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Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and brain function during emotional distraction from cognitive processing in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Morey, RA; Hariri, AR; Gold, AL; Hauser, MA; Munger, HJ; Dolcos, F; McCarthy, G
Published in: BMC Psychiatry
May 5, 2011

BACKGROUND: Serotonergic system dysfunction has been implicated in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Genetic polymorphisms associated with serotonin signaling may predict differences in brain circuitry involved in emotion processing and deficits associated with PTSD. In healthy individuals, common functional polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) have been shown to modulate amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity in response to salient emotional stimuli. Similar patterns of differential neural responses to emotional stimuli have been demonstrated in PTSD but genetic factors influencing these activations have yet to be examined. METHODS: We investigated whether SLC6A4 promoter polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR, rs25531) and several downstream single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) modulated activity of brain regions involved in the cognitive control of emotion in post-9/11 veterans with PTSD. We used functional MRI to examine neural activity in a PTSD group (n = 22) and a trauma-exposed control group (n = 20) in response to trauma-related images presented as task-irrelevant distractors during the active maintenance period of a delayed-response working memory task. Regions of interest were derived by contrasting activation for the most distracting and least distracting conditions across participants. RESULTS: In patients with PTSD, when compared to trauma-exposed controls, rs16965628 (associated with serotonin transporter gene expression) modulated task-related ventrolateral PFC activation and 5-HTTLPR tended to modulate left amygdala activation. Subsequent to combat-related trauma, these SLC6A4 polymorphisms may bias serotonin signaling and the neural circuitry mediating cognitive control of emotion in patients with PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: The SLC6A4 SNP rs16965628 and 5-HTTLPR are associated with a bias in neural responses to traumatic reminders and cognitive control of emotions in patients with PTSD. Functional MRI may help identify intermediate phenotypes and dimensions of PTSD that clarify the functional link between genes and disease phenotype, and also highlight features of PTSD that show more proximal influence of susceptibility genes compared to current clinical categorizations.

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Published In

BMC Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1471-244X

Publication Date

May 5, 2011

Volume

11

Start / End Page

76

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Wounds and Injuries
  • Veterans
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • September 11 Terrorist Attacks
  • Psychomotor Performance
  • Psychiatry
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Prefrontal Cortex
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
 

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Morey, R. A., Hariri, A. R., Gold, A. L., Hauser, M. A., Munger, H. J., Dolcos, F., & McCarthy, G. (2011). Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and brain function during emotional distraction from cognitive processing in posttraumatic stress disorder. BMC Psychiatry, 11, 76. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-11-76
Morey, Rajendra A., Ahmad R. Hariri, Andrea L. Gold, Michael A. Hauser, Heidi J. Munger, Florin Dolcos, and Gregory McCarthy. “Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and brain function during emotional distraction from cognitive processing in posttraumatic stress disorder.BMC Psychiatry 11 (May 5, 2011): 76. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-11-76.
Morey RA, Hariri AR, Gold AL, Hauser MA, Munger HJ, Dolcos F, et al. Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and brain function during emotional distraction from cognitive processing in posttraumatic stress disorder. BMC Psychiatry. 2011 May 5;11:76.
Morey, Rajendra A., et al. “Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and brain function during emotional distraction from cognitive processing in posttraumatic stress disorder.BMC Psychiatry, vol. 11, May 2011, p. 76. Pubmed, doi:10.1186/1471-244X-11-76.
Morey RA, Hariri AR, Gold AL, Hauser MA, Munger HJ, Dolcos F, McCarthy G. Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and brain function during emotional distraction from cognitive processing in posttraumatic stress disorder. BMC Psychiatry. 2011 May 5;11:76.
Journal cover image

Published In

BMC Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1471-244X

Publication Date

May 5, 2011

Volume

11

Start / End Page

76

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Wounds and Injuries
  • Veterans
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • September 11 Terrorist Attacks
  • Psychomotor Performance
  • Psychiatry
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Prefrontal Cortex
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide