Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Genes Brain Behav. 2011 Nov;10(8):862-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2011.00726.x. Epub 2011 Oct 6.
Anti-smoking public service announcements (PSAs) often use persuasive arguments to attempt to influence attitudes about smoking. The persuasiveness of a PSA has previously been associated with factors that influence the cognitive processing of its message. Genetic factors that influence cognitive processing might thus affect individuals' responses to the persuasive arguments presented in PSAs. In the present study, we examined polymorphisms in the genes encoding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF Val66Met) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Val158Met), which affect cognitive processing in the prefrontal cortex, to identify genetic factors associated with self-reported outcomes of message processing, perceived effectiveness and quitting intentions among smokers viewing PSAs. A total of 120 smokers viewed sets of four PSAs that varied with respect to features of argument strength (AS) and message sensation value. We observed significant associations of BDNF genotype with central processing, narrative processing, perceived effectiveness of the anti-smoking PSAs and participant quitting intentions; the BDNF Met allele was associated with lower scores on all these measures. Central processing acted as a mediator of the association of genotype with quitting intentions and perceived effectiveness. There was a significant interaction of COMT genotype by AS in the model of narrative processing, such that individuals homozygous for the COMT Val allele reported higher narrative processing in the high-AS condition but not in the low-AS condition. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify genetic factors associated with cognitive processing of anti-smoking PSAs.
反吸烟公益广告（PSAs）通常使用有说服力的论点来试图影响人们对吸烟的态度。PSA 的说服力以前与影响其信息认知处理的因素有关。因此，影响认知处理的遗传因素可能会影响个人对 PSA 中提出的有说服力论点的反应。在本研究中，我们研究了编码脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF Val66Met）和儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶（COMT Val158Met）的基因多态性，这些基因影响前额叶皮层的认知处理，以确定与吸烟者观看 PSA 后信息处理、感知效果和戒烟意愿的自我报告结果相关的遗传因素。共有 120 名吸烟者观看了四组 PSA，这些 PSA 在论点强度（AS）和信息感觉值方面有所不同。我们观察到 BDNF 基因型与中央处理、叙事处理、反吸烟 PSA 的感知效果和参与者戒烟意愿之间存在显著关联；BDNF Met 等位基因与所有这些指标的得分较低有关。中央处理是基因型与戒烟意愿和感知效果之间关联的中介。在叙事处理的模型中，COMT 基因型与 AS 之间存在显著的交互作用，使得 COMT Val 等位基因纯合的个体在高 AS 条件下报告更高的叙事处理，但在低 AS 条件下则不然。据我们所知，这是第一项确定与反吸烟 PSA 的认知处理相关的遗传因素的研究。
