title: Associations between serotonin transporter polymorphisms and cognitive processing applying the Emo 1-back task.
abstract: Down regulation of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) expression has been associated with brain function and major depression. The aim of this study was to explore the allelic variation (short and long) of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in attention bias associated with top-down processing of emotion. One hundred sixty-two healthy participants underwent genotyping (5-HTTLPR), background interviews, psychological screening, and a computerised test session (The Emo 1-back task). Carriers of the short 5-HTTLPR alleles in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) demonstrated less accuracy in The Emo 1-back task when presented with successive images of sad or fearful faces, but not for happy or neutral emotional faces. The study suggests an association between 5-HTTLPR variation in the serotonin transporter gene and altered emotion processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Centre for the Study of Human Cognition, 0317 Oslo, Norway. rune.jonassen@psykologi.uio.no
authors.forename: Rune
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jonassen
authors.forename: Kari B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Foss Haug
authors.forename: Tor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Endestad
authors.forename: Håvard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bentsen
authors.forename: Runa M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Grimholt
authors.forename: Nils I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Landrø
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins