Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Genes Brain Behav. 2012 Mar;11(2):230-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2011.00741.x. Epub 2011 Nov 23.
The cholinergic receptor, nicotinic, alpha 4 (CHRNA4) gene encodes the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha-4 subunit. Recent research has shown that a variation in CHRNA4 (rs1044396) affects attention and negative emotionality in normal adults. To determine the link between CHRNA4 variation and cognitive function/depressed mood, this study conducted a genotype-phenotype correlation analysis between the common CHRNA4:rs1044396 variant and several baseline parameters of cognition and depressed mood in 192 elderly male subjects without major psychiatric disorders or dementia. Study findings identified a significant link between the CHRNA4:rs1044396 polymorphism and depression and loneliness in the aged. Compared to carriers of at least one T-allele, carriers of the homozygous C/C genotype described themselves as more depressed and lonely. This is the first evidence which may implicate CHRNA4 in depressed emotions in the elderly.
胆碱能受体，烟碱，α 4（CHRNA4）基因编码神经元烟碱型乙酰胆碱受体α-4 亚单位。最近的研究表明，CHRNA4（rs1044396）的变异会影响正常成年人的注意力和负性情绪。为了确定 CHRNA4 变异与认知功能/抑郁情绪之间的联系，本研究对 192 名无重大精神疾病或痴呆的老年男性受试者的常见 CHRNA4：rs1044396 变异与认知和抑郁情绪的几个基线参数之间进行了基因型-表型相关性分析。研究结果发现，CHRNA4：rs1044396 多态性与老年人的抑郁和孤独之间存在显著联系。与至少携带一个 T 等位基因的携带者相比，纯合 C/C 基因型的携带者自述抑郁和孤独感更强。这是第一个可能表明 CHRNA4 与老年人抑郁情绪有关的证据。
