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Noradrenergic Genotype Predicts Lapses in Sustained Attention
- Source :
-
Neuropsychologia . Jan 2009 47(2):591-594. - Publication Year :
- 2009
-
Abstract
- Sustained attention is modulated by the neurotransmitter noradrenaline. The balance of dopamine and noradrenaline in the cortex is controlled by the DBH gene. The principal variant in this gene is a C/T change at position-1021, and the T allele at this locus is hypothesised to result in a slower rate of dopamine to noradrenaline conversion than the C allele. Two hundred participants who were genotyped for the DBH C-1021T marker performed the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). DBH genotype was found to significantly predict performance; participants with more copies of the T allele made more errors of commission, indicative of lapses in sustained attention. A significant negative correlation was also observed for all participants between errors of commission and mean reaction time. The decrease in noradrenaline occasioned by the T allele may impair sustained attention by reducing participants' ability to remain alert throughout the task and by increasing their susceptibility to distractors. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0028-3932
- Volume :
- 47
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- ERIC
- Journal :
- Neuropsychologia
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- EJ860948
- Document Type :
- Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.10.003