Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype affects neural correlates of aversive stimuli processing
Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype affects neural correlates of aversive stimuli processing
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DOI：
10.3758/cabn.9.2.168
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发表时间：
2009-06-01
影响因子：
2.9
通讯作者：
Fallgatter, Andreas J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Herrmann, Martin J.;Wuerflein, Heidi;Fallgatter, Andreas J.
之前的研究表明，儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶（COMT）基因的变异会在处理负价刺激时调节大脑活动，但不会调节令人愉快的刺激。在这里，我们测试了 COMT 基因型是否也调节情绪处理的电生理相关性，并探讨生活压力的环境因素是否影响这种效应。使用早期后负性（EPN）范式，在处理引发正价和负价情绪的图片过程中，测量了 81 名健康个体与事件相关的大脑电位。正如假设的那样，COMT 基因型会影响不愉快刺激的 EPN 幅度，但不会影响愉快刺激的 EPN 幅度。具体而言，与 Val/Val 携带者相比，Met/Met 携带者对不愉快的刺激反应更敏感。我们没有发现生活压力会调节 COMT 基因型对情绪刺激处理的影响的证据。
It was previously shown that variation of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene modulates brain activity during the processing of stimuli with negative valence, but not for pleasant stimuli. Here, we tested whether the COMT genotype also modulates the electropbysiological correlates of emotional processing and explored whether the environmental factor of life stress influences this effect. Using the early posterior negativity (EPN) paradigm, event-related brain potentials were measured in 81 healthy individuals during the processing of pictures that evoked emotions of positive and negative valence. As was hypothesized, the COMT genotype affected the EPN amplitudes for unpleasant stimuli, but not for pleasant ones. Specifically, Met/Met carriers respond more sensitively to unpleasant stimuli, as compared with Val/Val carriers. We did not find evidence that life stress moderates the effect of the COMT genotype on emotional stimuli processing.