HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Reuter, M. Articles by Hennig, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Reuter, M. Articles by Hennig, J.

Impaired Executive Control Is Associated with a Variation in the Promoter Region of the Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2 Gene

¹ University of Bonn, ² University of Giessen, ³ Bender Institute of Neuroimaging

Reprint requests should be sent to Martin Reuter, Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Römerstrasse 164, D-53117 Bonn, Germany, or via e-mail: martin.reuter{at}uni-bonn-diff.de.

Current models of attention describe attention not as a homogenous entity but as a set of neural networks whose measurement yields a set of three endophenotypes—alerting, orienting, and executive control. Previous findings revealed different neuroanatomical regions for these subsystems, and data from twin studies indicate differences in their heritability. The present study investigated the molecular genetic basis of attention in a sample of 100 healthy subjects. Attention performance was assessed with the attention network test that distinguishes alerting, orienting, and executive control (conflict) using a simple reaction time paradigm with different cues and congruent and incongruent flankers. Two gene loci on candidate genes for cognitive functioning, the functional catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) VAL158MET and the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) –703 G/T promoter polymorphism, were tested for possible associations with attention. COMT is involved in the catabolism of dopamine, and TPH is the rate-limiting enzyme for serotonin synthesis. Results showed no effect of the COMT polymorphism on attention performance. However, the TT genotype of TPH2 –703 G/T was significantly associated with more errors (a possible indicator of impaired impulse control; p = .001) and with decreased performance in executive control (p = .001). This single-nucleotide polymorphism on the TPH2 gene explained more than 10% of the variance in both indicators of attention stressing the role of the serotonergic system for cognitive functions.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Strobel, G. Dreisbach, J. Muller, T. Goschke, B. Brocke, and K.-P. Lesch Genetic variation of serotonin function and cognitive control. J. Cogn. Neurosci., December 1, 2007; 19(12): 1923 - 1931. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. D. Patel, D. A. Bochar, D. L. Turner, F. Meng, H. M. Mueller, and C. G. Pontrello Regulation of Tryptophan Hydroxylase-2 Gene Expression by a Bipartite RE-1 Silencer of Transcription/Neuron restrictive Silencing Factor (REST/NRSF) Binding Motif J. Biol. Chem., September 14, 2007; 282(37): 26717 - 26724. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]