title: Serotonin transporter polymorphism modulates neural correlates of real-life joint action. An investigation with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
abstract: A functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) within the serotonin transporter gene (SERT) has been associated with personality dimensions such as neuroticism, with emotional reactivity to negative events, and with an increased risk of affective disorders. More specifically, the short (S) allele of 5-HTTLPR has been linked to increased amygdala activity and has been identified as a risk allele for depressive disorders. Recently, Homberg and Lesch (2011) urged for a conceptual change in the current deficit-oriented connotation of the 5-HTTLPR S-allele and argued that the S-allele could be considered adaptive in certain contexts. They postulated that S-allele carriers show hypervigilant behavior in social situations and should thus show increased social conformity. Therefore, we tested whether 5-HTTLPR modulates the neural correlates of real-life social joint action through functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Thirty participants, homozygote for 5-HTTLPR, were measured and analyzed while they were involved in a previously published joint-action paradigm, which reliably leads to an activation of the left parietal cortex. We found that homozygote S-allele carriers showed increased inferior parietal lobe activation, compared to the LL-allele carriers for the contrast "joint action greater solo action". Therefore, our results provide evidence for beneficial effects of the S-allele on the neural correlates of social interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. Electronic address: Herrmann_M@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Regensburg University, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bogon
authors.affiliation: Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quester
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cordes
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation and Special Education, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stenneken
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reif
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: A-C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ehlis
mesh_terms: D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010551:Personality; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: 5-HTTLPR; NIRS; joint-action