title: Are infants differentially sensitive to parenting? Early maternal care, DRD4 genotype and externalizing behavior during adolescence.
abstract: Insensitive and unresponsive caregiving during infancy has been linked to externalizing behavior problems during childhood and adolescence. The 7-repeat (7r) allele of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene has meta-analytically been associated with a heightened susceptibility to adverse as well as supportive environments. In the present study, we examined long-term effects of early maternal care, DRD4 genotype and the interaction thereof on externalizing and internalizing psychopathology during adolescence. As part of an ongoing epidemiological cohort study, early maternal care was assessed at child's age 3 months during a nursing and playing situation. In a sample of 296 offspring, externalizing and internalizing symptoms were assessed using a psychiatric interview conducted at age 15 years. Parents additionally filled out a questionnaire on their children's psychopathic behaviors. Results indicated that adolescents with the DRD4 7r allele who experienced less responsive and stimulating early maternal care exhibited more symptoms of ADHD and CD/ODD as well as higher levels of psychopathic behavior. In accordance with the hypothesis of differential susceptibility, 7r allele carriers showed fewer ADHD symptoms and lower levels of psychopathic behavior when exposed to especially beneficial early caregiving. In contrast, individuals without the DRD4 7r allele proved to be insensitive to the effects of early maternal care. This study replicates earlier findings with regard to an interaction between DRD4 genotype and early caregiving on externalizing behavior problems in preschoolers. It is the first one to imply continuity of this effect until adolescence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nikitopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zohsel
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blomeyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Arlette F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Buchmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jennen-Steinmetz
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Philipps-University Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology, University of Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esser
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brandeis
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Banaschewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany; Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology, University of Potsdam, Germany. Electronic address: manfred.laucht@zi-mannheim.de.
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laucht
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4 / Q000235:genetics*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4
keywords: Adolescence; DRD4; Early maternal care; Externalizing behavior; Gene-environment interaction