title: Noradrenergic genotype predicts lapses in sustained attention.
abstract: Sustained attention is modulated by the neurotransmitter noradrenaline. The balance of dopamine and noradrenaline in the cortex is controlled by the DBH gene. The principal variant in this gene is a C/T change at position -1021, and the T allele at this locus is hypothesised to result in a slower rate of dopamine to noradrenaline conversion than the C allele. Two hundred participants who were genotyped for the DBH C-1021T marker performed the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). DBH genotype was found to significantly predict performance; participants with more copies of the T allele made more errors of commission, indicative of lapses in sustained attention. A significant negative correlation was also observed for all participants between errors of commission and mean reaction time. The decrease in noradrenaline occasioned by the T allele may impair sustained attention by reducing participants' ability to remain alert throughout the task and by increasing their susceptibility to distractors.
authors.affiliation: Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. cmgreene@tcd.ie
authors.forename: Ciara M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bellgrove
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Ian H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; D009638:Norepinephrine