The Genetics of Negative Conflict Behavior

描述(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，对关系伙伴、接触NCB的儿童和整个社会的心理健康功能有深远影响。这项拟议的研究的目的将是第一次检查选定的候选基因对这种新的行为表型的影响，样本中的NCB、男性退伍军人和他们的女性伴侣的比率有很好的记录。在这里，NCB将被定义为消极人际行为的一个维度，从非言语表达敌意到公开的暴力行为，严重程度不等。它将通过一系列最先进的、多方法的自我和合作伙伴报告来衡量，并通过在实验室中合作伙伴之间的半结构化冲突讨论中对语言和非语言行为进行编码来衡量。这项拟议研究的主要目的将是考察与精神病理学相关的候选基因对NCB的直接和间接影响，以及内化和外化创伤后精神病理学对NCB的中介影响。分析将检验两个基本假设：首先，遗传关联分析有望表明多巴胺和单胺氧化酶(MAOA)基因多态对NCB产生直接影响，并通过外化精神病理学间接影响这一结果。第二，5-羟色胺和HPA轴相关的基因多态有望对NCB产生直接影响，并通过内化精神病理学间接影响这一结果。支持这项研究假说的证据可能有助于开发和完善对NCB的干预措施，到目前为止，这些干预措施只显示出轻微的效果。在未来，关于基因的信息可以被用来为选择药理药物提供信息，并指导根据患者独特的遗传结构匹配治疗的努力。

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.