability to change and adapt [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27276213"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One variant of CACNA1C causes more calcium channels to be produced in the brain </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">[</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20819988/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the number of these calcium channels goes up, a protein called CREB is produced. High levels of CREB are associated with ADHD and other attention-related difficulties [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25882071/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your CACNA1C Results for Attention</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*3065453523613983*</strong></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>SNP Table and Summary</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Primary SNP:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>CACNA1C </strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs1006737/"><strong>rs1006737</strong></a></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = associated with decreased performance in some attention-based tasks</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = not associated with attention</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*3581033739803387*</strong></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Recommendations for Improving Attention</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*7744096362360378*</strong></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Physical Exercise</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Physical exercise as a treatment for ADHD is recommended by doctors in many different countries [</span><a href="https://caddra.ca/pdfs/caddraGuidelines2011.pdf"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/school-success.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/evidence/full-guideline-pdf-4783651311"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Intense exercise was found to decrease the activity of L-type calcium channels in the brains of rats [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28269974/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">If you are having trouble paying attention, physical exercise may produce a moderate improvement in your symptoms and is recommended by doctors worldwide.</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Supplements</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Omega-3 Fatty Acids</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The relationship between <em>CACNA1C</em> and omega-3 fatty acids in humans is not well studied, but rats that were given omega-3 fatty acids saw a decrease in the number of Ca</span><sub><span style="font-weight: 400;">v</span></sub><span style="font-weight: 400;">1.2 calcium channels in the brain, suggesting lowered <em>CACNA1C</em> levels [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25183510/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids is associated with modest improvement in ADHD symptoms in humans [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25181335/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26985432/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK194890/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids may improve attention in humans.</span></p>
327 | content_snp_table_3065453523613983_key == 3065453523613983
327 | content_snp_table_3065453523613983_blur == True
327 | content_snp_table_3065453523613983_hidden == False
327 | content_learn_more_3581033739803387_key == 3581033739803387
327 | content_learn_more_3581033739803387_blur == True
327 | content_learn_more_3581033739803387_hidden == False
327 | content_learn_more_3581033739803387_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your CACNA1C gene makes you somewhat more likely to develop attention-related problems. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk; it’s just one gene related to it. Exercise, dietary modifications, and omega-3 fatty acids may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
327 | content_recommendation_7744096362360378_key == 7744096362360378
327 | content_recommendation_7744096362360378_blur == True
327 | content_recommendation_7744096362360378_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs1006737
rsStatus = rs1006737,CACNA1C,chr12,2236129,G,A,,,12,5,HET
