July 11, 2006
Got to get that gadget? You may have neophilia
Do you need to have the latest cell phone, the most up-to-date gadget? Well you may have a compulsive shopping disorder called, neophilia, an overwhelming need for the new and novel.
News Scotsman reports that "scientists have found a genetic basis for the affliction. They say people with a specific form of a cellular enzyme, known as monoamine oxidase A, are more in need of stimulation from new things.
In a paper published in the scientific journal Psychiatric Genetics, researchers from Japan's Yamagata University School of Medicine say the enzyme is "significantly associated with higher scores of novelty-seeking".
Essentially, that means people with the genetic predisposition to replace an existing gadget with the updated version simply cannot help themselves".
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