title: Psychological distress following marital separation interacts with a polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene to predict cardiac vagal control in the laboratory.
abstract: Marital separation is linked to negative mental and physical health; however, the strength of this link may vary across people. This study examined changes in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), used to assess cardiac vagal control, in recently separated adults (N = 79; M time since separation = 3.5 months). When reflecting on the separation, self-reported psychological distress following the separation interacted with a polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and a relevant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs25531, to predict RSA. Among people reporting emotional difficulties after the separation, those who were homozygous for the short allele had lower RSA levels while reflecting on their relationship than other genotypes. The findings, although limited by the relatively small sample size, are discussed in terms of how higher-sensitivity genotypes may interact with psychological responses to stress to alter physiology.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Hasselmo
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Sbarra
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
authors: Mary-Frances
authors: MF
authors: O'Connor
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
authors: Francisco A
authors: FA
authors: Moreno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D065809:Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia / Q000235:genetics*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: Divorce; Heart rate variability; Marital separation; Respiratory sinus arrhythmia; Serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR); Single nucleotide polymorphism
references: Annu Rev Med. 1999;50:249-61
references: 10073276
references: Mol Psychiatry. 2000 Jan;5(1):32-8
references: 10673766
references: Dev Psychopathol. 2001 Spring;13(2):183-214
references: 11393643
references: Int J Epidemiol. 2001 Oct;30(5):1035-40
references: 11689518
references: Psychosom Med. 2003 Jan-Feb;65(1):46-62
references: 12554815
references: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003 Mar;28(3):533-41
references: 12629534
references: Behav Genet. 2003 Jan;33(1):73-8
references: 12645824
references: Science. 2003 Jul 18;301(5631):386-9
references: 12869766
references: Psychophysiology. 2004 Jan;41(1):75-83
references: 14693002
references: Behav Res Ther. 2003 Dec;41(12):1489-96
references: 14705607
references: Biol Psychol. 2005 Feb;68(2):147-62
references: 15450694
references: Psychophysiology. 2005 May;42(3):277-81
references: 15943681
references: Psychosom Med. 2005 Jul-Aug;67(4):553-60
references: 16046367
references: Biol Psychol. 2006 May;72(2):198-207
references: 16316717
references: Am J Hum Genet. 2006 May;78(5):815-826
references: 16642437
references: Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Oct 1;60(7):671-6
references: 16934775
references: Biol Psychol. 2007 Feb;74(2):212-23
references: 17034928
references: Biol Psychol. 2007 Feb;74(2):116-43
references: 17049418
references: Biol Psychol. 2007 Feb;74(2):243-62
references: 17070982
references: Biol Psychiatry. 2007 Aug 15;62(4):327-31
references: 17210141
references: Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2007 Jul;293(1):R145-51
references: 17428894
references: Psychol Bull. 1991 Nov;110(3):406-25
references: 1758917
references: Brain Cogn. 2007 Oct;65(1):69-76
references: 17659821
references: Psychosom Med. 2009 Jun;71(5):532-40
references: 19414618
references: Am J Cardiol. 1991 Jan 15;67(2):199-204
references: 1987723
references: Psychol Bull. 2009 Nov;135(6):885-908
references: 19883141
references: Clin Res Cardiol. 2011 Mar;100(3):241-7
references: 20857123
references: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011 May;68(5):444-54
references: 21199959
references: Mol Psychiatry. 2012 Feb;17(2):185-92
references: 21200389
references: Psychophysiology. 2011 Jul;48(7):923-6
references: 21631517
references: Depress Anxiety. 2011 Dec 21;28(12):1074-80
references: 22058064
references: Emotion. 2012 Apr;12(2):208-12
references: 22148994
references: Psychophysiology. 2012 Oct;49(10):1412-6
references: 22913298
references: Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2012 Dec 1;6(12):905-919
references: 23284588
references: Int J Psychophysiol. 2013 Jun;88(3):219-23
references: 23768883
references: Emotion. 2013 Dec;13(6):1068-79
references: 24098925
references: Perspect Psychol Sci. 2015 Jan;10(1):37-59
references: 25620996
references: Perspect Psychol Sci. 2006 Mar;1(1):5-27
references: 26151183
references: Perspect Psychol Sci. 2011 Sep;6(5):454-74
references: 26168197
references: Clin Psychol Sci. 2014 May;2(3):235-248
references: 27446765
references: Clin Psychol Sci. 2014 May;2(3):249-257
references: 29619285
references: Am J Cardiol. 1987 Feb 1;59(4):256-62
references: 3812275
references: Psychol Bull. 1977 Mar;84(2):309-22
references: 557211
references: Psychophysiology. 1995 Mar;32(2):162-71
references: 7630981
references: Psychophysiology. 1995 Jul;32(4):301-18
references: 7652107
references: Psychosom Med. 1994 Jul-Aug;56(4):308-15
references: 7972613
references: Psychophysiology. 1994 May;31(3):264-71
references: 8008790
references: Biol Psychiatry. 1996 Feb 15;39(4):255-66
references: 8645772
references: Science. 1996 Nov 29;274(5292):1527-31
references: 8929413
references: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1997 Jan 15;807:62-77
references: 9071344
references: Psychophysiology. 1997 Nov;34(6):623-48
references: 9401419
references: Hum Genet. 1997 Dec;101(2):243-6
references: 9402979
references: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1998 May 1;840:33-44
references: 9629234