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、接触NCB的儿童以及整个社会的心理健康功能有着深远的影响。这项研究的目的是首次在一个有充分记录的NCB率的样本中，研究选择的候选基因对这种新的行为表型的影响，这些样本包括男性战斗退伍军人及其女性伴侣。这里将NCB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。它将通过最先进的、多方法的自我和伴侣报告阵列以及在实验室中伴侣之间半结构化冲突讨论期间的语言和非语言行为编码来测量。本研究的主要目的是研究精神病理相关候选基因对NCB的直接和间接影响，以及内化和外化创伤后精神病理对NCB的中介影响。分析将验证两个主要假设：首先，遗传关联分析预计将显示多巴胺和单胺氧化酶（MAOA）多态性对NCB产生直接影响，并通过外化精神病理介导对这一结果产生间接影响。其次，5 -羟色胺和hpa轴相关的多态性预计会对NCB产生直接影响，并通过内化精神病理介导的这种结果产生间接影响。支持研究假设的证据暗示了不同的精神病理途径导致ncb，这有助于开发和改进ncb的干预措施，迄今为止，这些干预措施仅显示出适度的效果。在未来，有关基因的信息可用于告知药物的选择，并指导根据患者独特的遗传结构来匹配治疗。

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.