Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Dopamine transporter polymorphism associated with externalizing behavior problems in children.

Susan E Young1, Andrew Smolen, Robin P Corley

  • 1Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA. Susan.Young@colorado.edu

American Journal of Medical Genetics
|February 22, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Differential DNA methylation clock ages across buffy coat (BC), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and saliva in individuals in early-to-mid adulthood.

Epigenetics·2026
Same author

Inflammation, mental health, and alcohol behaviors: Testing links leveraging a familial community sample.

Brain, behavior, & immunity - health·2026
Same author

A genetically informed cross-lagged twin study of the longitudinal association between addiction-related behaviors and obesity.

Addiction (Abingdon, England)·2026
Same author

Publisher Correction: Genome-wide association meta-analysis of childhood ADHD symptoms and diagnosis identifies new loci and potential effector genes.

Nature genetics·2025
Same author

Differential methylation clock ages across buffy coat (BC), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and saliva in individuals approaching midlife.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Genome-wide association meta-analysis of childhood ADHD symptoms and diagnosis identifies new loci and potential effector genes.

Nature genetics·2025

The 9-repeat variant of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) is linked to early childhood externalizing behaviors, such as aggression. This genetic risk was significant at ages 4 and 7 but diminished by age 9.

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Genetics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Early childhood externalizing behavior, characterized by aggression and delinquency, is heritable and predicts later psychiatric disorders.
  • The dopamine transporter gene (SLC6A3 or DAT1) plays a crucial role in regulating dopamine levels, influencing behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between a specific polymorphism in the DAT1 gene (3' untranslated region VNTR) and parent-reported externalizing behavior in a large child sample.
  • To examine how this genetic association changes across development (ages 4, 7, and 9 years).

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a sibling-based methodology to analyze genetic associations with quantitative traits, controlling for population stratification.
  • Included a diverse sample of 790 children from longitudinal twin and adoption studies, encompassing monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, siblings, and singletons.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Assessed externalizing behavior via parent reports at ages 4, 7, and 9 years.

    • Main Results:

    • The 9-repeat variant of the DAT1 gene was identified as a significant risk allele for externalizing behavior at ages 4 (P=0.001) and 7 (P=0.02).
    • The association between the DAT1 9-repeat variant and externalizing behavior showed a negligible effect size at age 9 (P=0.92).
    • A formal test for a developmental decrease in the effect across the observed ages was not statistically significant (P=0.70).

    Conclusions:

    • The DAT1 gene, specifically the 9-repeat allele, is associated with increased risk for early childhood externalizing behaviors.
    • While the genetic influence appears strongest in early childhood, the developmental trajectory of this association requires further investigation.
    • Findings contribute to understanding the genetic underpinnings of behavioral development and psychiatric risk.