Association between the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene and mesolimbic responses to rewards.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There has been significant progress in identifying genes that confer risk
for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, the heterogeneity of symptom presentation
in ASDs impedes the detection of ASD risk genes. One approach to understanding genetic
influences on ASD symptom expression is to evaluate relations between variants of
ASD candidate genes and neural endophenotypes in unaffected samples. Allelic variations
in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene confer small but significant risk for ASDs for
which the underlying mechanisms may involve associations between variability in oxytocin
signaling pathways and neural response to rewards. The purpose of this preliminary
study was to investigate the influence of allelic variability in the OXTR gene on
neural responses to monetary rewards in healthy adults using functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI). METHODS: The moderating effects of three single nucleotide polymorphisms
(SNPs) (rs1042778, rs2268493 and rs237887) of the OXTR gene on mesolimbic responses
to rewards were evaluated using a monetary incentive delay fMRI task. RESULTS: T homozygotes
of the rs2268493 SNP demonstrated relatively decreased activation in mesolimbic reward
circuitry (including the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, insula, thalamus and prefrontal
cortical regions) during the anticipation of rewards but not during the outcome phase
of the task. Allelic variation of the rs1042778 and rs237887 SNPs did not moderate
mesolimbic activation during either reward anticipation or outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:
This preliminary study suggests that the OXTR SNP rs2268493, which has been previously
identified as an ASD risk gene, moderates mesolimbic responses during reward anticipation.
Given previous findings of decreased mesolimbic activation during reward anticipation
in ASD, the present results suggest that OXTR may confer ASD risk via influences on
the neural systems that support reward anticipation.
Type
Journal articlePermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/12955Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1186/2040-2392-5-7Publication Info
Damiano, Cara R; Aloi, Joseph; Dunlap, Kaitlyn; Burrus, Caley J; Mosner, Maya G; Kozink,
Rachel V; ... Dichter, Gabriel S (2014). Association between the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene and mesolimbic responses to
rewards. Mol Autism, 5(1). pp. 7. 10.1186/2040-2392-5-7. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/12955.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Allison Elizabeth Ashley-Koch
Professor in Medicine
One of my major research foci is in the genetic basis of psychiatric and neurological
disorders. I am currently involved in studies to dissect the genetic etiology of
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, chiari type I malformations,
essential tremor, and neural tube defects. Additional research foci include genetic
modifiers of sickle cell disease, and genetic contributions to birth outcomes, particularly
among African American women.
Gabriel S. Dichter
Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
This author no longer has a Scholars@Duke profile, so the information shown here reflects
their Duke status at the time this item was deposited.
Scott Huettel
Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Research in my laboratory investigates the brain mechanisms underlying economic and
social decision making; collectively, this research falls into the field of “decision
neuroscience” or "neuroeconomics". My laboratory uses fMRI to probe brain function,
behavioral assays to characterize individual differences, and other physiological
methods (e.g., eye tracking, pharmacological manipulation, genetics) to link brain
and behavior. Concurrent with research on basic processes, my labo
F Joseph McClernon
Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Joe McClernon, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences, Founder/Director of the Center for Addiction Science and Technology (CfAST),
and Director of Evaluation and Strategic Planning in the Duke Clinical and Translational
Science Institute (CTSI). He earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 2001 from Southern
Illinois University-Carbondale and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke in
2002. He served as Director of the Addiction Division in Psychiatry
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