title: 5-HTTLPR and anxiety modulate brain-heart covariation.
abstract: To date, little is known about genes affecting the interplay of brain and heart activity. Because serotonin (5-HT) is involved in corticovagal neurotransmission, we tested whether the 5-HT transporter polymorphism 5-HTTLPR affects brain-heart covariation. Further, associations with neuroticism/anxiety (NANX) were tested, as anxiety is related to 5-HT and neurogenic changes of heart period (HP). N = 168 participants performed a time-estimation task while EEG and HP were recorded. Brain-heart covariation was measured using time-lagged within-subject correlations of centromedial feedback-evoked single-trial EEG at 300 ms and subsequent changes of HP. EEG-HP correlations were higher in 5-HTTLPR long allele carriers. Moreover, after negative feedback, EEG-HP correlations and feedback-related negativity amplitudes independently correlated with NANX. The results indicate that individual differences in brain-heart covariation relate to 5-HT and NANX.
authors: Department of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany. erik.mueller@psychol.uni-giessen.de
authors: Erik M
authors: EM
authors: Mueller
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Stemmler
authors: Jürgen
authors: J
authors: Hennig
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Wacker
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004569:Electroencephalography; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin