title: BDNF polymorphism-dependent OFC and DLPFC plasticity differentially moderates implicit and explicit bias.
abstract: This study examined the role of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) plasticity in controlling implicit and explicit social biases. Normal controls and patients with varied OFC and DLPFC lesion size and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene, which promotes (methionine-valine [Met/Val] SNP) or stifles (valine-valine [Val/Val] SNP) plasticity in damaged PFC regions, completed measures of implicit and explicit social bias. Patients and controls demonstrated comparable levels of implicit bias, but patients with Met/Val SNPs exhibited less implicit bias when they had smaller OFC lesions compared with Val/Val patients with similar size lesions and those with large OFC lesions. Both patients and controls demonstrated patterns of explicit bias consistent with hypotheses. Patients with Met/Val SNPs exhibited less explicit bias when they had smaller DLPFC lesions sizes compared with Val/Val patients with similar size lesions and those with large DLPFC lesions. OFC lesion size and BDNF SNP type did not moderate explicit bias; DLPFC lesion size and BDNF SNP type did not moderate implicit bias (nor did other medial or lateral regions). Findings suggest that plasticity within specific PFC regions modulates the type and degree of social bias that individuals' exhibit.
authors: Imaging Sciences Training Program, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center and National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National, Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. cforbes@psych.udel.edu
authors: Chad E
authors: CE
authors: Forbes
authors: Joshua C
authors: JC
authors: Poore
authors: Aron K
authors: AK
authors: Barbey
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Krueger
authors: Jeffrey
authors: J
authors: Solomon
authors: Robert H
authors: RH
authors: Lipsky
authors: Colin A
authors: CA
authors: Hodgkinson
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Goldman
authors: Jordan
authors: J
authors: Grafman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D063507:Sexism; D013240:Stereotyping; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014728:Veterans; D014930:Women; D014936:Word Association Tests
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D004247:DNA