心理理论的遗传基础初探

心理理论在社会交往中起着关键作用,其认知过程包括对自我和他人的心理状态进行推断及预测下一步行为.心理理论在不同个体间具有差异,这种差异可能部分归因于与心理理论相关的神经化学物质如多巴胺、五羟色胺、催产素、血管加压素等.来自不同群体的研究结果还发现,与这些神经化学物质有关的基因多态性,如儿茶酚胺氧位甲基转移酶、多巴胺D4受体基因、5-羟色胺受体基因、催产素受体基因等都与心理理论的表现有关.     

COMT基因rs6267多态性与青少年攻击行为的关系:性别与负性生活事件的调节作用

运用问卷法与DNA分型技术, 以153名高和低攻击组初中生为被试, 考察COMT基因rs6267多态性与攻击行为的关系, 重点探讨性别与负性生活事件的调节作用。结果表明：rs6267多态性与男青少年攻击行为的发生显著关联, T等位基因显著降低了男青少年攻击行为发生的概率, 但该位点与女青少年的攻击行为无关; rs6267多态性与负性生活事件存在交互作用的趋势, 在那些经历高水平负性生活事件的青少年中, GG型基因携带者发生攻击行为的概率高于T等位基因携带者。     

COMT基因Val158Met多态性与抑郁的关系

抑郁的发生具有重要的遗传学基础。COMT基因Val158Met多态性是抑郁的重要候选基因位点。目前有关COMT基因Val158Met多态性与抑郁关系的研究主要采用单基因设计、单基因-环境设计以及多基因-环境设计。有资料显示负性情绪偏向及其相关脑区可能在COMT基因Val158Met多态性与抑郁间起中介作用, 但具体机制仍有待探究。未来研究可以进一步考察被试的种族、年龄和性别等因素对COMT基因Val158Met多态性与抑郁关系的调节作用, 并通过采用多基因-环境设计, 综合运用积极与消极环境指标等措施深入考察负性情绪偏向和相关脑区在COMT基因Val158Met多态性与抑郁间的作用及其机制。     

COMT基因对注意控制神经基础的调控效应：影像遗传学研究的元分析

为探索注意控制能力个体差异的遗传来源, 当前研究主要关注儿茶酚胺氧位甲基转移酶(catechol-O-Methyltransferase, COMT)基因对参与注意控制加工的前额叶脑区的调控作用。为进一步回答COMT基因是否也对全脑范围的注意脑区具有调控作用, 本文对17篇遗传影像学研究进行元分析。结果发现, COMT基因Val/Val (vv)基因型的被试在注意控制任务下, 不仅前额叶脑区的激活水平高于Met/Met(mm)基因型的被试, 在前扣带回和后扣带回等前额叶之外的脑区激活水平也高于mm基因型的被试, 而且在这些脑区的效应值(vv>mm)都较大(Cohen’s d > 0.8)。由此, 元分析结果表明：COMT基因不仅调控前额叶脑区, 而且对形成注意控制网络的多个脑区都有调控效应。此结果提示注意控制能力的个体差异可能部分的来自于COMT基因对注意控制网络的调控作用。     

A genetic variant (COMT) coding dopaminergic activity predicts personality traits in healthy elderly

Association studies between the NEO five factor personality inventory and COMT rs4680 have focused on young adults and the results have been inconsistent. However, personality and cortical changes with age may put older adults in a more sensitive range for detecting a relationship. The present study examined associations of COMT rs4680 and personality in older adults.Genetic association analyses were carried out between the NEO and the targeted COMT rs4680 in a large, well-characterized sample of healthy, cognitively normal older adults (N = 616, mean age = 69.26 years).Three significant associations were found: participants with GG genotype showed lower mean scores on Neuroticism (p = 0.039) and higher scores on Agreeableness (p = 0.020) and Conscientiousness (p = 0.006) than participants with AA or AG genotypes.These results suggest that older adults with higher COMT enzymatic activity (GG), therefore lower dopamine level, have lower Neuroticism scores, and higher Agreeableness and Conscientiousness scores. This is consistent with a recent model of phasic and tonic dopamine release suggesting that even though GG genotype is associated with lower tonic dopamine release, the phasic release of dopamine might be optimal for a more adaptive personality profile.     

COMT基因rs6267多态性与母亲教养行为对青少年身体攻击和关系攻击的交互作用

遗传与环境如何交互作用影响儿童青少年的攻击行为是当前攻击研究中的重要前沿课题之一。近年来, 分子遗传学关于人类攻击的研究已拓展到对不同攻击亚类(身体攻击和关系攻击)的遗传基础的探讨。本研究运用问卷法与DNA分型技术, 对1258名儿童进行为时4年(四年级—七年级)的追踪调查, 考察COMT基因rs6267多态性与母亲教养行为对青少年身体攻击和关系攻击的交互作用以及性别在其中的调节作用。结果发现, COMT基因rs6267多态性与母亲教养行为仅交互作用于男青少年的身体攻击, 母亲教养行为显著预测GG 基因型男青少年的身体攻击, 但对T等位基因男青少年身体攻击的预测作用并不显著。COMT基因rs6267多态性与母亲教养行为对青少年关系攻击的交互作用不显著。本研究结果表明, 身体攻击和关系攻击具有不同遗传基础和发生机制。     

COMT and DAT1 polymorphisms moderate the indirect effect of parenting behavior on youth ADHD symptoms through neurocognitive functioning

Although gene × environment interactions contribute to youth attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, the pathways mediating these influences are unknown. We tested genetic moderation of indirect effects from parenting behavior to youth ADHD symptoms through multiple neurocognitive factors. Two hundred and twenty-nine youth with and without ADHD were assessed at baseline (Wave 1; ages 5–10) and at a 2-year follow-up (Wave 2; ages 7–13). At Wave 1, youth completed a neurocognitive battery including measures of response inhibition, visuospatial working memory, and fluid reasoning, and a standardized parent–child interaction task yielding observational measures of positive and negative parenting. At Wave 2, youth psychopathology was rated by parents and teachers using multiple methods (i.e., structured interview, rating scale). We employed moderated multiple mediation and compared conditional indirect effects across youth genotypes at two biologically plausible genetic loci. Controlling for parent ADHD symptoms as well as youth demographic factors and co-occurring externalizing symptoms, these genetic factors moderated the indirect effect from Wave 1 parenting to multi-method/informant Wave 2 ADHD symptoms through Wave 1 neurocognitive functioning. This preliminary study is the first to identify genetic moderation of mediated effects underlying ADHD symptoms and suggests that specific gene × parenting interactions may underlie neurocognitive functioning deficits and subsequent ADHD.     

COMT基因Val158Met多态性与同伴关系对青少年抑郁的影响

以1048名汉族青少年为被试,采用问卷法和基因分型技术,综合运用传统回归分析和新兴的再参数化回归分析,考察COMT基因Val158Met多态性与同伴关系对青少年抑郁的交互作用模式及其性别差异。结果发现,COMT基因与同伴接纳和同伴拒绝交互预测青少年抑郁,具体表现为,在低同伴接纳或高同伴拒绝环境中,携带ValVal基因型的青少年抑郁水平高于Met等位基因携带者;在高同伴接纳或低同伴拒绝环境中,携带ValVal基因型的青少年抑郁水平低于Met等位基因携带者。此外,COMT基因与同伴接纳和同伴拒绝的交互作用与男生抑郁的关联更加密切。结果显示,COMT基因与同伴关系的交互效应为不同易感性模型提供了证据,而且该基因×环境交互效应存在性别差异。     

COMT基因多态性与攻击行为的关系

攻击行为的发生具有重要的遗传学基础。近年来, 随着分子遗传学的发展, 对攻击行为发生机制的研究已经深入到分子水平, COMT基因成为攻击行为遗传学研究的候选基因之一, 然而以人类为被试的研究结论尚存在分歧, 甚至相互矛盾。通过回顾、梳理既有关于COMT基因多态性与个体攻击行为关系的研究, 剖析了研究结论尚存在分歧和矛盾的原因, 并在此基础上从SNP标记、被试群体、研究设计、神经生物机制等几个方面展望了未来研究的方向。