title: Affect-modulated startle reflex and dopamine D4 receptor gene variation.
abstract: The affect-modulated acoustic startle response (ASR) might be a promising indicator for emotional reactivity as an endophenotype (an intermediate level between genetics and phenotypes), which we expected to be associated with the DRD4 polymorphism. Therefore, the affect-modulated ASR was examined in 114 healthy volunteers, 74 lacking the DRD4 7R allele (7R-absent group) and 41 with at least one DRD4 7R allele (7R group). Results revealed the well-known affect-modulated ASR in the 7R-absent group. The 7R group, however, was characterized by a blunted affect-modulated ASR, especially by a reduced startle potentiation toward unpleasant pictures. Associations between the exploratory assessed 5-HTT, COMT, and DAT polymorphisms and affect-modulated ASR were not found. Results speak for the importance of the DRD4 polymorphism in modulating emotional responses and also for the usefulness of the affect-modulated ASR as an endophenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. pauli@psychologie.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pauli
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conzelmann
authors.forename: Ronald F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Mucha
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weyers
authors.forename: Christina G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Baehne
authors.forename: Andreas J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Fallgatter
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Klaus Peter
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Lesch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D001143:Arousal / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase