Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and childhood trauma are associated with individual differences in decision making
The factors that influence individual differences in decision making are not yet fully characterized, but convergent evidence is accumulating that implicates serotonin (5-HT) system function. Therefore, both genes and environments that influence serotonin function are good candidates for associatio...
Main Authors: | , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2011-06-01
|
Series: | Frontiers in Genetics |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fgene.2011.00033/full |
id |
doaj-be8f9a93100c46d1878139b7bfdb2fa2 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-be8f9a93100c46d1878139b7bfdb2fa22020-11-25T01:47:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Genetics1664-80212011-06-01210.3389/fgene.2011.0003310966Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and childhood trauma are associated with individual differences in decision makingScott F Stoltenberg0Melissa K. Lehmann1Cynthia eAnderson2Parthasarathi eNag3Cheryl eAnagnopoulos4University of NebraskaBlack Hills State UniversityBlack Hills State UniversityBlack Hills State UniversityBlack Hills State UniversityThe factors that influence individual differences in decision making are not yet fully characterized, but convergent evidence is accumulating that implicates serotonin (5-HT) system function. Therefore, both genes and environments that influence serotonin function are good candidates for association with risky decision making. In the present study we examined associations between common polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4; 5-HTTLPR and rs25531), the experience of childhood trauma and decision making on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in 391 (64.5% female) healthy Caucasian adults. Homozygosity for the 5-HTTLPR L allele was associated with riskier decision making in the first block of 20 trials (i.e. decision making under ambiguity, p = .004). In addition, mean IGT performance was significantly worse in blocks 3-5 (i.e. decision making under risk, p≤ .05) for those participants who reported experiencing higher levels of childhood trauma. Our findings add to the growing evidence that genetic variation in the 5-HT system is associated with individual differences in decision making under ambiguity; and we report that the experience of childhood trauma is associated with relatively poor decision making under risk.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fgene.2011.00033/fullSERTearly life stressambiguityrs25531 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Scott F Stoltenberg Melissa K. Lehmann Cynthia eAnderson Parthasarathi eNag Cheryl eAnagnopoulos |
spellingShingle |
Scott F Stoltenberg Melissa K. Lehmann Cynthia eAnderson Parthasarathi eNag Cheryl eAnagnopoulos Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and childhood trauma are associated with individual differences in decision making Frontiers in Genetics SERT early life stress ambiguity rs25531 |
author_facet |
Scott F Stoltenberg Melissa K. Lehmann Cynthia eAnderson Parthasarathi eNag Cheryl eAnagnopoulos |
author_sort |
Scott F Stoltenberg |
title |
Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and childhood trauma are associated with individual differences in decision making |
title_short |
Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and childhood trauma are associated with individual differences in decision making |
title_full |
Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and childhood trauma are associated with individual differences in decision making |
title_fullStr |
Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and childhood trauma are associated with individual differences in decision making |
title_full_unstemmed |
Serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) genotype and childhood trauma are associated with individual differences in decision making |
title_sort |
serotonin transporter (5-httlpr) genotype and childhood trauma are associated with individual differences in decision making |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Genetics |
issn |
1664-8021 |
publishDate |
2011-06-01 |
description |
The factors that influence individual differences in decision making are not yet fully characterized, but convergent evidence is accumulating that implicates serotonin (5-HT) system function. Therefore, both genes and environments that influence serotonin function are good candidates for association with risky decision making. In the present study we examined associations between common polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4; 5-HTTLPR and rs25531), the experience of childhood trauma and decision making on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in 391 (64.5% female) healthy Caucasian adults. Homozygosity for the 5-HTTLPR L allele was associated with riskier decision making in the first block of 20 trials (i.e. decision making under ambiguity, p = .004). In addition, mean IGT performance was significantly worse in blocks 3-5 (i.e. decision making under risk, p≤ .05) for those participants who reported experiencing higher levels of childhood trauma. Our findings add to the growing evidence that genetic variation in the 5-HT system is associated with individual differences in decision making under ambiguity; and we report that the experience of childhood trauma is associated with relatively poor decision making under risk. |
topic |
SERT early life stress ambiguity rs25531 |
url |
http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fgene.2011.00033/full |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT scottfstoltenberg serotonintransporter5httlprgenotypeandchildhoodtraumaareassociatedwithindividualdifferencesindecisionmaking AT melissaklehmann serotonintransporter5httlprgenotypeandchildhoodtraumaareassociatedwithindividualdifferencesindecisionmaking AT cynthiaeanderson serotonintransporter5httlprgenotypeandchildhoodtraumaareassociatedwithindividualdifferencesindecisionmaking AT parthasarathienag serotonintransporter5httlprgenotypeandchildhoodtraumaareassociatedwithindividualdifferencesindecisionmaking AT cheryleanagnopoulos serotonintransporter5httlprgenotypeandchildhoodtraumaareassociatedwithindividualdifferencesindecisionmaking |
_version_ |
1725015890488983552 |