Dysmorphic contribution of neurotransmitter and neuroendocrine system polymorphisms to subtherapeutic mood states

Abstract

Objective From an evolutionary perspective, emotions emerged as rapid adaptive reactions that increase survival rates. Current psychobiology includes the consideration that genetic changes affecting neuroendocrine and neurotransmission pathways may also be affecting mood states. Following this hypothesis, abnormal levels of any of the aminergic neurotransmitters would be of considerable importance in the development of a pathophysiological state. Materials and Methods A total of 668 students from the School of Medicine of the University of Malaga (Average = 22.41 ± 3; 41% men) provided self‐report measures of mood states using POMS and GHQ‐28 questionnaires and buccal cells for genotyping 19 polymorphisms from 14 selected neurotransmitter pathways genes ( HTR1A; HTR2A; HTR2C; HTR3B; TPH1; SLC18A1; SLC18A2; COMT; MAOA; MAOB ) and neuroendocrine system ( AVPR1B; OPRM1; BDNF; OXTR ). Results MAOA rs3788862 genotype correlates with decreasing levels of Tension among females (beta = −0.168, p ‐value = 0.003) but it is neutral among males in this subscale. On the contrary, it correlates with lower GHQ‐28 depression scores among males (beta = −0.196, p ‐value = 0.008). Equivalently, SLC18A1 and HTR2A variants correlated with anger and vigor scores, only among males. From the neuroendocrine system, OPRM1 rs1799971 correlated increasing levels of female's Anxiety, depression and Social Dysfunction scores. Conclusion Our findings suggest that these polymorphisms contribute to define general population mood levels, although exhibiting a clear sexual dimorphism.

AVPR1A main effect and OXTR-by-environment interplay in individual differences in depression level

“…Namely, just few attempts to find relations between AVPR1A rs1042615 and rs3803107 and stress sensitivity were performed ( Bernhard et al., 2016 ; Holmqvist Jämsen et al., 2017 ). Although studies dedicated to the involvement of AVPR1B SNPs in mood states ( Gonzalez et al., 2019 ), emotional empathy and prosociality ( Wu et al., 2015 ), MDD ( Ben-Efraim et al., 2013 ; Szczepankiewicz et al., 2013 ) and personality traits ( Kazantseva et al., 2014 ) were published, a pervasive modulating effect of environmental factors on AVPR1B gene variants has to be explored.…”

Use of Data Mining to Determine Usage Patterns of an Online Evaluation Platform During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…This constitutes perhaps the most relevant fact of this study, which shows that numerous educational institutions have been able to increase the use of this type of platform for the education of their students ( Bao, 2020 ; Basilaia and Kvavadze, 2020 ; Belzunegui-Eraso and Erro-Garcés, 2020 ). These questionnaires are widely used in the field of psychology, both in education and in research ( González et al, 2019 ; Chen et al, 2020 ; Ramírez-Siqueiros et al, 2020 ). Therefore, it is consistent to think that they have been used during this period to maintain this type of activities.…”

Association between categorization of emotionally-charged and neutral visual scenes and parameters of event-related potentials in carriers of different COMT, HTR2A, BDNF gene genotypes

“…( Gonzalez et al , 2019 ) showed that the genotype of the HTR2A gene correlates with the manifestation of emotions of anger in a sample of adult males.…”