5-HTTLPR and Early Childhood Adversities Moderate Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Adolescence

Matthew Owens; Ian M. Goodyer; Paul Wilkinson; Anupam Bhardwaj; Rosemary Abbott; Tim Croudace; Valerie Dunn; Peter B. Jones; Nicholas D. Walsh; Maria Ban; Barbara J. Sahakian

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048482

5-HTTLPR and Early Childhood Adversities Moderate Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Adolescence

Matthew Owens (Lead / Corresponding author), Ian M. Goodyer (Lead / Corresponding author), Paul Wilkinson, Anupam Bhardwaj, Rosemary Abbott, Tim Croudace, Valerie Dunn, Peter B. Jones, Nicholas D. Walsh, Maria Ban, Barbara J. Sahakian

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

39 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Polymorphisms in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and exposure to early childhood adversities (CA) are independently associated with individual differences in cognitive and emotional processing. Whether these two factors interact to influence cognitive and emotional processing is not known.
Methodology and Principal Findings: We used a sample of 238 adolescents from a community study characterised by the presence of the short allele of 5-HTTLPR (LL, LS, SS) and the presence or absence of exposure to CA before 6 years of age. We measured cognitive and emotional processing using a set of neuropsychological tasks selected predominantly from the CANTABH battery. We found that adolescents homozygous for the short allele (SS) of 5-HTTLPR and exposed to CA were worse at classifying negative and neutral stimuli and made more errors in response to ambiguous negative feedback. In addition, cognitive and emotional processing deficits were associated with diagnoses of anxiety and/or depressions.
Conclusion and Significance: Cognitive and emotional processing deficits may act as a transdiagnostic intermediate marker for anxiety and depressive disorders in genetically susceptible individuals exposed to CA.

Original language	English
Number of pages	12
Journal	PLoS ONE
Volume	7
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048482
Publication status	Published - 28 Nov 2012

Keywords

Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Medicine

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title = "5-HTTLPR and Early Childhood Adversities Moderate Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Adolescence",

abstract = "Background: Polymorphisms in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and exposure to early childhood adversities (CA) are independently associated with individual differences in cognitive and emotional processing. Whether these two factors interact to influence cognitive and emotional processing is not known. Methodology and Principal Findings: We used a sample of 238 adolescents from a community study characterised by the presence of the short allele of 5-HTTLPR (LL, LS, SS) and the presence or absence of exposure to CA before 6 years of age. We measured cognitive and emotional processing using a set of neuropsychological tasks selected predominantly from the CANTABH battery. We found that adolescents homozygous for the short allele (SS) of 5-HTTLPR and exposed to CA were worse at classifying negative and neutral stimuli and made more errors in response to ambiguous negative feedback. In addition, cognitive and emotional processing deficits were associated with diagnoses of anxiety and/or depressions. Conclusion and Significance: Cognitive and emotional processing deficits may act as a transdiagnostic intermediate marker for anxiety and depressive disorders in genetically susceptible individuals exposed to CA.",

keywords = "Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Medicine",

author = "Matthew Owens and Goodyer, {Ian M.} and Paul Wilkinson and Anupam Bhardwaj and Rosemary Abbott and Tim Croudace and Valerie Dunn and Jones, {Peter B.} and Walsh, {Nicholas D.} and Maria Ban and Sahakian, {Barbara J.}",

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AU - Wilkinson, Paul

AU - Bhardwaj, Anupam

AU - Abbott, Rosemary

AU - Croudace, Tim

AU - Dunn, Valerie

AU - Jones, Peter B.

AU - Walsh, Nicholas D.

AU - Ban, Maria

AU - Sahakian, Barbara J.

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N2 - Background: Polymorphisms in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and exposure to early childhood adversities (CA) are independently associated with individual differences in cognitive and emotional processing. Whether these two factors interact to influence cognitive and emotional processing is not known. Methodology and Principal Findings: We used a sample of 238 adolescents from a community study characterised by the presence of the short allele of 5-HTTLPR (LL, LS, SS) and the presence or absence of exposure to CA before 6 years of age. We measured cognitive and emotional processing using a set of neuropsychological tasks selected predominantly from the CANTABH battery. We found that adolescents homozygous for the short allele (SS) of 5-HTTLPR and exposed to CA were worse at classifying negative and neutral stimuli and made more errors in response to ambiguous negative feedback. In addition, cognitive and emotional processing deficits were associated with diagnoses of anxiety and/or depressions. Conclusion and Significance: Cognitive and emotional processing deficits may act as a transdiagnostic intermediate marker for anxiety and depressive disorders in genetically susceptible individuals exposed to CA.

AB - Background: Polymorphisms in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and exposure to early childhood adversities (CA) are independently associated with individual differences in cognitive and emotional processing. Whether these two factors interact to influence cognitive and emotional processing is not known. Methodology and Principal Findings: We used a sample of 238 adolescents from a community study characterised by the presence of the short allele of 5-HTTLPR (LL, LS, SS) and the presence or absence of exposure to CA before 6 years of age. We measured cognitive and emotional processing using a set of neuropsychological tasks selected predominantly from the CANTABH battery. We found that adolescents homozygous for the short allele (SS) of 5-HTTLPR and exposed to CA were worse at classifying negative and neutral stimuli and made more errors in response to ambiguous negative feedback. In addition, cognitive and emotional processing deficits were associated with diagnoses of anxiety and/or depressions. Conclusion and Significance: Cognitive and emotional processing deficits may act as a transdiagnostic intermediate marker for anxiety and depressive disorders in genetically susceptible individuals exposed to CA.

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JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

IS - 11

ER -

5-HTTLPR and Early Childhood Adversities Moderate Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Adolescence

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Keywords

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