| 1. |
- Grigorenko, Elena L., et al.
(author)
-
Exploring interactive effects on genes and environments in etiology of individual differences in reading comprehension
- 2007
-
In: Development and Psychopathology. - 0954-5794 .- 1469-2198. ; 19:4, s. 1089-1103
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is established that reading and reading-related processes are heritable; genes thus play an important role in the foundation of individual differences in reading. In this article, we focus on one facet of reading–comprehension. Comprehension is a higher order cognitive skill that requires many other cognitive processes for it to unfold completely and successfully. One such process is executive functioning, which has been associated with genetic variation in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene. Genotypes and haplotypes of four single nucleotide polymorphisms in COMT were investigated in 179 incarcerated adolescent delinquents. Four hierarchical logistic regression models predicting the presence/absence of comprehension difficulties were fitted to the data; genetic variation in COMT and the presence/absence of maternal rejection were investigated as main effects and as effects acting interactively. Three out of four interaction terms were found to be important predictors of individual differences in comprehension. These findings were supported by the results of the haplotype analyses, in which the four investigated polymorphisms were considered simultaneously.
|
|
| 2. |
- Haeffel, Gerald J., et al.
(author)
-
Association Between Polymorphisms in the Dopamine Transporter Gene and Depression : Evidence for a Gene-Environment Interaction in a Sample of Juvenile Detainees
- 2008
-
In: Psychological Science. - : SAGE Publications. - 0956-7976 .- 1467-9280. ; 19:1, s. 62-69
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Previous research has generated examples of how genetic and environmental factors can interact to create risk for psychopathology. Using a gene-by-environment (G × E) interaction design, we tested whether three polymorphisms in the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1, also referred to as SLC6A3, located at 5p15.33) interacted with maternal parenting style to predict first-onset episodes of depression. Participants were male adolescents (N= 176) recruited from a juvenile detention center in northern Russia. As hypothesized, one of the polymorphisms (rs40184) moderated the effect of perceived maternal rejection on the onset of major depressive disorder, as well as on suicidal ideation. Further, this G × E interaction was specific to depression; it did not predict clinically significant anxiety. These results highlight the need for further research investigating the moderating effects of dopaminergic genes on depression.
|
|
| 3. |
- Ruchkin, Vladislav V, et al.
(author)
-
Platelet MAO-B, personality, and psychopathology
- 2005
-
In: Journal of Abnormal Psychology. - 0021-843X .- 1939-1846. ; 114:3, s. 477-482
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The article investigates the relationships between platelet monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) activity, personality, and psychopathology (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994] diagnoses. These relationships were assessed in 178 incarcerated male juvenile delinquents. Even after controlling for smoking, the authors found that both Internalizing and Externalizing Psychopathology were negatively related to MAO-B activity. In the final reduced model, novelty seeking fully mediated the relationships between MAO-B and Externalizing Psychopathology but not between MAO-B and Internalizing Psychopathology. It was hypothesized that low platelet MAO-B activity does not directly predispose individuals to psychopathology but is related to specific personality traits, which in turn represent a vulnerability factor for psychopathology. Future studies should help clarify the nature of the relationships between personality, biological markers, and psychopathology.
|
|
