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Emotion recognition associated with polymorphism in oxytocinergic pathway gene ARNT2
Daniel Hovey1, Susanne Henningsson1, Diana S Cortes2
1Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Genetic variations in oxytocin and vasopressin pathways influence emotion recognition. A specific gene variant (rs4778599 in ARNT2) was linked to recognizing emotions in audio-visual stimuli in women.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Emotion recognition is crucial for social interactions and has a genetic component.
- Neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin are implicated in facial processing and social cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between genetic variations in oxytocin and vasopressin neurotransmission pathways and emotion recognition.
- To examine how single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in relevant genes affect the recognition of emotional faces and voices.
Main Methods:
- Genotyping of 492 subjects for 25 SNPs in eight genes related to oxytocin and vasopressin neurotransmission.
- Assessment of emotion recognition from faces, voices, and audio-visual stimuli.
- Statistical analysis to identify associations between SNPs and emotion recognition performance, with correction for multiple testing.
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between the SNP rs4778599 in the ARNT2 gene and emotion recognition of audio-visual stimuli in women (n=309).
- ARNT2 plays a role in the development of hypothalamic oxytocin and vasopressin neurons, suggesting a neurobiological link.
Conclusions:
- The findings provide evidence for a genetic influence on emotion recognition, specifically linking ARNT2 variants to the processing of emotional cues.
- This study reinforces the role of the oxytocin and vasopressin systems in social cognition and emotional processing.
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