title: Affective and neuroendocrine stress reactivity to an academic examination: influence of the 5-HTTLPR genotype and trait neuroticism.
abstract: The current study examined the singular and interactive effects of the 5-HTTLPR genotype and trait neuroticism on affective and physiological stress responses to an academic examination in healthy undergraduate students. From 771 students, 46 short/short (S/S)-allele carriers and 48 long/long (L/L)-allele carriers with the lowest and the highest neuroticism scores (80 females, 14 males; mean age±SD: 20.3±1.7 years) were selected. Salivary cortisol concentrations, mood and perceived stress were assessed before and after a 2-h written examination and compared with a control day. Negative mood, perceived stress and cortisol significantly increased during the examination compared to the control day. Negative stress effects on mood and perceived stress were significantly larger for S/S-allele carriers compared to L/L-allele carriers, regardless of trait neuroticism. Since vulnerability to real-life stressors is an important risk factor for depression pathogenesis, this may be a mediating factor making S/S-allele carriers more susceptible for depression symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. ellen.verschoor@maastrichtuniversity.nl
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verschoor
authors.forename: C Rob
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Markus
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000483:Alleles; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D006854:Hydrocortisone