title: BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism Influences Visuomotor Associative Learning and the Sensitivity to Action Observation.
abstract: Motor representations in the human mirror neuron system are tuned to respond to specific observed actions. This ability is widely believed to be influenced by genetic factors, but no study has reported a genetic variant affecting this system so far. One possibility is that genetic variants might interact with visuomotor associative learning to configure the system to respond to novel observed actions. In this perspective, we conducted a candidate gene study on the Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism, a genetic variant linked to motor learning in regions of the mirror neuron system, and tested the effect of this polymorphism on motor facilitation and visuomotor associative learning. In a single-pulse TMS study carried on 16 Met (Val/Met and Met/Met) and 16 Val/Val participants selected from a large pool of healthy volunteers, Met participants showed significantly less muscle-specific corticospinal sensitivity during action observation, as well as reduced visuomotor associative learning, compared to Val homozygotes. These results are the first evidence of a genetic variant tuning sensitivity to action observation and bring to light the importance of considering the intricate relation between genetics and associative learning in order to further understand the origin and function of the human mirror neuron system.
authors.affiliation: École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada.|Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Québec, G1M 2S8, Canada.|Centre de recherche de l'institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec (CRIUSMQ), Québec, G1J 2G3, Canada.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Taschereau-Dumouchel
authors.affiliation: Human Neuroimaging laboratory, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hétu
authors.affiliation: Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Québec, G1M 2S8, Canada.|Centre de recherche de l'institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec (CRIUSMQ), Québec, G1J 2G3, Canada.
authors.forename: Pierre-Emmanuel
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Michon
authors.affiliation: Department of physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, 60611, I1. USA.
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vachon-Presseau
authors.affiliation: École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada.|Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Québec, G1M 2S8, Canada.|Centre de recherche de l'institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec (CRIUSMQ), Québec, G1J 2G3, Canada.
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Massicotte
authors.affiliation: Departement de psychologie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec, G9A 5H7, Canada.|Centre de recherche de l'Hopital Sacré-Coeur, Montréal, Québec, H4J 1C5, Canada.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Beaumont
authors.affiliation: Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Québec, G1M 2S8, Canada.|Centre de recherche de l'institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec (CRIUSMQ), Québec, G1J 2G3, Canada.|Department de réadaptation, Université Laval, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada.|Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, US.
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fecteau
authors.affiliation: Department of psychiatry and medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, H3A 1A1, Canada.|Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Québec, H4H 1R3, Canada.
authors.forename: Judes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Poirier
authors.affiliation: Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Québec, G1M 2S8, Canada.|Department de réadaptation, Université Laval, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mercier
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche de l'institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec (CRIUSMQ), Québec, G1J 2G3, Canada.|Département de Psychiatrie et des Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Yvon C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chagnon
authors.affiliation: École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada.|Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Québec, G1M 2S8, Canada.|Centre de recherche de l'institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec (CRIUSMQ), Québec, G1J 2G3, Canada.
authors.forename: Philip L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059167:Mirror Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C579455:BDNF protein, human