Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2011 Oct;52(10):1044-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02424.x. Epub 2011 Jun 15.
Loneliness is a common problem in adolescence. Earlier research focused on genes within the serotonin and oxytocin systems, but no studies have examined the role of dopamine-related genes in loneliness. In the present study, we focused on the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2).
Associations among the DRD2, sex, parental support, and loneliness were examined in a longitudinal study spanning five annual waves (N = 307).
Using Latent Growth Curve Modeling, DRD2 genotype was not directly related to loneliness. Interactions were found between parental support and DRD2 genotype, showing that adolescents with the A2A2 genotype who perceived little support from their parents had the highest baseline levels of loneliness. Adolescents with an A1 allele were not susceptible to the rewarding effect of parental support.
The present study is the first to examine the role of the DRD2 genotype in loneliness. Our results contribute to a further understanding of the environmental and genetic basis of loneliness in adolescence.
孤独是青少年中常见的问题。早期的研究集中在血清素和催产素系统内的基因上，但没有研究探讨多巴胺相关基因在孤独中的作用。在本研究中，我们专注于多巴胺 D2 受体基因（DRD2）。
在跨越五个年度波次的纵向研究中（N=307），我们考察了 DRD2、性别、父母支持与孤独感之间的关系。
使用潜在增长曲线模型，DRD2 基因型与孤独感没有直接关系。但发现父母支持与 DRD2 基因型之间存在交互作用，表明那些感知到父母支持较少且具有 A2A2 基因型的青少年，其孤独感的基线水平最高。具有 A1 等位基因的青少年不受父母支持的奖励效应影响。
本研究首次检验了 DRD2 基因型在孤独感中的作用。我们的研究结果有助于进一步了解青少年孤独感的环境和遗传基础。
