Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study examined the contributions of genetic variation to individual differences in ability to pay attention.Specifically, we examined a subcapacity version (Ile89Val) of the high affinity choline transporter, a protein important in regulating the brain's acetylcholine levels, and tested the hypothesis that it would influence the ability to modulate attention.In Experiment 1, subjects were genotyped for this mutation, and completed questionnaires addressing attentional capacity.In Experiment 2, a subset of subjects heterozygous for the Ile89Val mutation and homozygous wild-type controls were brought back to complete the Attention Network Task.Results revealed a significant effect of genotype on self-reported tendency towards lapses of attention (as measured by the Distractibility measure of the Short Imaginal Processes Inventory).Moreover, genotype played a significant role in determining the magnitude of a subject's alerting effect on the ANT.Our results suggest that even a single nucleotide change in CHT1 may be important for determining an individual's attentional ability.
Author: Surya Sabhapathy
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W32180031