Stock Whizzes Born Not Made, With Right Dopamine Gene (Update1)
By Rob Waters

Oct. 12 (Bloomberg) -- People who excel at making snap decisions and learn quickly from their mistakes, skills tied to successful stock traders, may share a genetic secret, according to a study by German neuroscientists.

These talents have been linked in research to people who carry two copies of a gene variant, called VAL, that influences the actions of the brain chemical dopamine...

The researchers, using DNA from 1,000 volunteers, chose 13 people with two copies of the VAL gene and 13 with two copies of a gene called MET. Previous research showed people with the MET genes performed better on executive function tests that measure skills using memory and attention. The new results linked VAL to quick decision making..
“We will need much larger studies and new data analysis procedures to discover patterns of genotypes that may then help identify such traits,” said Heekeren.. “Whether it would then make sense to genotype traders, CEOs, or judges is a different and difficult question.” ...

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