title: Connectivity underlying emotion conflict regulation in older adults with 5-HTTLPR short allele: a preliminary investigation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The serotonin transporter polymorphism short (s) allele is associated with heightened emotional reactivity and reduced emotion regulation, which increases vulnerability to depression and anxiety disorders. We investigated behavioral and neural markers of emotion regulation in community-dwelling older adults, contrasting s allele carriers and long allele homozygotes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 26) completed a face-word emotion conflict task during functional magnetic resonance imaging, in which facilitated regulation of emotion conflict was observed on face-word incongruent trials following another incongruent trial (i.e., emotional conflict adaptation).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences between genetic groups in behavioral task performance or neural activation in postincongruent versus postcongruent trials. By contrast, connectivity between dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and pregenual ACC, regions previously implicated in emotion conflict regulation, was impaired in s carriers for emotional conflict adaptation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first demonstration of an association between serotonin transporter polymorphism and functional connectivity in older adults. Poor dorsal ACC-pregenual ACC connectivity in s carriers may be one route by which these individuals experience greater difficulty in implementing effective emotional regulation, which may contribute to their vulnerability for affective disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA; and the Sierra Pacific Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA.
authors.forename: Jill D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Waring
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA; and the Sierra Pacific Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Etkin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA; and the Sierra Pacific Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA.
authors.forename: Joachim F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hallmayer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA; and the Sierra Pacific Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: O'Hara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D000483:Alleles; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: 5-HTTLPR; aging; emotion regulation; neural connectivity