View article

Background:

Our integrative neuroscience model of emotion processing proposes that the effects of genetic polymorphisms on emotional function and risk for disorders of negative affect may vary with gender. The COMT Met allele has been related to anxiety traits (in women), while MAO-A genotypes have been linked to anxiety and phobic disorders (in women) and increased aggression (in men). Using a facial emotion perception task, we examined the role of neuroimaging endophenotypes in the association between COMT, MAO-A and negative mood, and the moderating effects of gender.

Methods:

About 273 healthy subjects from the Brain Resource International Database provided data from cheek swabs (for genotyping). We assessed mood and temperament (using DASS and NEO), and emotion-related brain function (using event-related potential recording).

Results:

COMT heterozygotes (V/M) were associated …