title: Social cognition, face processing, and oxytocin receptor single nucleotide polymorphisms in typically developing children.
abstract: Recent research has provided evidence of a link between behavioral measures of social cognition (SC) and neural and genetic correlates. Differences in face processing and variations in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene have been associated with SC deficits and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits. Much work has examined the qualitative differences between those with ASD and typically developing (TD) individuals, but very little has been done to quantify the natural variation in ASD-like traits in the typical population. The present study examines this variation in TD children using a multidimensional perspective involving behavior assessment, neural electroencephalogram (EEG) testing, and OXTR genotyping. Children completed a series of neurocognitive assessments, provided saliva samples for sequencing, and completed a face processing task while connected to an EEG. No clear pattern emerged for EEG covariates or genotypes for individual OXTR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, SNPs rs2254298 and rs53576 consistently interacted such that the AG/GG allele combination of these SNPs was associated with poorer performance on neurocognitive measures. These results suggest that neither SNP in isolation is risk-conferring, but rather that the combination of rs2254298(A/G) and rs53576(G/G) confers a deleterious effect on SC across several neurocognitive measures.
authors.affiliation: Bucknell University, Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, 701 Moore Avenue, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA.
authors.forename: Mylissa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Slane
authors.affiliation: Bucknell University, Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, 701 Moore Avenue, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA.
authors.forename: Laina G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Lusk
authors.affiliation: Bucknell University, Department of Mathematics, 701 Moore Avenue, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Boomer
authors.affiliation: Geisinger-Bucknell Autism and Developmental Medicine Center, 120 Hamm Drive, Suite 2, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA.
authors.forename: Abby E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hare
authors.affiliation: Geisinger-Bucknell Autism and Developmental Medicine Center, 120 Hamm Drive, Suite 2, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: Bucknell University, Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, 701 Moore Avenue, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA. Electronic address: dwevans@bucknell.edu.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000483:Alleles; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin; D010290:Parents; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics*; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin; D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Event-related potential-N170; Oxytocin; Social cognition; Typically developing children