School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia.
Holsworth Research Initiative, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria 3552, Australia.
Neuroscience. 2021 Feb 10;455:19-29. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.12.004. Epub 2020 Dec 16.
The val66met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene has been associated with changes in components of executive functioning such as decision making; however, this relationship remains unclear. Val66met-related changes in attention and visual processing speed may explain potential changes in decision making. Furthermore, chronic stress disrupts executive functions and alters autonomic activity. Because the relationship between val66met and cognition has not been investigated in the context of chronic stress or stress-related autonomic changes, in this study 55 healthy university students completed self-report measures of chronic stress and mental health. Participants then completed a virtual reality cognitive test battery (CONVIRT) measuring decision making, attention, and visual processing reaction times. To measure autonomic activity, saliva alpha amylase and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed at baseline and after CONVIRT testing. Saliva samples were used to identify val66met genotype. Regression analyses demonstrated that val66met was the strongest predictor of decision making and attention, but not visual processing, where valine/methionine (Val/met) participants had faster reaction times than Val/val participants. Val/met participants also had higher perceived chronic stress and heightened increases in sympathetic activity, but not parasympathetic activity. Neither stress nor autonomic activity moderated the effect of val66met on decision making or attention. This study is the first to investigate the role of val66met in decision making, attention, and visual processing while taking into account chronic stress and autonomic activity. This multifactorial approach revealed that carriers of the Val/met genotype may have better decision making and attention than Val/val carriers.
脑源性神经营养因子基因的 val66met 多态性与执行功能的变化有关，如决策；然而，这种关系仍不清楚。Val66met 相关的注意力和视觉处理速度的变化可能可以解释潜在的决策变化。此外，慢性应激会破坏执行功能并改变自主活动。由于 val66met 与认知之间的关系在慢性应激或与应激相关的自主变化的背景下尚未得到研究，在这项研究中，55 名健康的大学生完成了慢性应激和心理健康的自我报告测量。然后，参与者完成了一个虚拟现实认知测试电池（CONVIRT），测量决策、注意力和视觉处理反应时间。为了测量自主活动，在基线和 CONVIRT 测试后评估了唾液α-淀粉酶和心率变异性（HRV）。唾液样本用于鉴定 val66met 基因型。回归分析表明，val66met 是决策和注意力的最强预测因子，但不是视觉处理，其中 Val/met 参与者的反应时间比 Val/val 参与者更快。Val/met 参与者的慢性应激感知也更高，交感神经活动增加，但副交感神经活动没有增加。压力和自主活动都没有调节 val66met 对决策或注意力的影响。这项研究是首次在考虑慢性应激和自主活动的情况下，研究 val66met 在决策、注意力和视觉处理中的作用。这种多因素方法表明，携带 Val/met 基因型的个体可能比携带 Val/val 基因型的个体有更好的决策和注意力。
