title: The Serotonin Transporter Promoter Variant, Stress, and Attentional Biases in Middle Childhood.
abstract: Although evidence suggests that 5-HTTLPR variants may shape risk for depression, the influence is likely complex, and involves effects on endophenotypes. We examined associations between 5-HTTLPR and biases in attention to affective stimuli in a sample of girls and a sample of both boys and girls. Children with at least one short (S) variant of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism had lower positive attentional bias scores in both samples. This association was qualified by an interaction with stress in one sample, such that links between the S allele and decreased positive attentional bias was significant only when life stress was elevated. This difference in findings between the two samples was explained by sex differences in samples; the GXE interaction was significant only in boys. Findings are discussed in the context of sex differences in GXE.
authors.affiliation: Western University, Department of Psychology, London, Ontario CANADA, N6A 3K7.
authors.forename: Yuliya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kotelnikova
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Joelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: LeMoult
authors.affiliation: Western University.
authors.forename: Sarah V M
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Mackrell
authors.affiliation: Western University.
authors.forename: Haroon I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.affiliation: Western University.
authors.forename: Shiva M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Joormann
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Ian H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Gotlib
authors.affiliation: Western University.
authors.forename: Elizabeth P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Hayden
keywords: attentional biases; middle childhood; serotonin transporter promoter