The Genetics of Negative Conflict Behavior

描述（由申请人提供）：亲密关系中的消极冲突行为（NCB）是一个日常生活问题，对关系伴侣的心理健康功能，接触NCB的儿童以及整个社会产生深远影响。拟议研究的目的将是第一次检查选择候选基因对这种新的行为表型的影响，该样本具有NCB，男性退伍军人及其女性伴侣的良好记录率。NCB在这里被定义为消极人际行为的一个维度，其严重程度从非语言的敌意表达到公开的暴力行为。它将通过一个国家的最先进的，多方法阵列的自我和合作伙伴的报告，并通过在实验室合作伙伴之间的半结构化的冲突讨论的口头和非口头行为的编码进行测量。拟议的研究的主要目的将是检查的直接和间接影响的精神病理学相关的候选基因对NCB和中介影响的内化和外化创伤后精神病理学对NCB。分析将测试两个主要的假设：首先，遗传关联分析预计表明，多巴胺和单胺氧化酶（MAOA）多态性对NCB产生直接影响，并间接影响这一结果介导的外化精神病理学。第二，血清素和HPA轴相关的多态性预计发挥直接影响NCB和间接影响这一结果介导的内化精神病理学。证据支持的研究假设，涉及不同的精神病理学途径的NCB可以帮助开发和完善的干预NCB，到目前为止，只显示出适度的影响。在未来，有关基因的信息可以用来为药物的选择提供信息，并指导根据患者独特的遗传结构为患者匹配治疗方法的努力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Negative conflict behavior (NCB) in intimate relationships is a problem of daily living that has profound effects on the mental health functioning of relationship partners, the children exposed to NCBs, and society at large. The aim of the proposed study will be to examine, for the first time, the influence of select candidate genes on this novel behavioral phenotype in a sample with well-documented rates of NCB, male combat veterans, and their female partners. NCB will be defined here as a dimension of negative interpersonal behavior ranging in severity from nonverbal expression of hostility to overt acts of violence. It will be measured via a state-of-the-art, multimethod array of self- and partner-reports and through the coding of verbal and nonverbal behavior during a semi-structured conflict discussion between partners in the laboratory. The primary aim of the proposed study will be to examine the direct and indirect effects of psychopathology-linked candidate genes on NCB and the mediating influence of internalizing and externalizing posttraumatic psychopathology on NCB. Analyses will test two primary hypotheses: First, genetic association analyses are expected to show that dopamine and monoamine oxidase (MAOA) polymorphisms exert direct effects on NCB and indirect effects on this outcome mediated by externalizing psychopathology. Second, serotonin and HPA-axis-related polymorphisms are expected to exert direct effects on NCB and indirect effects on this outcome mediated by internalizing psychopathology. Evidence in support of the study hypotheses implicating distinct psychopathological pathways to NCBs could aid in the development and refinement of interventions for NCBs which, to date, have shown only modest effects. In the future, information about genes could be used to inform the selection of pharmacologic agents and guide efforts to match treatments to patients on the basis of their unique genetic architectures.