Influence of BDNF and COMT polymorphisms on emotional decision making

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Genetics
• Psychology

Background:

• Decision-making is a critical cognitive function.
• Neurotransmitter systems, like those involving BDNF and COMT, are implicated in decision-making.
• Genetic variations may influence individual differences in decision-making processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of BDNF Val66Met and COMT Val158Met gene polymorphisms on emotional decision-making.
• To utilize the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to assess decision-making performance.
• To analyze the genetic basis of decision-making in healthy college students.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 168 healthy Korean college students.
• Administered the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT).
• Performed genotyping for BDNF Val66Met and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms.

Main Results:

• BDNF Val66Met Met/Met and Val/Met genotypes were associated with lower IGT scores in later blocks (3-5) and less improvement over time compared to Val/Val.
• No significant association was found between BDNF Val66Met and performance in the initial block (block 1).
• COMT Val158Met polymorphism did not significantly affect IGT performance, and no gene-gene interaction was observed.

Conclusions:

• The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism appears to influence emotional decision-making performance, particularly in learning and adapting choices.
• The COMT Val158Met polymorphism does not seem to play a significant role in the decision-making processes assessed by the IGT in this population.
• Future research should explore the specific mechanisms by which BDNF affects emotional decision-making.