title: Filling the gap: relationship between the serotonin-transporter-linked polymorphic region and amygdala activation.
abstract: The alleged association between the serotonin-transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) and amygdala activation forms a cornerstone of the common view that carrying the short allele of this polymorphism is a potential risk factor for affective disorders. The authors of a recent meta-analysis showed that this association is statistically significant (Hedges's g = 0.35) but warned that estimates might be distorted because of publication bias. Here, we report a replication study of this relationship in 120 participants. We failed to find an association of 5-HTTLPR variation with amygdala activation during a widely used emotional-face-matching paradigm. Moreover, when we conducted a meta-analysis that included unpublished studies and data from the current study, the pooled meta-analytic effect size was no longer significant (g = 0.20, p = .06). These findings cast doubt on previously reported substantial effects, suggesting that the 5-HTTLPR-amygdala association is either much smaller than previously thought, conditional on other factors, or nonexistent.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation (ICPE), Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen j.bastiaansen@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Jojanneke A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bastiaansen
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen.
authors.forename: Michelle N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Servaas
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen.
authors.forename: Jan Bernard C
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Marsman
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation (ICPE), Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ormel
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen.
authors.forename: Ilja M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Nolte
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation (ICPE), Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen.
authors.forename: Harriëtte
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Riese
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen Department of Psychology, University of Groningen.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aleman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009426:Netherlands; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: 5-HTTLPR; SLC6A4; amygdala; imaging genetics; meta-analysis; publication bias