Genetic variation in serotonin transporter alters resting brain function in healthy individuals. |
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Authors: | Hengyi Rao Seth J Gillihan Jiongjiong Wang Marc Korczykowski Geena Mary V Sankoorikal Kristin A Kaercher Edward S Brodkin John A Detre Martha J Farah |
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Affiliation: | Center for Functional Neuroimaging, Department of Neurology and Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. hengyi@mail.med.upenn.edu |
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Abstract: | BACKGROUND: Perfusion functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate the effect of genetic variation of the human serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene (5-HTTLPR, SLC6A4) on resting brain function of healthy individuals. METHODS: Twenty-six healthy subjects, half homozygous for the 5-HTTLPR short allele (s/s group) and half homozygous for the long allele (l/l group), underwent perfusion functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging during a resting state. The two genotype groups had no psychiatric illness and were similar in age, gender, and personality scores. RESULTS: Compared with the l/l group, the s/s group showed significantly increased resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the amygdala and decreased CBF in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. The effect of functional modulation in these regions by 5-HTTLPR genotype cannot be accounted for by variations in brain anatomy, personality, or self-reported mood. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-HTTLPR genotype alters resting brain function in emotion-related regions in healthy individuals, including the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Such alterations suggest a broad role of the 5-HTT gene in brain function that may be associated with the genetic susceptibility for mood disorders such as depression. |
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Keywords: | Amygdala ASL perfusion fMRI cerebral blood flow depression ventromedial orbitofrontal cortex |
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