Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and amygdala activation: a meta-analysis.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Munafò, MR; Brown, SM; Hariri, AR
Published in: Biological psychiatry
May 2008

We evaluated the magnitude of the reported associations between amygdala activation and the serotonin transporter gene linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) and the likely effect size of this relationship.We used meta-analytic techniques to combine data from existing published and unpublished studies. We also tested for possible publication bias and explored possible moderating influences on any association, such as sample ancestry.Our results provide support for the association of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and amygdala activation and suggest that this locus may account for up to 10% of phenotypic variance. Although we did not observe evidence for potential publication bias in our main analysis, this was due in part to efforts to obtain unpublished data pertinent to this meta-analysis, and when three unpublished data sets were excluded we did observe evidence of such bias. We also observed evidence that the first published study may provide an overestimate of the true effect size, which is consistent with findings from genetic association studies of other phenotypes.Although our analysis provides support for the association of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and amygdala activation, it also suggests that most studies to date are nevertheless lacking in statistical power. Increasing the sample sizes of future imaging genetics studies will allow a more accurate characterization of any true effect size and afford adequate power to examine the impact of multiple polymorphisms that likely work in concert to affect gene function and, in turn, bias neural processes mediating dispositional traits such as temperament and personality.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Biological psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1873-2402

ISSN

0006-3223

Publication Date

May 2008

Volume

63

Issue

9

Start / End Page

852 / 857

Related Subject Headings

  • Stress, Psychological
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Psychiatry
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Phenotype
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Individuality
  • Humans
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Munafò, M. R., Brown, S. M., & Hariri, A. R. (2008). Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and amygdala activation: a meta-analysis. Biological Psychiatry, 63(9), 852–857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.08.016
Munafò, Marcus R., Sarah M. Brown, and Ahmad R. Hariri. “Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and amygdala activation: a meta-analysis.Biological Psychiatry 63, no. 9 (May 2008): 852–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.08.016.
Munafò MR, Brown SM, Hariri AR. Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and amygdala activation: a meta-analysis. Biological psychiatry. 2008 May;63(9):852–7.
Munafò, Marcus R., et al. “Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and amygdala activation: a meta-analysis.Biological Psychiatry, vol. 63, no. 9, May 2008, pp. 852–57. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.08.016.
Munafò MR, Brown SM, Hariri AR. Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and amygdala activation: a meta-analysis. Biological psychiatry. 2008 May;63(9):852–857.
Journal cover image

Published In

Biological psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1873-2402

ISSN

0006-3223

Publication Date

May 2008

Volume

63

Issue

9

Start / End Page

852 / 857

Related Subject Headings

  • Stress, Psychological
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Psychiatry
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Phenotype
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Individuality
  • Humans